HISTORY OF THE WALKER NAME:

The name WALKER is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was given to a person who was a fuller, whose job it was to scour and thicken raw cloth by beating it and trampling it in water. The surname WALKER is derived from the Old English word wealcere, which means fuller. The name WALKER is an occupational surname derived from a word connected to the profession of the bearer. There are many variations of the name including Walkere, Wallkere, Wollker and Wollkere.

The earliest records of the Walker family were found in the county of Warwickshire, where Richard le Walkere was enumerated as a resident about 1248. Members of the Walker family settled in Yorkshire in that century, and Robert le Walker was recorded as a resident of that area in 1260. Sir Edward Walker was Garter King of Arms in 1676 and Francis Walker held the post of High Sheriff of Gloucester in 1725. The family was also established in the English counties of Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Somerset, Middlesex, and Worcestershire, and in the Scottish counties of Berwick and Inverness.

A number of people bearing the name Walker immigrated to North America during the 1600s and 1700s. These included John Walker who landed in Virginia in 1623, Augustine Walker who landed in Massachusetts in 1630, James Walker who settled in St Christopher in 1635, Captain Walker who landed in Boston, Massachusetts ion 1763, and Thomas Walker, a mason, who settled in Newfoundland in 1773.

Our Walker family including BRAITHWAITE, WILLIAMS & LANGE Small numbers by a name refer to personal number in listing eg ELLEN ^2 WALKER- see 2

Nottinghamshire (old map)

GENERATION ONE :

1. ~ ~ ~ WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER was born on 29 May 1832 the second son of WILLIAM WALKER and MARY CHAMBERS. He was baptised on 29 July 1832 in Greasley, Nottinghamshire. William married MARY SYBIL BRAITHWAITE on 15 April 1856 at Parliament Street Chapel in Nottingham, England. Mary was born in Hathern, Leicestershire, England, the second daughter of WILLIAM BRAITHWAITE and SYBIL JACKSON.

William arrived in New Zealand in 1865 with his older brother JAMES WALKER to help with preparations for the planned new settlement of Albertland. Mary with their first two children arrived with members of her family and on 8 September 1862 on the “Matilda Wattenbach”.

The family settled in Albertland during the 1870s. Prior to this they had lived in Te Arai. William made an application to the Lands & Deeds Office Thames on 25 November 1878 with Thomas Williams (his future son-in-law) to purchase land in the Thames area. He died on 28 May 1882 in the Kauaeranga Valley, Thames. Mary died on 11 November 1918 also in the Kauaeranga Valley. They were both buried at Shortland Cemetery in Thames (Public Plot 1194)

Refer to the BRAITHWAITE family for more information about Mary's parents, ancestors and their families.

Children of WILLIAM WALKER and MARY BRAITHWAITE were:

ELLEN ² WALKER, born 7 February 1857 in Greasley, Nottinghamshire, England.

GEORGE BRAITHWAITE ³ WALKER, born 23 February 1859 in Greasley, Nottinghamshire, England.

MARY SYBIL WALKER, born 24 October 1865 in Mahurangi, New Zealand; died 15 March 1866 in Mahurangi.

MARY ⁴ WALKER, born 10 December 1871 in Shortland, Thames, New Zealand.

GENERATION TWO:

2. ~ ~ ~ ELLEN WALKER (WILLIAM) was born on 7 February 1857 in Greasley, Nottinghamshire, England and was the eldest daughter of WILLIAM WALKER and MARY BRAITHWAITE. She arrived in New Zealand on the “Matilda Wattenbach” on 8 September 1862 with mother and younger brother. Ellen married THOMAS WILLIAMS on 23 November 1878 at Rev Bunn's residence, Hape Creek Road, Thames. Thomas was the son of PAUL WILLIAMS and LAVINIA MAY and was born on 26 October 1852 in St Ives, Cornwall, England.

Refer to the WILLIAMS family for more information about Thomas's family including children of Thomas and Ellen.

Refer to the MAY family of Cornwall for more information about Lavinia's family and ancestry.

3. ~ ~ ~ GEORGE BRAITHWAITE WALKER (WILLIAM) was born on 23 February 1859 in Greasley, Nottinghamshire, England and was the son of WILLIAM WALKER and MARY BRAITHWAITE. He arrived in New Zealand on the “Matilda Wattenbach” on 8 September 1862 with mother and older sister. George made an application to the Lands & Deeds Office Thames with Cyrus J Brown on 9 January 1874 to purchase land in the Thames area. George married JULIA O'NEILL in 1882.

Children of GEORGE WALKER and JULIA O’NEILL were:

GEORGE JOSEPH WALKER, born 1883; died 1975. George married AMY CATHERINE NAYSMITH in 1915. Amy was died in 1960.

JOHN WALKER, born 1885.

FLORENCE MAY (FLORIE) WALKER, born 1886.

WILLIAM JAMES WALKER, born 1886.

THOMAS WALKER, born 1888.

RICHARD WALKER, born 1891.

ROBERT WALKER, born 1898.

NELLIE SYBIL WALKER, born 1900.

4. ~ ~ ~ MARY WALKER (WILLIAM) was born on 10 December 1871 at Shortland, Thames, New Zealand. Mary married JOHN HENRY LANGE in 1898. John was born about 1872 and was a Tailor in Thames. John died n 08 April 1932 in Thames and was buried at Shortland Cemetery in Thames. Mary died on 16 March 1959 in Otahuhu.

Refer to the LANGE family more information about John’s family and children of Mary and John.

Please note that in keeping to genealogy publishing protocol I have not included information about later generations including living persons. If you have a family connection please contact me for further information.

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