William Henry Walker (1831 - 1903)

Born 30 Jan 1831 in Carrington, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Janet MacFarlane (Cochrane) Walker — married 5 Dec 1861 in C of E Emu Plains

Descendants

Died 31 May 1903 at age 72 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bruce Donaldson [send private message]

Biography

William Walker was born in Nottinghamshire, England.

William Walker came free to the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

William Walker was baptised on 30 January 1831 in the St Leodegarius Church, Basford, Nottinghamshire, England. He was the son of Mathew Walker and Sarah Sissons who married in 1825 in St Marys Church of England, Nottinghamshire, England.^[1]

In the 1841 census William (age 10) was in Basford (the street was not named), Nottinghamshire, England. His father was recorded as a coardwainer. His mother Sarah and brother George were recorded as having been born out of County. With them was Elizabeth Walker, 65 years old, who was also born out of County - possibly his grandmother.^[2]

Elizabeth Walker F 65

Matthew Walker M 35 Coardwainer Nottinghamshire, England

Sarah Walker F 35

George Walker M 14

Henry Walker M 12 Nottinghamshire, England

William Walker M 10 Nottinghamshire, England

Mary Walker F 8 Nottinghamshire, England

Sarah Walker F 6 Nottinghamshire, England

He and his family set sail from London on 3 Februry 1848 and arrived in Balmoral, Sydney, Australia at the age of 17. The family were Free Settler's and arrived on the ship Canton on 12 June 1848. He was a native of Carrington, about 1.5 miles from where he was baptised in Basford, and a farm labourer.^[3][4]

William was a 29 year old carrier when he married 19 year old Janet Cochrane. They were married on 5 December 1861 at the Church of St Paul's, Emu Plains in the Colony of New South Wales.^[5][6]

The couple had seven children:

1. Mary Agnes (Walker) Payne
2. Grace Walker
3. William Walker
4. John Robert Walker
5. Minnie Grace (Walker) Donaldson - wife of George Donaldson and mother of Adrian Mervyn Donaldson
6. Sarah Ada (Walker) Smith
7. Ernest William Walker

Tragically, at the age of 74, William committed suicide on the 31 May 1903 at his home at 472 Kent Street, Sydney, New South Wales. The following was reported in THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD on 1 June 1903:^{[citation needed]}

"Suicide in the City". Yesterday morning William Walker age 70 years committed suicide at his residence Kent Street City, buy cutting his throat with a razor. About 11 o'clock some of the inmates of the house heard a noise in Walker's room, and on entering found him lying on the floor with blood flowing from a wound in his throat. Senior-Constable Hendon was informed, and searching the room found a blood-stained razor on a chair. The Constable attempted to stop the flow of blood, and with assistance of the Civil Ambulance conveyed the sufferer to the Sydney Hospital. He was admitted by Dr. Waugh, but died an hour later. The deceased has been living at the house the past three months,. He appeared to be in fair circumstances, and no reason can be assigned for the deed. The Coroner had been informed, and will conduct an inquiry to-day.

Further, the Coroner's Inquest held on 1 June 1903 reported:^[7][8]

Wound in throat "self inflicted". Cash or Property possessed by the Deceased. 236 pounds 5shillings and 1pence. Gov. Savings Bank.

He was buried on 2 June 1903 at Rookwood, Sydney, New South Wales.^[9][10][11]

Research Notes

How sure are we that we have the right William?

It would be good to know where the middle name of Henry comes from. None of the official records show this. Also, Wiliams death certificate says he had been in New South Wales for about 30 years and was from Yorkshire. This suggests he arrived in NSW in the 1870's not 1848 and was born in Yorkshire, not Nottinghamshire. It also shows he had 2 male and 1 female children, believed living, and that he was a 'station hand'.

William's marriage record was signed an X though their voyage record says all members of the family could read and write.

Further, his daughter Minnie's obituary "Her father, William, was a teamster in the early days, but after an accident moved to Dubbo, where he had a store for many years."

