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Walker House, Darley
One time home of Elizabeth Walker. Photo 1918.
ELIZABETH WALKER (1791) Biog-36
Elizabeth Walker was born in Darley, Yorkshire, England on 26 Nov. 1791, the 7th child of Robert (1755) and Rachel (born Spence) Walker.
Elizabeth attended the Friends Boarding School at Ackworth from 1804 to 1806. In 1820, when her father died she inherited £50, with an additional £100 to be received upon the demise of her mother. In 1835 she also inherited a legacy valued at £7800 from her elder brother, Joseph. This legacy included Crake Lane farm, valued at £1640, located just south of Darley on Crake Lane, along with personal mortgages worth £2600 and Liverpool & Manchester Railway Shares worth £3835. Thus Elizabeth would have been considered a very wealthy woman, for her time. According to an account of her estate at the time of her death Elizabeth rented this property out.
The 1841 Census Returns records Elizabeth as residing in Darley at "Green Lane" a house which later became known as "Walker House" (See photo) and is still known by that name as of the date of this writing. She was listed as "Independent" (no profession or calling and living on her own means). In the 1851 Census Elizabeth is listed at the same location, but is now shown as being "Head of Household" and a "Landed Proprietor" which means she is "Owner of land which provides income" and has her nephew, Robert, (son of her brother Thomas) living with her. Perhaps it should be explained at this time that the building known as Walker House actually consists of two dwellings, the west side called "Walker House" and the east side called "Walker Farm House", and in 1835 the building and associated farm property was inherited by Elizabeth's younger brother, Thomas, from their brother Joseph. It would appear that sometime following Thomas' death in late 1851 an exchange took place as the 1861 Census shows Elizabeth in Walker Farm House and her nephew Robert, with his mother and his sister, Rachel, in Walker House. The cellars of both houses were joined by a door which is now bricked up (RBW 2002)
Directly opposite Walker House is a road running south called "Walker Lane" previously known as Heck-Gill Road. About half a mile up this lane the name changes to Sheepcote Lane and a short distance further on intersects with Crake Lane. Near this intersection is a cottage, known today as Porterhouse Cottage. This cottage (See photo) was built by Elizabeth in 1859 as evidenced by the stone lintel above the front entrance inscribed "E.W. - AD - 1859". At the Crake Lane farm she built a new farm house (See photo) attached to the front of the original combined barn and living quarters. Above the front door of the new house is a stone lintel which reads "E. WALKER - AD - 1860". By 1910 it was called "Crake Lane House" and by 1960 "Pine Tree Cottage" where, in 1992, Richard Walker of Formby, England and Bud Walker of Oliver, B.C., Canada, visited the present occupants, Pam and Bill Blackburn and had tea.
Prior to her death in 1932, Maria Walker of York, England, a niece of Elizabeth, wrote;
"Elizabeth Walker built several houses in Darley including a house for the schoolmaster. Another useful service of this Friend was the gift of a hearse (See photo) to the village".
On the main thoroughfare of Darley, almost directly opposite the intersection of Sheepcote Lane, is a cottage called "Rosedene" which is joined to an adjacent school house by a rather large double garage door. The cottage, prior to 1956, was known as "Walker Cottage" (See photo) and the double door garage is where the village hearse was kept. The cottage, the garage and the school house were all built by Elizabeth.
Darley Junior School Log has recently come to light and shows that Elizabeth Walker contributed both moral and financial support to the school as did her brother Spence Walker.There is a tribute paid to her in the School Log by the then Head teacher Mrs Mary Scott. She and her husband named their three children:- Mary Walker Scott, Joseph E Scott and Spence A Scott.
About 1862, when her nephew, Robert, sold Walker House and the farm and moved to Ellenthorpe Hall near Boroughbridge, Elizabeth moved to "a new house", Laurel Bank in Birstwith to be near her youngest brother, Spence. Seven months prior to her death Elizabeth went to live with Spence and his wife, Mary, at Birstwith House.
Elizabeth Walker died on 25 June, 1869, at age 77, at Birstwith and was buried in the Friends Burial Ground (row 3, plot 11) at the Friends Meeting House in Darley. In her Will, signed by her on 9 Mar.1867, with the exception of £300 to her Executors and £300 to her name-sake niece, Elizabeth (dau. of brother Thomas), she bequeathed her entire Estate to all her nephews and nieces (26) to share and share alike. Each legatee received £380 (a total of £9880) after all other charges and expenses were paid from her total estate, valued at £17,586, 17 shilling and 4 pence. All of the above figures are taken from the Executors Account of her Real and Personal Estate (including the 26 Legatees) which is attached to this biography. A check of all available records divulges that the 26 nephews and nieces were the children of her brothers as follows:-
BenjaminSamuelJohnThomas
Hannah
(1820)
Robert
(1828)
Joseph
(1830)
Robert
(1833)
Thompson
(1822)
Rachel
(1830)
Benjamin
(1837)
Rachel
(1838)
Richard
(1829)
Thomas
(1832)
John
(1838)
Sarah
(1841)
Spence
(1843)
Edwin
(1841)
John
(1842)
Mary Ann
(1835)
Thomas
(1843)
Sarah
(1838)
Joseph
(1844)
Charles
(1841)
Alfred
(1845)
Joseph
(1843)
George
(1848)
Maria
(1843)
Samuel
(1847)
Elizabeth
(1852)
A type script copy of Elizabeths Will.
