Obadiah Walker Jr (1721 - 1810)

Born 8 Jun 1721 in Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Hepzibah (Shumway) Walker — married 12 Nov 1741 in Oxford, Worcester County, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 29 Aug 1810 at age 89 in Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

Obadiah Walker, Jr. spelled "Hodiah" in the Sutton Vital Records^[1]

Caution: Multiple Obadiah Walkers

There were at least three men named Obadiah Walker living at in Worcester County at the same time, during 1700s.^[1]

George A. Cunningham in his Cunningham's History of the Town of Lunnenburg ... combined two of them, and the DAR Patriot Index followed Cunningham, adding that this Obadiah served as a Private for Massachusetts during the Revolution. Whether either of them, or both, were the Obadiah Walkers who fought in the war is unknown (several incidences of service by men of that name are recorded in Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War ...).^[1][2]

A different Obadiah Walker, born on 4 March 1719/20 at Bradford (now Haverhill), lived at Bradford and Lunnenburg, Mass, son of Nathaniel (Shubael, Capt. Richard) and Rebecca (Hazeltine) Walker); he died on 28 Nov. 1807 at Westmoreland, Cheshire Co., NH.^[1] He married to Abigail Gary of Lynn (bpt 16 May 1725), daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Damon) Gary of Wakefield.^[1]

Father of the Obadiah profiled here Obadiah Walker was born c. 1690, son of Thomas Walker and Martha Howe, lived at Sutton, Worcester County, Massachusetts as "Lt. Obadiah;"; will written on 14 June 1758 and proved on 9 June 1760. He married to 1) Hannah Learned, 2) Eunice Taft.

Origin

Obadiah was born on 8 June 1721 at Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a son of Obadiah Walker (Thomas, Thomas) and Hannah Learned.^[1]

About 1724, Obadiah's family moved to Sutton. On 6 July 1744, his mother Hannah died there.^[1] His father married on 28 Oct 1745 at Sutton, as his 2nd, to Mrs. Eunice White of Uxbridge.^[1]

Marriage

Obadiah married on 12 November 1741 at Oxford, Massachusetts, to Hepzibah Shumway (b 6 April 1720 Oxford), daughter of Peter and Mariah Shumway of Oxford (SVR pp 349, 377).^[1][3]

SHUMWAY: Hipzibeth of Oxford and Hodiah Walker, Nov. 12, 1741. In Oxford (SVR p 349).

Walker, Hodiah and Hipzibeth Shumway of Oxford, Nov. 12, 1741. In Oxford (SVR p 377).

Children

Children of Obadiah and Hepzibah (all born at Sutton):^[3][1]

1. Ruben Walker b May 27, 1742, d 24 Feb 1826 Royalston; mar Mary Read
2. Thomas Walker, b July 19, 1743; mar Lucy Unknown (perhaps Upton 7 Feb 1766 Lucy Rice)
3. Obediah Walker, b Jan 2, 1744/5, d Nov 1804 Royalston; mar Nancy "Agnes" McCullough, prob. d/o Joseph McCullock, "no doubt" the Rev. soldier of 19 Apr 1775 and later corporal at RI
4. Hepzibah Walker, b Oct 18, 1746 Sutton
5. Jesurun Walker, b Sept 17, 1748 Sutton; mar 1) Betty Scott, 2) Lydia Holbrook
6. Molly Walker, bpt Aug 9, 1752 Sutton, prob d by 29 June 1794; mar Erasmus Babbitt (who mar as his 2nd to Sukey Dudley)

Note: In the Sutton Vital Record, there is a baptism record for a Sarah Walker, "d. Lt. Obediah, Jr., bap Oct 26, 1746 CR" Uncertain which Obediah Walker was the father, as in the record for the death of 1st wife, Hannah, Obediah, Sr was called Lt. (p 178)^[3]

Property and Positions

Obediah had been given a 50-acre lot in 1743 by his father. This property adjoined the homestead of Obediah, Sr.^[1] In 1761, Obediah, Jr. purchased a 300 acre lot (in lot 9, "Royalshire" township) from Daniel Drury of Shrewsbury. After his father's death, and the purchase of this property, Obediah removed to "Royalshire" (Royalston) where he lived at least until the 1790 census, when he had two males over age 16 and two females with him in the household.^[1]

After 1790, Obadiah removed to

Death and Legacy

Obediah lived at Royalston at least until the 1790 census. We have no death date for him. He probably died at Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts.

Research Notes

This profile reports that he died on August 29, 1810, without evidence.^{[citation needed]}

Source of this information may be a NEHGR Query from Alanzo Allen of Croydon, New Hampshire. He asks about Obadiah Walker's wife's name, and includes as part of the question, "... born in Marlborough, Mass. June 8, 1721, came to this town about 1790 and died here August 29, 1810, in his 90th year."^[4]

Apparently a John Walker and Moses Walker lived at Croyden, but these were not Obediah's sons (grandsons?).^[5]

History of Lunenburg, Mass by Cunningham confounded this Obadiah Walker with the Obadiah Walker of Bradford and Lunenburg, Massachusetts, stated he was born on 8 June 1721 at Marlborough, but married Abigail Gary.^[6] The DAR Patriot Index makes the same mistake, possibly following Cunningham.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11} "Some Obadiah Walkers of Worcester Co., Massachusetts." NEXUS: New England Across the United States. (Vol 7, Pages 148-) Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1983-1999. (Online database accessed 12 Jan 2016: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014.)
2. ↑ Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State, Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War ... (Vol 16, Pages 470-71) Boston: Wright and Potter Printing Co., State Printers, 1896, Archive.org accessed 13 Jan 2016.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Sutton (Mass. : Town), (1907) Vital Records of Sutton, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849. Worcester, MA: F.P. Rice, Archive.org (Pages 178, 349, 377).
4. ↑ Queries The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Vol 35 1881, Page 278) Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database accessed 2 February 2016: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.)
5. ↑ Partridge, Dennis N., Biographical Sketch of John Walker Croydon New Hampshire Genealogy.=, August 27, 2012, AccessGenealogy.com. Web. 2 February 2016.
6. ↑ Cunningham, George Alfred, Cunningham's History of the Town of Lunenburg, Mass ... (Vol 2, S-Z alphabetical) Archive.org accessed 2 February 2016 Caution: Incorrect Genealogy.
7. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Patriot Index Washington: 1966, Page 721

See also:

• 1) Cunningham, George Alfred, Cunningham's History of the Town of Lunenburg: from the original grant, December 7th 1719 to January 1st, 1866. (Vol 1, Book 1, A-D, Page) Archive.org accessed 12 Jan 2016.
• 2) Cunningham, George Alfred, Cunningham's History of the Town of Lunenburg: from the original grant, December 7th 1719 to January 1st, 1866. (Vol 2, E-H, Page) Archive.org accessed 12 Jan 2016.
• 3) Cunningham, George Alfred, Cunningham's History of the Town of Lunenburg: from the original grant, December 7th 1719 to January 1st, 1866. (Vol 2 Book 3, I-R, Page) Archive.org accessed 12 Jan 2016.
• 4) Cunningham, George Alfred, Cunningham's History of the Town of Lunenburg: from the original grant, December 7th 1719 to January 1st, 1866. (Vol 2, Book 4 S-Z, Page "W") Archive.org accessed 12 Jan 2016, Caution: Incorrect.

From behind the ancestry.com subscription wall:

• Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1745
• US Sons of the American Revolut Membership Application for Obadiah Walker, Nat #18879/Statement #1029; Applic Exam/Apprved: 15 Mar 1907; Accepted: 08 May 1907.