Walker Family

Thomas and Mary Ann Walker are the grandparents of Mildred (Stout) Granquist

The following is what Mildred (Stout) Granquist remembers about her mother, Blanche (Walker) Stout.  

Thomas and Mary Ann Walker lived on a dead-end street.  34 Burns Road near London.  They had stables with horses.  They had servants and a big pantry, also known as a larder.

Thomas Sr. made trips to Ireland and Scotland.  He was a veterinarian.  He was also an entrepreneur under the name of Thomas Pound.  He invested in pork products.  He catered to royalty by furnishing them with pheasant and squab (nestling pigeon).

Mary Ann (Mobley) Walker was born in 1862 and died in 1901.  She died at the age of 39 in Middlesex, England.  Thomas and Mary Ann had four children, Thomas Jr., Winifred, Blanche, & Robert.  The children never saw their father after their mother died.  Thomas Sr. was presumed drowned on a ship to Scotland or Ireland.  The children were left in trust to Mr. & Mrs. Gardner.  

Thomas Walker, Jr., born in 1887, was a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason who studied at the University of Oxford.  He later worked in New Guinea and Australia.

Note:  A 33rd degree Mason is very rare, representing roughly 2% to 5% of Scottish Rite members, or a tiny fraction of overall Freemasons. 

Winifred M. Walker, born in 1889

Blanche Helen Walker was born on August 31, 1892, in Northampton, England.  She died on January 31, 1939, at age 46 in Seattle, WA.

Blanche and Winifred worked in Sir Edward Pointer’s home.  He was an artist in England.

Blanche and Winifred came to Canada in 1907.  Their ages were 15 and 19, respectively.  Blanche later married James Stout, and their second born child was Mildred Stout (Mildred Granquist).

Winifred also came to Canada.

Robert S. Walker was born in 1900 and came to Canada with the Gardners.  Robert also lived in Australia.

The following is a condensed transcript of a recording of conversations when Mildred and Sally Granquist went to Vancouver B.C. to visit with Mildred's Aunt Winifred (Walker) Reeves and Winifred's daughter, Eileen on April 1, 1980.  

Winifred - age 90 (Winifred passed away the following year in 1981.
Eileen - age 63
Mildred - age 64
Sally - age 36

James Stout

Winnie said to Sally, "James Stout, your grandfather, came from the Orkney Islands.  He was one of seven in the family - all boys.  And they all learned how to do the marble making and the stonework.  If you ever go to the Olympia Courthouse, all that marble work your father did.

I haven't seen it, but Bert, my husband, he went and saw it.  He said it was beautiful.  And here in Vancouver on the Heights, he did nearly all the walls and fences.  The brickwork and marble.  Did he do anything for you, Mildred?"

"Yes, a fireplace", replied Mildred

(Note from Kristin:  Winnie may have meant the "Olympia Capitol" as that is what had been told by James Stout to other relatives.  The Olympia Capitol is the Washington State Capitol. The Legislative Building opened in 1928, and features a monumental dome.  James would have been 41 in 1928.  James comes from a family of seven children, three boys and four girls.)

Mildred Stout (the first) died as an infant

"Your mother, Blanche's, first baby, Mildred, died when she was three months old", Winnie said to Mildred.

The woman that came (by that day) was to pay the rent. It was the house on 18th Avenue.  She came right from some relations of hers whether it was her daughter or not, I don't know.  But, they had either chicken pox, measles, or whooping cough and must have gave it to the baby.  When they woke up one morning they looked into the cot and it was gone.  Dead.  And we had to take it around to the doctors here in Southhill.  I lived down on 25th.  I used to go down and see her (Blanche) every morning because she wasn't very well.  When I got down there all the doors were open.  So I thought, for goodness sake, I shouted to the neighbor, "Have you seen my sister?'  They said, she's in a lot of trouble.  Her baby, I think, is dead.  I went to the doctor and there she was. The doctor told me about it.  A nice man.  The baby was gone.