The Darley Quaker Women’s Preparative Meeting Minute Book of 1816 reports:-
"Darley Preparative Meeting for Women Friends held 11th Mo., 10 th, 1816. The Minute respecting the appointment and reappointment of Clerks and Overseers has been read and it appears desirable that Elizabeth Walker should continue in the station of Clerk the ensuing year."
Photos of the properties Elizabeth built will be incuded in "Nidderdale photos".
By:- R.B. Walker, Eng. & H.L. Walker, Can. - Rev. 24 January, 2002.
ELIZABETH WALKER (1791) Biog-36
Elizabeth Walker was born in Darley, Yorkshire, England on 26 Nov. 1791, the 7th child of Robert (1755) and Rachel (born Spence) Walker.
Elizabeth attended the Friends Boarding School at Ackworth from 1804 to 1806. In 1820, when her father died she inherited £50, with an additional £100 to be received upon the demise of her mother. In 1835 she also inherited a legacy valued at £7800 from her elder brother, Joseph. This legacy included Crake Lane farm, valued at £1640, located just south of Darley on Crake Lane, along with personal mortgages worth £2600 and Liverpool & Manchester Railway Shares worth £3835. Thus Elizabeth would have been considered a very wealthy woman, for her time. According to an account of her estate at the time of her death Elizabeth rented this property out.
The 1841 Census Returns records Elizabeth as residing in Darley at "Green Lane" a house which later became known as "Walker House" (See photo) and is still known by that name as of the date of this writing. She was listed as "Independent" (no profession or calling and living on her own means). In the 1851 Census Elizabeth is listed at the same location, but is now shown as being "Head of Household" and a "Landed Proprietor" which means she is "Owner of land which provides income" and has her nephew, Robert, (son of her brother Thomas) living with her. Perhaps it should be explained at this time that the building known as Walker House actually consists of two dwellings, the west side called "Walker House" and the east side called "Walker Farm House", and in 1835 the building and associated farm property was inherited by Elizabeth's younger brother, Thomas, from their brother Joseph. It would appear that sometime following Thomas' death in late 1851 an exchange took place as the 1861 Census shows Elizabeth in Walker Farm House and her nephew Robert, with his mother and his sister, Rachel, in Walker House. The cellars of both houses were joined by a door which is now bricked up (RBW 2002)
Directly opposite Walker House is a road running south called "Walker Lane" previously known as Heck-Gill Road. About half a mile up this lane the name changes to Sheepcote Lane and a short distance further on intersects with Crake Lane. Near this intersection is a cottage, known today as Porterhouse Cottage. This cottage (See photo) was built by Elizabeth in 1859 as evidenced by the stone lintel above the front entrance inscribed "E.W. - AD - 1859". At the Crake Lane farm she built a new farm house (See photo) attached to the front of the original combined barn and living quarters. Above the front door of the new house is a stone lintel which reads "E. WALKER - AD - 1860". By 1910 it was called "Crake Lane House" and by 1960 "Pine Tree Cottage" where, in 1992, Richard Walker of Formby, England and Bud Walker of Oliver, B.C., Canada, visited the present occupants, Pam and Bill Blackburn and had tea.
Prior to her death in 1932, Maria Walker of York, England, a niece of Elizabeth, wrote;
"Elizabeth Walker built several houses in Darley including a house for the schoolmaster. Another useful service of this Friend was the gift of a hearse (See photo) to the village".
On the main thoroughfare of Darley, almost directly opposite the intersection of Sheepcote Lane, is a cottage called "Rosedene" which is joined to an adjacent school house by a rather large double garage door. The cottage, prior to 1956, was known as "Walker Cottage" (See photo) and the double door garage is where the village hearse was kept. The cottage, the garage and the school house were all built by Elizabeth.
Darley Junior School Log has recently come to light and shows that Elizabeth Walker contributed both moral and financial support to the school as did her brother Spence Walker.There is a tribute paid to her in the School Log by the then Head teacher Mrs Mary Scott. She and her husband named their three children:- Mary Walker Scott, Joseph E Scott and Spence A Scott.
About 1862, when her nephew, Robert, sold Walker House and the farm and moved to Ellenthorpe Hall near Boroughbridge, Elizabeth moved to "a new house", Laurel Bank in Birstwith to be near her youngest brother, Spence. Seven months prior to her death Elizabeth went to live with Spence and his wife, Mary, at Birstwith House.
Elizabeth Walker died on 25 June, 1869, at age 77, at Birstwith and was buried in the Friends Burial Ground (row 3, plot 11) at the Friends Meeting House in Darley. In her Will, signed by her on 9 Mar.1867, with the exception of £300 to her Executors and £300 to her name-sake niece, Elizabeth (dau. of brother Thomas), she bequeathed her entire Estate to all her nephews and nieces (26) to share and share alike. Each legatee received £380 (a total of £9880) after all other charges and expenses were paid from her total estate, valued at £17,586, 17 shilling and 4 pence. All of the above figures are taken from the Executors Account of her Real and Personal Estate (including the 26 Legatees) which is attached to this biography. A check of all available records divulges that the 26 nephews and nieces were the children of her brothers as follows:-
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