Samuel Walker was born in Darley, Yorkshire, England on 8 Jan. 1801, the 11th child of Robert (1755) and Rachel (born Spence) Walker.
Samuel attended Ackworth boarding School from 1814 to 1815, followed by a term at Bootham School in the City of York, in 1815. From about 1817 to 1820 Samuel lived with his brother, Spence, at Lower Head Row, Leeds.
On 22 Mar. 1830 Samuel married Mabel Webster in Halifax, Yorkshire. In the Quaker Marriage Digests Samuel is described as a farmer of Horsforth. Mabel was born on 24 Mar. 1802, in Aughton, Lancashire, the daughter of John (yeoman) and Mary Webster, who, at the time of Mabel’s marriage, resided at Cottingwith. Samuel and Mary had two children, both born in Carleton, Pontefract, in Yorkshire.
John died at Horsforth and was buried in the Quaker Burial Ground at Darley in Row 3, Plot 7.
Robert attended Ackworth Boarding School from 1842 to 1846 and then Bootham School in York from 1846 to 1848. He is described in the Bootham School records as the son of Samuel Walker and Mabel Webster, born at Carleton, near Pontefract. Though the date of his death is unknown he was still living in 1869 as he is mentioned as an heir in his Uncle Spence’s Will, to receive “£25 a year for the term of his natural life” dated 24 Nov. 1869.
Mabel Webster died on 29 Apr. 1834, leaving Samuel with two very young children, one, John who died just 8 months later. As recorded in the Quaker Digests of Deaths Mabel was a resident of Horsforth, near Leeds, and was buried in the Friends Burial Grounds at Rawden (also near Leeds).
In 1835 Samuel’s brother Joseph died Intestate. Samuel is described in the probate documents of Joseph’s Will as a farmer of Horseforth. He inherited £7800 from Joseph, which in those days was a substantial amount of money and probably left him quite well off.
On 24 Nov. 1836 Samuel married his 2nd wife, Rachael Dixon, at Halifax, Yorkshire. Rachael was born in 1809 in Cockfield. She is described in the Quaker Digests of Marriages as the daughter of George and Rachael Dixon (both deceased) of Cockfield, County of Durham. About 6 months following their marriage, in May 1837, Samuel, Rachael and Sam’s son Robert moved from the farm at Horsforth to Carleton, near Pontefract, Yorkshire. Samuel and Rachael had 7 children, all born at Carleton:-
See separate biographies for Thomas, Biog-68. Joseph, Biog-69. Alfred Biog-67.and George Biog-64.
John’s name was found in the 1881 Census at 29 Mount Preston, in Leeds were he was a Lodger with Sarah Ann Hebden a 40 yr old spinster and her 38 year old sister Mary. He was described as a “Stock Jobber” and listed as being born in Carleton, Pontefract in Yorkshire
Sarah attended Ackworth Quaker Boarding School from 1853 till 1856.
John’s name was found in the 1881 Census as a Lodger at 29 Mount Preston, in Leeds, where he was a “Stock Jobber”. He was listed as being born in Carleton, Pontefract in Yorkshire. He attended Ackworth School from 1853 to 1857.
Some of the dates of birth of Samuel’s children were obtained from the school records where they were described as being residents of Carleton, near Pontefract.
Rachael Hannah was alive in 1885, as seen below from her mother’s Probate documents where she is shown as a spinster, of Bridlington Quay, Yorks.,who died 11 Jan. 1893. Rachael”s Probate was to Thomas Walker, her brother, a Hotel Proprietor, and to James Addy, for £2,049.
In 1837 Samuel’s name was included in the Electoral Poll Book of the West Riding of Yokshire under the Township of Horsforth. He apparently voted for two candidates, Lord Morpeth and Sir George Strickland. Lord Morpeth was, in fact, George William Howard, the 7th Earl of Carlisle. He was instrumental in carrying through Parliament Tythe Reforms, Poor Laws and a Public Health Bill.
Samuel is recorded in the 1861 Census as a “Fund Holder” living on Town Street in Carleton. Carleton was described in the “Kelly Directory” as a small village and Township in the Parish of Pontefract with a population in 1871 of 281 souls. The land belonged to the Frank family, J. H. Greaves Esq. and others, subject to the Manor Court at Tanshell and consisted of 580 acres with a rateable (tax) value of £2,428. This information would indicate that Samuel either leased or rented land there.
Samuel Walker died in Carleton on 11 Mar. 1866, at age 65, in the Parish of Pontefract, Yorkshire. He left a Will in which he provided amply for his wife and a trust fund for his children. His personal estate was valued at £14,000. The Will and Codicil were proved on 11 Mar. 1866 at Wakefield. About 12 years later, in 1878, according to the Scarborough Monthly Meeting Members List, Rachael and her daughter Rachael Hannah moved to Sewerby Villa in Bridlington, on the north Yorkshire coast.
Rachael Dixon died at Sewerby Villa, Bridlington on 27 May, 1885, at age 77. Her Probate document reads as follows:-
“Rachael Walker, late of 2 Canton-Villas, Bridlington Quay, County of York, widow, died 27 June, 1885 at 2 Canton-Villas. Will, proved by Rachel Hannah Walker and Sarah Walker, both of 2 Canton-Villas, spinsters, the daughters, and Thomas Walker of Whitby, County of York, Inn-Keeper and son, Executors. Personal estate £1003”.
From this it would appear that both Rachael Hannah and Sarah never married.
Sources
:-Friends Digests, Brothertn Library, Leeds University, Leeds.
:- Friends Library of London. England.
:- Ackworth and Bootham school records. Yorkshire, Eng.
:- Ackworth School records, Ackworth, Yorkshire. Eng.
:- Queen Elizabeth Law Courts, Liverpool, Eng.
:- Borthwick Institute of Historical Reasearch, York University, Eng.
:- John H. Walker of Leeds, Eng.
By; R.B.Walker, Eng & H.L.Walker, Can.. Rev:- 12 September, 2006