Winnie and Blanche came to Canada

Mildred asked Winnie when she came to Canada.  Winnie replied, "When I was 19 years old.  Blanche came out first.  My brother, Tom, and I helped her come.  She was 16 years old.  The Gardners from Winnipeg came to sponsor her.  They owned a coffee shop.  A woman was coming out from the coast to meet Blanche.  Mrs. Gardner wrote to Blanche and told her she must get off at Winnipeg and a lady will be waiting for you.  My sister, Blanche, was glad and my brother and I were glad because we always had to help her every once in a while with money.  Although she did pretty good by herself.  She had lots of spunk.

Jim Feasey

Mildred asked after Jim Feasey.  Winnie said he was from Scotland.  Jim Feasey and his sister Nell, were Mrs. Gardner's sister's children.  She was a very nice person.  I used to go spend the weekend with her sometimes.  

Thomas Walker

Mildred asked Winnie about her parents:  "Mrs. Gardner had none of her own children.  My father, Thomas Walker, gave her a lump sum of money to manage all the expenses herself.  She didn't have any trouble that way.  We didn't see any of his money.

Our father, Thomas Walker, was a veterinarian.  He was always busy.  He went to all the countries, Malta, Gibraltar.   All kinds of stories.   He used to get gifts from all over.  He brought home different things for us kids.  He brought me a pair of real tortoise shell bracelets with a little gold band on it.  Mrs. Gardner took them away from me because I was wearing them and she thought someone might steal them.  I was wearing them to school so she took them away.  It upset me a lot.  When I came home they were gone.

I was seven years old and Robert (Bob) was only seven months when our mother died."

Nora

Mildred asked about Winnie's first daughter, Nora.  "I was married to Bert in Creston, B.C.  Our daughter, Eileen, was born in England during the war.  I was pregnant when I went over.  Your father, James Stout, saw me off on the train and I kissed him.  I said, "Do take care of my sister."  That was in 1916."

James and Blanche move to Seattle

James and Blanche Stout moved to the United States when Mildred was six months old in 1916.  The war broke out and your father woudn't stay in Canada.  He didn't want to go to any war.  He was a conscientious objector.  He gathered all his goods and chattels up and went to Seattle.

Mary Ann Mobley

Winnie told about her mother. "My mother and Mildred's grandmother, Mary Ann Mobley, died at home in England.  I don't know if they were married in England or Ireland, said Winnie.  I was christened in London, but I don't know where I was born.  England or Ireland?  I was christened in the All Souls Church.  My mother traveled so much with my father that I don't know where I was born.  I was registered in London."

Public School in London

"Our home was North West London in a little place called Hollister.  It's a place where 200 years ago the Danes established the area.  They built a beautiful park.  If you ever go to London, you'll see cute little parks in different places.  There was Harlesden and Willesden.  All these places where the Danes lived in.  It's where I was raised as a young child.  I attended the All Souls C of E Primary School and the Leopold Primary School in London.  That was the most modern public school in London.  My brother, Tom, went to Westminster High.  A classy school.  He was very clever.  The school master lived down from us."

Robert

Winnie said her middle name was Mary.  Tom didn't have a middle name.  My father wouldn't give him a middle name.  So when Bob came I said to my father, "He's got to have a middle name!"  So he looked at me and said, "Well, if you're decided I guess we better give him a middle name."  They named him Robert Stanley.  Robert (Bob) had two sons.  One Robert and one Stanley.  Robert got to bea detective and he was told to stand by Nixon when he ws over in Australia.  He died very suddenly.  I write to his wife Elaine in a little village called Upper Brookfield near Brisbane.  They had four children.  Their oldest son was an orphan boy.  

Sir Edward Poynter

Winnie and Blanche both worked in  a renowned painter, Sir Edward Pointer's, home in England.  Blanche was a governess.  She took care of a little girl.  Like a governess.  Sir Edward did portraits.  Sir Edward John Poynter (1836–1919) was a famous English painter and President of the Royal Academy, and several of his major historical and classical works are held in public galleries across England.

