The Second Edition of Ancestry and Descendants of John Walker 1794-1869
of Vermont and Utah, descendant of Robert Walker, an emigrant of 1632 from England to Boston, Mass.

Descendants of John Walker compiled by Rodney Wilson Walker

Ancestry of John Walker compiled by Noel C. Stevenson

Published by John Walker Family Organization 1985

Preface of the First Edition

This work contains a list of more than 3600 descendants of John Walker,
along with more than 1000 families of the same Walker family. John Walker is
the head of a branch of the Walker Family and brought his family to Utah from
where many descendants were scattered all over the Western States and Western
Canada.
William Holmes Walker, being the eldest son of John Walker, was a great
pioneer of the Salt Lake Valley and the Upper Snake River Valley in Idaho,
and had a long successful and useful life. His numerous descendants at
gatherings at different times during the past 30 years have expressed a
desire for such a record, and about 1946 his great-grandson Rodney W. Walker
volunteered to gather the necessary data which offer was gladly accepted in
April 1948.
The tremendous task was accomplished only after many months of long
hours of a work of love, which was the driving force that brought about the
completion of the gathering of the information.
Appreciation is expressed to all those who have assisted in furnishing
information and means that makes this volume possible.
Rexburg, Idaho
July 1952
Frank L. Davis

Preface of the Second Edition

This preface is similar to the one in the First Edition except that the
Second Edition is a revised and enlarged edition so as to include records of
many missing families that should have been in the First Edition and also
updated records on thousands of families. This volume contains over 16,300
descendants and about 7,000 spouses of descendants. Many descendants are
found in almost every state of the United States, Western Canada and other
countries.
This project was proposed and voted upon at the reunion held in Las
Vegas, Nevada in 1975. The task has been overwhelming and enormous because
the John Walker family is so large that it is next to impossible to gather
records on all families while keeping up with the growing family.
As of today this volume may be obsolete because hundreds of descendants
have already been born, many new marriages have been performed and many
deaths have occurred. These events are not mentioned in this book. It is hoped
that all of us will keep our own records for our posterity and treasure the
rich heritages which we have inherited from our forefathers including John
Walker.
Salt Lake City, Utah
March 1985
Rodney W. Walker

For and in behalf of the John Walker Family Organization, I want to thank you all, everyone of you, for your assistance in making this volume possible. This volume is the product of our work for nearly five years.

In the beginning, much deserved credit and appreciation goes to my wife, Georgia, for her sacrifice and patience during the time when the Second Edition manuscript was being prepared.

This volume is made possible through the use of a word processor in a computer which was purchased in 1980. Thanks are given to a committee who were picked to search for a reliable computer and a printer and to those who have made generous contributions toward the purchase of the computer.

Since the John Walker family is growing and outpacing the gathering of records, many branch genealogists were appointed. They have given their time and financial means in gathering records in their own branches. They and those who have helped them deserve a large share of thanks from the family organization.

Due to passing of time, many records were found to be outdated. It was necessary to send out proofs to all families for their help in updating and verification. Thousands of letters were mailed out but less than half of the letters remained unanswered. Thanks are given to all those who have replied to the requests for information, to verify proofs and also who have contributed financial means to push the Second Edition along. The list of those is too long to be mentioned.

Heart felt thanks are given to all those who have placed orders with remittances and who have helped push the project toward the goal of 1000 copies which is necessary to bring success toward publishing this volume.

Gratitude is also felt for the officers, past and present, of the family organization for their support and to keep the family organization going on with board meetings and reunions. The officers of this family organization also want to express their thanks to all those who have given their support by any means and for their attending reunions in past years.

Salt Lake City, Utah
March 1985

Rodney W. Walker

To write and publish a book is no small task–especially a book of more than 1300 pages, and every page filled with specific detail. Yet this has been accomplished because our Executive Secretary is a man of the ability and dedication of Rodney W. Walker. He virtually did it all. The task was made easier when a word-processing computer and printer were purchased with Walker Family Organization funds.

Rodney Walker typed every character, word, line and page of this book. This includes 30,000 names, an average of 26 names and 4.5 families per page–each identified through the one to seven generations that link that person with John Walker. Work started in November, 1980, and ended five years later in December, 1985.

Averaging seven hours per day on the computer keyboard, he entered the data, corrected the files, and generated printouts to be mailed to families for verification. The computer’s display screen wore out and two disk drive motors gave up; but Rodney kept going for five years of dedicated, persistent, loving work. His Newsletter announcements and progress reports produced nearly 1,000 advance paid orders.

We acknowledge his exemplary service as Executive Secretary to our officers and members during many years of unselfish devotion, and express our love, gratitude, and admiration. Through the years, we have often been inspired by his cheerful and productive life, although he was without normal speech or hearing. And we have been impressed by the way he and his wife have provided for their family, and by their support of him. His retirement years have brought great accomplishment, including the publication of this book, which will stand for generations as a monument not only to John Walker and his descendants, but also to him.

JOHN WALKER FAMILY ORGANIZATION
Elwood W. Chambers, President

“May each individual, like a thread, be woven into a family”
–Rodney Wilson Walker

In the New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 01. 7 (1853), p 46, there appears the following deposition by Robert Walker of Boston:

“Robert Walker of Boston, Linnen webster, aged about 72 years, … ”

Webster’s dictionary defines the word “Webster” as a weaver.

“…Walkers, and they did not get their names for progressing on their feet. After the cloth was woven it had to be trampled on, or beaten in water for hours to soft en and cleanse it before it was f it for use. “Walker” is the old word for the man who performed this task in the simplest way. –English Surnames by C. M. Matthews (1967) p. 86

“The family name Walker is a good example of this evoluntionary development of names, for Walker is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word wealcere. A wealcere was the man who performed the task of beating or “walking” on new-made cloth in order to cleanse and soften it. –American Genealogical Research Institute (1972)