John Walker Shefford

[scottwalker01]

Hi Guys

I am visiting London in November from Australia and am a direct ancestor of John Walker born in Shefford 1804, baptised in Campton on 13th December 1804.  I would like to visit Shefford and hopefully look through sites of significance to John.

I have worked out that potentially that John's father was also a John and his mother a Mary.  John's son, George moved to Australia from where I came about.

John moved to London and married in 1827 to a Emily Atkins (St John the Baptist Finsbury).  Following this John married a Selina Sibley in 1834 (St Anns Aldergate) and had son George.  I look forward to visiting these churchs and hope they are still standing.

There is a witness on the marriage certificate of John and Emily which refers to a Elizabeth Walker, potentially a sister of John's.

If anyone could assist with further details of John Walker or his ancestors in Shefford including sites of potential significant in Shefford it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Scott Walker

[lizdb]

I dont know if you already have this, but here he is in 1851

3 Grays Buildings Hackney
John 46 watchmaker bn Beds Shelford
Selena 39 bn London
Richard 14 bn Clerkenwell
Selina 12 bn Clerkenwell
William11 bn Clerkenwell
Maria 10 bn HAckney
Thomas 6 bn Stoke Newington
George 1 bn Stoke Newington

[lizdb]

And some christenings - (maybe another church or 2 to visit!)

5 April 1835
Clerkenwell St John
John Sibley Walker bn 25 Feb 1835
Parents John and Selina Walker
4 Red Lion Street
occ: clock maker

15 Aug 1836
Clerkenwell St John
Richard Walker bn 19 May 1836
Parents, address, occ as before

21 Sep 1851
Shoreditch St Leonard
Caroline Julia Walker bn 2 Sep 1851
parents John and Selina of Haggerstone
CLock maker

As for getting the most from your visit - I konw I would spend a day at the record office wherever the Shefford  and neighbouring parishes Parish Registers are held, and look for the chr of John and hopefully siblings too, and then look for his parents marriage .. and hoping they stay in the same area back  as far as you can! 

[bedfordshire boy]

The baptisms of John and two siblings in Campton have been extracted onto the IGI and Scott has been given details on http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,190370.new.html#new . John and Mary are shown as the parents so there doesn't seem to be much doubt if Scott has a baptism date of 13 Dec 1804 from an independent source.

There are no Walker burials in Campton between 1790 and 1851 where my source finishes, so it looks as though John and Mary moved away from Campton.

Nor is there a marriage in Campton of a John Walker and Mary, so we're immediately running into problems.

Still looking at them!

David

[scottwalker01]

Firstly Liz, thankyou for your information (which I already have). I only have a day to myself in England and look forward to walking around Shefford.  Hopefully I will be able to find something at the parish register, but also interested in the local history as from other research there appears to be many Walker's in the area.  Cursed by the common name though but looking forward to the visit.

Secondly David, thankyou for the baptism information.  I will use this as a basis for further research and hopefully be able to come up with something useful for my visit.

The link below does refer to a John and Mary Walker in  Bedfordshire.  Hopefully this will provide a few more answers but unfortunately the dates are slighty out.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,244561.0.html

Thankyou both for your generousity with my research.

[bedfordshire boy]

I think the Marston Moretaine thread is a red herring. That John and Mary didn't marry until 1808, by which time your couple had baptised three children in Campton. And that John Walker was a bachelor in 1808 so it's not a case of a second marriage for him.

The parish register is in Bedford Archives, not in Shefford/Campton, but we know from the IGI that they didn't marry in Campton.

I have an idea which I'm working on and will post more later once I've finished breakfast, taken son and heir to school, got puncture fixed, and picked up my free bus pass to which I'm now entitled due to advanced age!

David

[Chris_Beds]

If you're going to be walking around Shefford then maybe you'd find this site useful, if you haven't already found it.

http://www.sheffordtown.co.uk/

It describes walks telling you about the historical bits

[bedfordshire boy]

We know that John and Mary Walker baptised three children in Campton between 1804 and 1808, that they weren’t married there, that they weren’t buried there (at least before 1851), and that they weren’t living there in either 1841 or 1851

We also know that their son baptised children in Clerkenwell

There’s a marriage at Old Warden on 20 Jun 1793 between John Walker of St James, Clerkenwell, Middlesex and Mary Inskip.  (Old Warden transcript, which doesn't include witnesses). Old Warden and Lower Caldecote are only three miles apart. The marriage licence shows “John Walker of St.James, Clerkenwell, Middx., and Mary Inskip of Old Warden, to be married at Old Warden. Archbishop of Canterbury's licence. 12 June 1793” (http://apps.bedscc.gov.uk/bedsccis3/search.aspx)


BLARS holds a property document:

Lease and Release 8 & 9 October 1804
1) James Tingey, now of Langford, (Mortgagor & Vendor)
2) Samuel Tingey (Mortgagee)
3) John Walker of Shefford, Gent (Purchaser)
4) William Inskip of Lower Caldecote, Farmer (Trustee)
Above property to be held by William Inskip to the use of 3)
Until the money fully paid
Consideration £1369 paid by 3)(£1323 to S.Tingey (£500 to be paid after three years); balance to 1)

Why did John Walker pick William Inskip as the trustee? Was there a connection between the two of them? Might William Inskip have been John Walker’s father in law? If so where were John and Mary between 1793 and 1804?

Pure speculation, but I don't like coincidences, especially when there are two of them! I’m still working on it, but would appreciate it if anyone/someone with a fresh pair of eyes would give me their views.

The best that can be said is that I might be on to something. On the other hand I might not!

David

[scottwalker01]

Hi Chris

Thanks for the info - very informative.  I will be without wife and kids that day so hope it has a good pub.  Would be good if I can link a building or street to John but will see how we go.

Have tried to go backwards then forwards to verify details of John.

There is a William Inskip born 1754 and baptised at St George the Martyr Queen Sq.  this is near Clerkenwell, a seemingly Walker stronghold for my Walkers until George left for Australia. William would also be of the vintage to have a daughter of marriagble age in 1793 (just).  Maybe he returned to Bedfordshire which seemed to be thick with Inskips at that time (but no doubt every district was thick with every name).  A long bow on both fronts but hoping to build a case sufficient to support David's advice (thankyou I really appreciate you going to the effort).

Will keep looking and let you know what I come up with

Scott Walker