Mrs. Gardner

Our parents were friends with the Gardners.  They were trusted.  Mrs. Gardner was a fascinating woman.  She was a model.  Mr. Gardner was a Captain or a Colonel in the Army.  

Tom Walker, Jr. sent a letter to his sister,  Winifred,  in 1931 when he was 44 years old.

Madang, Territory of New Guinea.

Via Australia,

8-9-31

Dear Winnie,

It is ages since I last wrote you, and no doubt you will be wondering where I am. I have been in Australia since September 1930, almost a year.  A year's holiday on full pay, although it was not much of a holiday, as I worked most of the time on my farm near Brisbane, but I did have a little time in Melbourne and Sydney.  

And you will be surprised to hear that I saw Mrs. Gardner in Sydney.  She was talking of leaving Australia and going to South Africa with Black, to some of his relations, so I suppose by this they have left. She looked in the best of health, quite stout, but of course, she is getting along in years.  I think he is ten years younger than her, and she says she is very happy with him.

I was only able to go and see her once, and had to leave for Melbourne the following day, and when returning, I just had sufficient time to get the boat to Brisbane, so I was unable to go and see her again. I was very glad afterwards that I had seen her, although I seem to have some sort of ill feeling towards her, which I cannot overcome.  However, she can do as she pleases, but I think she would like to be back in Canada again, and it would not surprise me to hear that they return when things get brighter.

I did not see Bob at all, but he is still working on a coastal boat, and every time he was in Sydney, he stayed with Mrs. G.  He had a room there, and I think every month he had a few days in Sydney, and he used to take a friend who was working on the same boat,  home with him while the boat remains in/ not, so they would probably have a good talk about old times.

Things are very bad in Australia. There are thousands out of work everywhere, and I am very much afraid that it is going to remain bad for a year or two.  I did not intend to come back here, as I have to be in the tropics for a good few years, and I do not think it is good for a white person to remain too long in these hot countries, and quite a number of my old friends have passed out, and I intend to leave as soon as things get better in Australia.  

In the meantime, I had to come back to do another term.  I arrived back on the ninth of August this year, and will be going down to Australia again about May or June 1933 so it is not such a long time, and I hope things have improved by that time, but we will never have the high wages and good times that we had before.

I don't know how Canada is, but the depression seems to be worldwide, although some countries are worse than others. New Guinea has not felt the depression at all yet.  Of course, there are not many white people here.  Mostly government officials and coconut planters, and a few people working in the gold fields.  So there is no surplus population to provide work for.  

I am now up on the mainland coast of New Guinea, but do not expect to remain here very long.  In three months, I expect to leave here and travel about the Territory for the following six months. This farm I have keeps me tied down, and up to the present I have invested about £2,000 in it. This time I was in Australia, I built a  house on it which cost me £900, although it is a good property. I am sorry I did not put the money in the bank, and buy a business in Canada.

It is nearly impossible to sell any kind of property just now, or I would get rid of it, but I refuse to sell it at a loss.

Well, Winnie, I suppose your family is all growing up and Nora going to business.  I hope you are all keeping well, and that Bert has plenty of work.  How is Tot doing?

And now I must tell you that I am married, and have two boys, which is the chief reason for me remaining in this part of the world, as if I were single. I would pack up my grips and get out of it as soon as possible.  My wife was here with me, but just now she is in Australia, as I am always moving about, and I cannot take the risk of them getting fever, and this a bad place for children.

I suppose Jim Feasey is still about Vancouver, and old Gardner, how is he doing?

If you write to me at the above address, any mail will be forwarded to me, and if you write to Bob this address will find him.

Robert Gardner, S.S. Burwah, Sydney, N.S.W.,  Australia.

I am keeping in good health, and will write to you again soon.

Please excuse the typewritten letter.  You will be able to read it better than my scratch.

Love to all from your brother, Tom

Kinstories (home)  -  Johnson Family  -  Susag Family  -  Flatau Family  -  Beckman Family
Granquist Family  -  Anderson Family  -  Stout Family  -  Peterson Family  -  Morris Family  - Cauble Family