Author Topic: Walker family of Meath  (Read 12033 times)

Offline Blue Ted

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Walker family of Meath
« on: Friday 10 September 10 15:28 BST (UK) »
Hi all - I have a Gerald Leyns Walker marrying Emma Kenny in Norfolk in 1876. His address is given as Athboy Co. Meath, son of Gerald Walker Gentleman.
They must have moved back to Ireland before 1879 when their son Gerald Leyns Walker was born.  In 1901 census this eldest son is Undergrad. T.C.D. (Do I assume this is Trinity College Dublin?).  There is another son Reginald Henry born c 1882 and a dau. May Isabel born c 1883.  By 1911 census G.L.Walker junior and May not with family.

Where is my best place to try and trace G L Walker jnr and also a possible marriage for May?
Many thanks
Barbara

Offline aghadowey

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Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline fjp

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Re: Walker family of Meath
« Reply #2 on: Monday 27 September 10 01:27 BST (UK) »
Hi Barbara

I am descended from the Walker family of Athboy, County Meath, and I have dug up a few tidbits, mostly from Ancestry.com: 

- on August 11, 1901, banns were issued, at Paris, for the marriage of May Isabel Leyns Walker, d. of Gerald Walker & Emma Kenny,  with Henry Alfred Perrot. 

- there are several references to Gerald "Layne" Walker, b abt 1878, arriving by ship in England from India, where he works as an engineer.  I'm sure he is really Leyns, because:

-on 31 August 1929, a young man named Gerald Leyns Walker took ship in Belfast for Quebec, travelling 3rd class   He was born in Ussipur, India, in 1907.  He gave his occupation as army officer, but his proposed job in Canada was farming. He was on his way to Peace River, Alberta, to work on the farm of B MacRory.  His fare was paid by his mother,  Mrs G L Walker of Cloneymore, Athboy, Irish Free State.

I don't know how long young Gerald lasted in Canada, but a Google search comes up with a Gerald Leyns Walker being commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the British Army in 1943.

My connection is this:  Eliza Sarah Walker, b 26 Jan.1849, do of Gerald Walker,Esq. of Balrath, Athboy, Co. Meath, was married on 17 May 1871 in St Stephen's Church, Dublin, to John Gunning Davy, of Lincolnshire.    The Davys were prosperous farmers, but by the late 1800s they were moving down in the world.  John and Eliza had to emigrate to Canada in 1892 to attempt to mend their fortunes.  I am descended from their eldest son, who was of course christened Gerald.  I know this is same Walker family, because one daughter was named Violet Edith Leyns Davy.  Eliza must be the sister of the Gerald Walker who married in Norfolk.

I'm glad some others researching this branch of my family.

John

Offline Perrot

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Re: Walker family of Meath
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 30 July 11 17:20 BST (UK) »
I am one of May Isabel Walker's (married name Perrot) grand daughters and may be able to help you with some information.   Caroline


Offline fjp

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Re: Walker family of Meath
« Reply #4 on: Monday 01 August 11 03:53 BST (UK) »
Caroline

Any and all information about the Walkers and Perrots would be appreciated.   How did May Walker end up marrying in Paris?

Offline beamishboy

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Re: Walker family of Meath
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 21 August 11 22:27 BST (UK) »
Gerald Leyns Walker married Sara Purdon, of Cloneymore and had three children - Gerald, Joan Sara  and John.  After the war Gerald returned to Canada.  During the war, John joined the Indian Army and was made prisoner of war and was sent to a POW camp in northern Italy  He escaped and, with two (I believe) others, made his way south through the Appenines to the toe of Italy at the time the allies were invading Sicily. He and his comapnions were betrayed by a local doctor and captured and he was sent to a prisoner of war camp near Brunswick, Germany.  When freed he "liberated" a Swastika flag, reputed to have been presented to the camp commandant by Goering.
After the war he married Doreen Pemberton of Dublin, an officer in the WRNS.  They returned to India where he worked for Phipson & Co Ltd in Calcutta.
During the early thirties Joan met a young British Army officer and they were married in Athboy church on 3rd December 1936.

During the evacuation from Dunkirk a John Perrot lost his life when the ship he had got onto was dive bombed.

Offline fjp

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Re: Walker family of Meath
« Reply #6 on: Monday 22 August 11 04:22 BST (UK) »
This is very interesting information, and much appreciated.

I see from the Commonwealth War Graves site that John Perrot was the son of Henri and May. 

Offline beamishboy

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Re: Walker family of Meath
« Reply #7 on: Monday 22 August 11 10:48 BST (UK) »
Joan Walker's husband was probably the last member of the extended family to see John Perrot alive.  He was adjutant of his regiment at Dunkirk and was responsible for leading parties of men through the dunes to the water's edge where they made their way out to the resue boats and ships.  He was returning to collect another party when he met John on his way down to the shore.  They stopped for a chat and John pointed out the destroyer he was due to embark on. Not long afterwards Joan's husband witnessed the ship being attacked by dive-bombers and saw it explode and sink.

John's wife (98) and daughter (74) are still alive.

Offline fjp

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Re: Walker family of Meath
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 24 August 11 06:10 BST (UK) »
Thanks for that account -- it gives real vividness to the ordeal of Dunkerque.

On the theme of wartime sacrifice:   Eliza Sara Walker (Davy) spent her last years as a widow in Vancouver raising three orphaned grandsons, on very limited means.  The oldest was Charles Gerald Valentine Smith, the name Gerald being of course from the Walker line.
In 1917 he went to England to join the Royal Flying Corps.   The next year he was a founding member of the RAF.  Then on May 21, 1918, just turned 20, he was killed in what seems to have been a training accident.  It must have been in England, because he is buried in Yatesbury churchyard, Wiltshire.  The air ministry sent Eliza a letter which was very cold in tone, and simply said that the accident was of unknown cause.   Doubtless many other young airmen died that way.

The other two boys were too young for the war, so both lived long lives, and both ended up crossing the line and becoming US citizens.