Person talk:Alexander Walker (28)

Identity Issue [27 April 2010]

15:36, 14 March 2010 Prhoton left the following unsigned note:

Please note I changed the caption of the map to read "John Walker, Jr. (Alexander's cousin, son of his uncle Alexander) 302 acres, 1753 to the east" from "John Walker, Jr. (Alexander's nephew, son of his brother John) 302 acres, 1753 to the east." The reason I made this change is the following deeds:

Augusta Co, VA, Deed Bk 5: 154-155

19 Mar 1753: Benjamin Borden of Augusta County, heir-at-law and one of the Executors of the last will and testament of Benjamin Borden, dec’d of Orange County, to John Walker Junior of same; 302 acres on Moffets Creek for 27 pounds 5 shillings; bounded by Capt. Joseph Culton. Witnesses: James McCrosky, William McCrosky, Archibald Buchanon, Alexander McMullen. Recorded 21 March 1753. [In the margin noted “Examined & Delivered Alexander Walker Oct 1775”]

Augusta Co, VA, Deed Bk 21:289-293

19 Aug 1776: John Walker of Augusta County to his son Alexander Walker of same; 402 acres on both sides of Moffets Creek “formerly two tracts one…had by deed from Benjamin Borden containing 302 acres the other…had of Joseph Culton by deed which contains 100 acres said tracts adjoin each other” for 100 pounds. No witnesses. Recorded 20 Aug 1776.

The first deed is the original deed purchasing the land while the second is the sale of the land. From the second deed we see that John Walker was still living in Augusta County in 1776 long after the man referred to as John Walker IV had left the area and was living in Old Washington County, Virginia, at the time. The deed also indicates John sold the land to his son Alexander. We know that Gun stocker John Walker had a son Alexander from his will while, to our knowledge John Walker IV did not. The original deed refers to Gun stocker John as "John Walker, JR" not because he was the son of John Walker III but as means of distinguishing him from his older cousin of the same name.

Identitying the various properties owned by various Walkers in this area is sometimes difficult because of the similarity in names. In this case, the diagram presently included in the main artcile is misleading, as it implies that this was the property of Alexander (28), son of John Walker II. In point of fact, this is the property of Alexander "Sawney" Walker, Alexander (16), and cousin of Alexander (28). White 1902 quotes an unidentified source to tell us the sequence of settlers along Walker's Creek, identifying Gunstocker John (Alexander 16's older brother) as having settled to the north, with Alexander 16 about a mile downstream of him. Their cousin Alexander 28 is stated to have "pitched his tent" one mile further south. That seems to make Alexander 28's property the one labeled "James". I'll have to review my data on this point, but what I think happened is that title to the property was not originally secured by Alexander (28), and that his son James did so after his death. That explains the late date on Hildebrand's map, and why he doesn't show it as belonging to Alexander. Q 10:14, 27 April 2010 (EDT)

Alexander Walker, Wheelwright [17 April 2013]

I've noted the descriptor "Wheelwright" being attached to the Alexander Walker who married Jannet Hammer/Hummer but it was actually used to refer to the man that has come down to us as "Sawney" Alexander Walker.

The two deeds in questions are:

Augusta County, Virginia, Deed Bk 4: 371-375; 18 Aug 1752: Alexander Walker, planter, of Augusta County to Alexander Walker, wheelwright, of same; 7 acres a half & 15 poles on Hayes Creek for 3 pounds 15 shillings. Witnesses: Frances Beatey, James Walker, William Wilson. Recorded: 19 Aug 1752.

Augusta County, Virginia, Deed Bk 6:531-535; 17 Mar 1755: Archibald Alexander and Margaret Bowyer, Executors of Benjamin Borden the younger of Augusta County, dec’d, who was the heir-at-law and Executor of Benjamin Borden of Orange County, dec’d, to Alexander Walker, wheelwright, of same; 170 acres on Walkers Creek for 6 pounds. Corner of John Robinson. Witnesses: Alexr. Miller, John Loggan, John Walker, John Wallace. Recorded: 19 Mar 1755.

From the will of "Sawney" Alexander Walker, dated 4 January 1783 and proved 4 May 1785) we have:

...Item I give and bequeth Jean my beloved Wife one third part of my plantation on which we now live which contains one hundred and seventy seven acres while she liveth and remaineth unmarried Item I also give and bequeth unto Jean my beloved wife her mare and saddle and bed with its furneture Item I give and bequeth unto Joseph Walker my young son the other two thirds of my Plantation on which we now live upon Condition he will bind himself to pay unto Eleanor Walker my younger Daughter fifty Pounds Curent Money of Virginia upon the Eighteenth Day of February in the year one thousand seven hundred and Eighty nine and it is my Will and I do order and appoint that the other third of the land shall fall into his posestion at his Mothers Death or Marage... (Rockbridge County, Virginia, Will Book 1:231-233)

This is followed by two deeds in Rockbridge County, Virginia, extracted below:

Rockbridge County, Virginia, Deed Bk B: 265-267; 4 Oct 1791: John Walker and Joseph Moore, executors of Alexander Walker, dec’d, to Joseph Walker of Fayette County, district of Kentucky, state of Virginia; “Witnesseth that agreeable to last will and Testament of the sd. Alexander Walker Deceased the condition therein mentioned complied with is here by acknowledged they have made over to the said Jospeh Walker…;” one tract of 170 acres on Walkers Creek and one tract of 7.5 acres 15 poles on the west side of Hayes Creek. No witnesses. Recorded: 4 Oct 1791.

Rockbridge County, Virginia, Deed Bk B: 267-266; 4 Oct 1791: Joseph Walker of Fayette County, district of Kentucky, to Alexander Stuart; one tract of 170 acres on Walkers Creek and one tract of 7.5 acres 15 poles on the west side of Hayes Creek for 190 pounds. No Witnesses. Recorded 4 Oct 1791.

The key to the identity of Wheelwright Alexander is the will of Sawney Alexander and its bequest of his real estate to his son Joseph. The subsequent deeds transferring the property to Joseph in 1791 and the sale of the smaller of the two tracts in the on the same date confirm the acreage as well as the metes and bounds are identical to the property purchased by Wheelwright Alexander in 1752 and 1755 establishing Sawney Alexander was also known as Wheelwright and not Alexander Walker who married Jannet Hammer/Hummer.--Prhoton 20:47, 16 April 2013 (EDT)