Talk:Analysis. Mudlick Property of John Walker, 1751

Commentary

The following was posted to the Tapestry Mailing list, 16 June 2011. It contains additional insights that have not yet been worked into the main article.

This article deals with the land acquired by John Walker (believed to be John Walker III of the Wigton line) on Mudlick, south of Roanoke, just before he settled in Orange County NC.

There's a reference in Chalkley's in which a Samuel Cowan is identified as living in the Roanoke Watershed in 1767.

As discussed in the article I suspect that this is Samuel Cowan who married Ann Walker, daughter of John Walker III. If correct, then he's probably living on one of John Walkers two Mudlick tracts. The other, larger tract was apparently being used by two other kinsmen John and Alexander Walker, in 1765.

Why John III had use for the Mudlick property has always been puzzling. Why acquire land in 1753, and then turn around and settle in North Carolina? The answer appears to be that he was providing for kinsmen in his extended family. On this basis, his daughter's husband is given a tract to use. I think Samuel and Ann married about 1760, based on the age of their eldest son John Cowan. But perhaps the marriage was a bit earlier. I'd expect Ann to be living with her parents prior to her marriage, which implies that Samuel was at some point in NC---then, after marriage moved back north to occupy one of the mudlick tracts.

In this regard, this is similar to what we know of what John Walker did for another daughter Jane----her husband Patrick Porter is recorded as "now living on living on John Walkers land on Moon Creek in Orange (now Caswell) County NC at the time John sold the property about 1771. Patrick and his family then moved with John to SW VA, settling near John on Fall Creek near Castle's Woods.

Ditto, it would seem for Samuel and his family. About the same time that John sells his Moon Creek property, he is also selling his Mudlick Creek property in VA. Shortly thereafter, Samuel Cowan appears in Castles Woods, near his fatherinlaw.

An additional point to draw out is that when John sold his property in Orange County NC, some of the land (the MOon Creek parcel as I recall) ended up with Samuel Walker, who I think is John III's brother (at least there's a YDNA match between their descendants).

Samuel Walker is also one of those to whom John III gives a POA to sell his mudlick property---and he's identified as John's "well beloved brother".

The other person John identifies as POA is Joseph Walker. The court action does not identify where either Samuel or Joseph are living in 1771, but Samuel we know from other sources is in the Moon Creek area. perhaps Joseph is nearby.

Finally, the 1765 tithables lists identifies Alexander Walker and John Walker as living on the larger of the two Mudlick parcels. We'd really like to know who these two people are, as they are clearly kin to JOhn III. One possibility is that they are sons---in which case, John is JOhn IV aka Indian Killer, and Alexander is an otherwise unrecognized son who predeceases John III. More likely, Alexander is the Alexander Walker in NC for whom there is also a YDNA match with descendants of John III and with descendants of Samuel.
Q 10:15, 16 June 2011 (EDT)