B1 - William Walker II, 1498
William Walker II was born about 1498 in Littletown, a Hamlet (having no church) of Liversedge Manor, which later became Liversedge Township, in Birstall Parish of Yorkshire, England, the son of William Walker I. His mother’s name is unknown at this time.
Little is known of William, however if we refer to Frank Peel’s book again (see Wm. I biography) we find Chapter 7, entitled, “A Note of Every Man’s Lands”, which provides the name of every man outside the Liversedge Hall domain, who held lands in the Township of Liversedge about the year 1560. The measure of the value of the land at this time was set according to “days work”. William’s lands are recorded as follows:-
William Walker, his house with a Croft, 11 days; Capp’s House and Croft with his Nether Croft, 11 days; the Ynge, 7 days; the halfe balke, 4 days; the Close at Bairstowes, 2 days; the Close at Hackyng, Wykfield, 4 days; the Oldroid, 3 days and a half; the Rawfall and the Close at Wasduks, 16 Days; the ... 6 days; the Middlewheatroid, 4 days; Willanlaye, 2 days; the Cawfell ....; the Close next Walker wives and the Close under that, 5 days; the Ynge at Henry Skacher’s and Caufellynge, 4 days; ----- 77 days.
Rawfall is a name one reads from some of the earliest maps of this area, a farm just north of Littletown on the way to (Cleck) Heaton. Rawfall still exists today (2006) as a road name in the same place.
Whether William Walker II inherited the land above mentioned from his father is not proven but from previous tax records in 1523 it seems very likely he did so. There is good evidence to show this land passed on to William’s son, William III probably upon his marriage to Alice Rayner.
Definitions of some of the names are perhaps appropriate here ;
Ynge - refers to “ing” a meadow generally near the farm
Croft - a small enclosed plot of land adjoining a house worked by the occupier
Close - a field or paddock usually enclosed by a fence, hedge or wall
It is not known who William II married but it would seem he had at least 2 children, born at Littletown, who were:-
William III b c1528 bur. 17-7-1588
Wilfrey b c1529 bur. 21-6-1620
William Walker II died in 1562 and was described as “of Littletown” and buried at the Parish Church of Saint Peters in Birstall, Yorkshire, England, on 23 Sept. 1562, at about 64 years of age. One William Taylor was vicar at this time.
Note:- All dates above are “Old Calendar” dates. That means that the first Month of the Year was March.
Sources:-
Richard B. Walker, Formby, Eng.
Frank Peel’s Book published in 1893. Spen Valley Past & Present.
By:- R. B. Walker, Eng. - Rev.March 11, 2006