B41 - Spence Walker and Family, 1803

Spence Walker was born in Darley, Yorkshire, England on 12 May, 1803, the 12th child of Robert (1755) and Rachel (born Spence) Walker.

The name “Spence”, as is quite obvious, came from his mother’s maiden name. A letter written by Spence’s father, to his son Joseph in New York, U.S.A. on 7 Aug. 1803, reads in part, “Thy younger brother is named Spence Walker at the request of thy sister, she saying her younger brothers would know their mother’s maiden name when she has gone farewell”. The letter is now part of the “Walker Collection”.

Spence was educated at the Quaker School of Ackworth from 1814 to 1817. Following school he and his brother, Samuel, lived together at Lower Head Row in Leeds until about 1820, when, on the 4th Mar. 1820 he went into apprenticeship to William Sutcliffe, a Grocer of Newshop, near Todmorden, in Yorkshire, for a period of 4 years and 2 months, as a Grocer and Draper. The “original Indenture Document”, signed by Spence, his father Robert Walker and William Sutcliffe, was donated to the Walker records by Christopher Walker (1918) of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England, in 1991. Following completion of his apprenticeship in 1824 Spence prospered in the grocery trade in Leeds for a number of years.

On 21 Nov. 1827, Spence married Mary Sharp in Halifax, Yorkshire. In the Quaker Digest of Marriages Spence is described as a Grocer of Leeds (in Lowerhead Row), whose parents resided in Darley. Mary is described as a “Linen Draper” of Halifax. Mary was born in Lindcroft on 27 Aug. 1800, the daughter of John and Hannah (born Webster) Sharp. At the time of her marriage her mother was deceased. Mary first attended school at York with her sister and then at the Ackworth Quaker Boarding School from 1811 to 1814. From Ackworth she went as a Governess for the Joseph Johnson family at Pontefract, Yorkshire. When her elder sister, Sarah, died in Oct. 1815 Mary went to keep house for her father, in Leeds. In 1820 Mary joined her sister, Rachel, in opening a school in Woodhouse Lane and then later in the drapery business in Halifax. The 1830 “Leeds Trade Directory” lists Spence as a Grocer and Tea Dealer of 40 Lower Head Row, Leeds. He prospered in business and had a small farm at Moortown as well. During this time his brother Samuel was with him.

During the 19th century, in England, only those men who owned or leased property and/or land had the right to vote in Parliamentary Elections. The 1832 “Book of Leeds Electors” for the District of Leeds, records the names of those eligible to vote, along with the name of the property which gave them that right. Spence Walker’s name appears under the Township of Chapel-Allerton, with house and land at Moor Allerton, which at that time was a small area north of Leeds. To-day it is part of the great urban spread of North Leeds.

In 1835 Spence and Mary went to live at Chapeltown. He was described in a “Renunciation” document, associated with his eldest brother Joseph’s death, as being a farmer of Moortown, Yorkshire. He inherited 201 United States Bank Shares and a loan to Leeds & Selby Railway, which together were valued at £7800, from Joseph’s Estate. It was in Sept., 1835 that Spence and his brother Thomas (who also inherited £7800 from the same Estate) together purchased Darley Mill, as evidenced by a Memorial of that date, which along with a picture of the Mill, is enclosed in Link Article #4, page 13 of the Walker Records. Following Spence’s decease in 1870 the Mill including the associated timber was sold at Auction for £3353, to Albert Myers.

The 1841 Census Return for Leeds, in the Township of Chapel-Allerton records Spence, at 35 years of age, as an ”Independent” and Mary at age 40, with a female servant, Sarah Drake at age 20. (The discrepancy in Spence’s age, by 2 years, was a result of electors being asked, for the 1841 census only, their age to the nearest 5 years). In that same year Spence’s name appeared in the Election Poll Book as having voted in the Parliamentary Elections for Lord Morpeth, who, in fact was George William Howard, the 7th Earl of Carlisle. Morpeth was a Member of Parliament for about 13 years, between 1830 and 1848. He was the instigator of Tythe Reforms, Poor Laws and a Public Health Bill, so it is easy to understand why Quakers supported him.

By 1842 Spence had retired from the Grocery Trade and he and Mary had moved to “Hirst Grove”, a farm near the village of Birstwith. According to the 1851 Census they were still at Hirst Grove. As seen by the document below Spence sold Hirst Grove to Mr. Cooper in 1858.