There is this Land Grant record on 17 November 1879 in Dubbo, Marinebone, Gregory, New South Wales, Australia for a William Henry Walker - he was a "2nd Corporal Volunteer 2nd Engineer Corps.^[12]

Corporal William Henry Walker; Record Type: Land Order Certificates, Volunteer Land Orders; Event Date: 27 Feb 1879 was in a legal record on 27 February 1879 in New South Wales, Australia.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "Nottinghamshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1919"
   Nottinghamshire Archives; Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England; PR5916; Reference: PR5916
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61839 #161304 (accessed 31 March 2023)
   William Walker baptism on 30 Jan 1831, son of Mathew Walker & Sarah Walker, in Basford, St. Leodegarius, Nottinghamshire, England.
   Batch 7107854 Source Call 1235203 Note: Sheet 44.
2. ↑ 1841 Census: "1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census"
   Reference: HO107; Piece number: 856; Page: 6; Schedule: 135
   FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 1 April 2023)
   William Walker (10) in Street Not Named in Basford registration district in Nottinghamshire, England.
3. ↑ 1848 Newspaper: "Trove, National Library of Australia"
   The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tue 13 Jun 1848, Page 2 : SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.
   Trove Article (accessed 1 April 2023)
4. ↑ Museums of History New South Wales Assisted immigrants (digital) shipping lists from 1828-1896. Canton Passenger List. Reel 2135, [4/4786] p.73 - Walker family. Accessed 1 April 2023.
5. ↑ Marriage: "Sydney, Australia, Anglican Parish Registers, 1814-2011"
   Sydney Diocesan Archives, Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61177 #900230540 (accessed 31 March 2023)
   Janet Cochrane (19) marriage to William Walker on 5 Dec 1861 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
6. ↑ NSW BDM Family History - Mariages. 2696/1861 WALKER WILLIAM COCHRANE JANET PENRITH. Accessed 1 April 2023.
7. ↑ NSW Australia Registers of Coroners Inquest 1821-1937:
   State Archives NSW; Series: 2763; Item: X2086; Roll: 343
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1785 #12109 (accessed 1 April 2023)
   Name: William Walker; Birth Year: abt 1833; Birth Place: England; Death Year: Abt 1903; Death Place: Sydney; Inquest Date: 1 Jun 1903; Inquest Place: City Coroner's Court; Age: 70.
8. ↑ "New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners' Inquests, 1821-1937"
   State Archives NSW; Series: 1395; Item: 2/773; Roll: 1783
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1785 #77610 (accessed 1 April 2023)
   Name: William Walker; Birth Year: abt 1833; Birth Place: England; Death Year: Abt 1903; Inquest Date: 1 Jun 1903; Inquest Place: Sydney; Age: 70.
9. ↑ Burial: "Sydney, Australia, Cemetery Headstone Transcriptions, 1837-2003"
   Sydney Metropolitan Cemetery Records. Society of Australian Genealogists, Sydney, Australia
   Ancestry Record 61153 #96054 (accessed 31 March 2023)
   William Walker burial (died on 31 May 1903 at age 74) in Rookwood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
10. ↑ CofE (Anglican) "Old Church of England" Rookwood Cemetery NSW Section 4 Row 4 Grave 785
11. ↑ NSW BDM Family History - Deaths. WALKER WILLIAM 4816/1903 SYDNEY. Accessed 1 April 2023.
12. ↑ Legal Record: "New South Wales, Australia, Land Grants, 1788-1963"
    State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood, NSW, Australia; Archive Reel: 2655; Series: 14223
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5117 #386309 (accessed 1 April 2023)
    Name: William Henry Walker; Record Type: Land Order Certificates, Volunteer Land Orders; Event Date: 17 Nov 1879; Event Place: Dubbo, Marinebone, Gregory, New South Wales, Australia.
13. ↑ Legal Record: "New South Wales, Australia, Land Grants, 1788-1963"
    State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood, NSW, Australia; Archive Reel: 2655; Series: 14223
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5117 #383162 (accessed 1 April 2023)
    Name: Corporal William Henry Walker; Record Type: Land Order Certificates, Volunteer Land Orders; Event Date: 27 Feb 1879; Event Place: New South Wales, Australia.

• "The Donaldson Family in Australia" Published in Oct 1987 via ISBN 1 86252 991 4 Revised by Bruce Donaldson 2016.