Obadiah Walker (1720 - 1807)

Born 4 Mar 1720 in Bradford (now Haverhill), Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Died 28 Nov 1807 at age 87 in Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire

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Biography

Obadiah Walker of Bradford and Lunenburg, Massachusetts^[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][2]

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]

Other Obadiahs, father and son of Marlborough, Sutton, and Royalston:

• father Obadiah Walker was born c. 1690 at Marlborough, son of Thomas Walker and Martha Howe, he 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.^[1]

• son Obadiah Walker born 8 June 1721 at Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a son of this Obadiah Walker and Hannah Learned; he moved to Sutton as a child and then in 1761 to Royalston where he died after 1790. He married Hepzibah Shumway.^[1]

Origin

Obadiah was born on 4 March 1719/20 at Bradford (now Haverhill), Massachusetts, a son of Nathaniel Walker (Shubael, Capt. Richard) and Rebecca (Hazeltine) Walker;^[1]

Marriage and Children

Obadiah published on 16 August 1745 his intentions to marry Abigail Gary (Gerry, Geary, Gerey) of Lynn (b 5 Apr 1724 "twin", bpt 16 May 1725 Wakefield), daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Damon) Gary of Wakefield.^[3] She died on 7 August 1798 at Westmoreland, New Hampshire.^[1]

Children (all born at Lunenburg):^[1]

1. Rebecca Walker, b 16 Aug, bpt 17 Aug 1746; mar Joshiah Hartwell, son of Joseph Hartwell and Tabitha Dodge.
2. Benjamin Walker, b 20 Feb, bpt 26 Feb 1749; mar Sarah Gilson, perhaps daughter of Michael Gilson, Jr. and Sarah Unknown of Groton.
3. Abigail Walker, b 21 Jan, bpt 28 Jan 1753; mar probably Asahel Hartwell, son of Edward Hartwell and Elizabeth Kneeland.
4. Betty/Betsey Walker, b 6 July, bpt 7 July 1754; mar probably Reuben Kendall, son of Amos Kendall and Mary Unknown.
5. Sarah Walker, b 12 Nov, bpt 20 Nov 1758; mar James Wood, son of Capt. Jonathan Wood, Jr. and Rachel (Wood) Wood.
6. Obadiah Walker, Jr. (twin), b 3 Mar, bpt 15 Mar 1761; mar Charlotte Kendall, daughter of Amos Kendall and sister of Reuben Kendall above (prob husband of Betty)
7. Nathaniel Walker (twin), b 3 Mar, bpt 15 Mar 1761; mar 1) Elizabeth (Gary?), 2) Martha Burbeck, she was perhaps the Martha Hill who married to John Burbeck.
8. Mary Walker, bpt 3 June 1763
9. Mehitable Walker, bpt 17 Nov 1765
10. Mary Walker, b 9 Nov, bpt 16 Dec 1770

Property and Positions

On 1 April 1743, Obadiah purchased 49 acres at Lunenburg from Richard Hazeltine, Benjamin Carlton, and David Wood, Jr.^[1] Just a few weeks later on 22 June 1743, Benjamin Gary purchased 50 acres of land at Lunenburg.^[1] Whether Obadiah and Benjamin met then, or somewhere else is not known, but about two years later, Obadiah and Abigail married and settled at Lunenburg.

On 18 May 1746, Obadiah and Abigail received baptism at the Lunenburg church. Obadiah was chosen as a deacon on 7 June 1770. He was constable and collector in 1767 and served on the school committee multiple terms and as selectman in 1766, 1771, and 1780.^[1]

Obadiah may have served during the Revolution. There are five separate instances of an Obadiah Walker in Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War ..., four of which were in or around Lunenburg. None of them are identified as Sr. or Jr., so it is impossible to tell which refer to Obadiah or to his son.^[1]

Death and Legacy

Obadiah died on 28 November 1807 at Westmoreland, Cheshire County, New Hampshire.^[1]

Obadiah left a will written on 29 August 1798 and filed on 7 December 1807 at Cheshire County, in which he mentioned only sons: Benjamin, Nathaniel, and Obadiah, Jr and daughters: Betsey and "Sary" which may be Mary.^[1]

Research Notes

History of Lunenburg, Mass by Cunningham confounded this Obadiah Walker with the Obadiah Walker of born at Marlborough in 1721, stated he was born on 8 June 1721 at Marlborough, but married Abigail Gary.^[4] The DAR Patriot Index makes the same mistake, possibly following Cunningham.^[5]

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 1.12 1.13} "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. ↑ Genealogy of the Gerry (Geary Gerey) Family of Stoneham, Wakefield, and Lynn. The Essex Genealogist. (Vol 5, Page 30) (Online database accessed 2 February 2016. AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.)
4. ↑ Cunningham, George Alfred, Cunningham's History of the Town of Lunenburg, Mass ...' (Vol 2, S-Z alphabetical) Caution: Incorrect Genealogy Archive.org accessed 2 February 2016.
5. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Patriot Index Washington: 1966, Page 721