Sale of Hirst Grove - 1858

"Dear Sir; (Spence Walker-1803) Knaresbro, 18 Mar. 1858 As my brother will be returning from Thornthwaite on Saturday afternoon about 3 to 4, he proposes to call upon you for the Title Deeds to Hirst in order that we may have them all ready by the 1st May, the day Messers Metcalfe are to complete their purchase of Mr. coopers house etc. I think you have arranged to let Mr. Cooper have the difference between the amount of his sale and his purchase on the Bond of the Deeds of Hirst. His sale money is £1300 and I think yours £ 2200. He will be entitled to a valuation of fixtures from Messers Metcalfe in addition to the £ 1300, so that until nearer the time he will hardly be able to know exactly what sum he will require.

Yours sincerely, Samuel Powell".

Upon the sale of Hirst Grove Spence and Mary moved to New Bridge, which is located a short distance north of Birstwith House in the village of Birstwith. According to the 1861 Census they were still at New Bridge.

It was during this period (1846) that Spence purchased a House and property, which later became known as “Birstwith House”, from Joseph Spence, for £3700. He made a payment of £700 on 3, Apr. 1846 and paid the remainder in August of the same year. Joseph Spence rented the property back from Spence, from May, 1846 till 1850 when he (Joseph) died. It is believed that John Walker Cash may have rented “Birstwith House” for some period after Joseph Spence’s family vacated the premises. It is not known exactly how long John Cash may have remained at Birstwith House.

Purchase of Birstwith House by Spence Walker in 1846.

The document above reads:-

"Received the third day of April 1846 of Mr. Spence Walker the sum of seven hundred pounds in part payment of the sum of three thousand seven hundred pounds the purchase money of all my copyhold lands and houses in the township of Birstwith in the Forest of Knaresbrough the remainder of such Purchase money being to be paid in the month of August next when I undertake that a good and marketable Title to the property free from all Encumbrances shall be made out and that I and all necessary parties will duly pass a proper Surrender to the said Spence Walker of the same property.

Joseph Spence".

Spence Walker along with his sister Elizabeth and other members of the Walker family took a great interest in the education of Darley school children, buying them bibles, slates, paper and exercise books. He became the Principle subscriber to the school and Chairman of the governing board for many years. His wife Mary visited the school and listened to the children read and inspected the girls sewing skills. Following his death the school log indicates the school's gratitude and the very high esteem the village felt for him.

It would seem likely that Spence and Mary must have moved into Birstwith House sometime shortly after the 1861 Census and lived there until Spence died, in 1870.

Spence Walker of Birstwith House, Birstwith in Yorkshire, England died on 19 July 1870, at age 67. In accordance with his Will (see Biog-41-B) his entire Estate went to his wife, Mary, with a proviso that upon her death the Estate would be divided equally, after certain designated legacies, to 22 of his nephews and nieces. Spence was buried on 23 Aug. 1870 in the Friends Burial Ground in Darley, in row 7, plot 2. His “Effects” were probated at under £14000. Mary must have moved from Birstwith House shortly after Spence died as she is shown in the “1871 Census Return” as living in “East View”, which was located just north, across the road from Birstwith House, in Birstwith.

Mary (Sharp) Walker died six years later at Birstwith on 23 Jan. 1876. She was buried beside her husband in the Quaker Burial Ground at Darley in row 7, plot 3. Her “Effects” were probated at under £4000.

Following Mary’s death the 22 nephews and nieces of her brothers Thomas (1795), Benjamin (1799) and Samuel (1801) received an equal share of £858 each, from Spence’s Estate:-

Brother John’s 3 children, Hannah, Thompson and Richard all received designated legacies, as did brother Samuel’s son Robert. They, in turn, were named as non-recipients of the legacy to be divided equally. The attached document is a copy of the account concerning the legacy, which nephew Thomas (1832) received in Canada on 12 Mar. 1877 and which is recorded in his ledger, (also now a part of the Walker Genealogy Records).

In May, 1990 this writer and his wife, Rebecca, visited England in search of Walker ancestors. During our search we found Birstwith House. According to the present-day owners, John and Susan Behrens, the house was occupied by Walker’s until about 1958. Susan told us of an old chest in the attic that she believed had been left by the Walker’s. With great anticipation we went to the attic to retrieve the chest. It contained a number of letters, several newspapers of 1858, a small book, a small pamphlet type book and numerous shop and tax receipts. We were able to purchase the books, two of the original receipts and copies of others, all of which are now part of the Walker records.

In 2003 Richard Walker of Formby, England visited Birstwith House and the Behren's family. He was allowed to clean, date order, catalogue and archive all the contents of the said chest (trunk) which ammounted to hundreds of documents and family records. All the items were scanned to computor disc which Richard holds. The Behrens also gave Richard some of the original documents.

By R.B. Walker, Eng. & H.L. Walker, Can. :- Rev.-February-09