B52 - Thompson Walker & Family, 1822

see cht 10-0

Thompson Walker was born in Rawden, of Guisley Parish, Yorkshire, England on 28 June, 1822, the 3rd child of John and Mary (born Thompson) Walker.

At age 11 Thompson attended Ackworth Boarding School from 1833 to 1837. Following school he apprenticed to Thomas Smith of Thirsk as a grocer and draper. Later he went, for a year or more, to Germany where he was employed in the office of Seebolm Woollen Mill.

On 16 Oct. 1856 Thompson married Rachel Hannah Walker* of Hartwith, Yorkshire. The wedding took place at Darley, very likely at the Friends Meeting House. Rachel was born in Mirfield on 18 Sept. 1835. She attended “The Mount Quaker Girl’s School” at York from 1848 to 1849. She is described in the Quaker Digest of Marriages as the daughter of Thomas Walker* (1793-1868) and Rebecca Sharp (1796-1886). Rebecca was born in 1796 in Fulford, Yorkshire. Thomas was a cloth manufacturer of Mirfield, Yorkshire

Rebecca was not only the mother of Rachel (Thompson’s wife), but also of Priscilla Walker* who married Thompson’s brother, Richard Walker. Two brothers married two sisters, all with the Walker surname. This is authenticated by a note on the back of the original picture written by Dorothy Walker (1891) to her nephew, Christopher Walker, which says “This is Great Grandmother Walker” (Dorothy’s great grandmother). In addition to this Rebecca was also a sister of Mary Sharp who married Spence Walker (1803) of our family.

* denotes an unrelated Walker

After their marriage Thompson and Rachel took up residence at Larkfield, Rawden, where Thompson was Cashier in his father’s Woollen Mill. They had 9 children:-

See separate Biographies for Charles, Frederick and Henry.

Mary was born in Rawden. She attended Saxenholme School for Ladies in Birkdale, of Southport, some 5 miles north of Formby in Lancashire.

In 1858 the family moved to Winsley and early in 1860 to Birstwith where the remaining eight children were born. It would appear from the following letter that Polly first attended school at Saxenholme in 1871.

Saxenholme

Southport

December 13th 1871

My Dear Cissy;

Thank you very much for your nice letter. It seems so funny to be 14, I can’t imagine I’m so old. I am sorry you have been ill and Miss Copeland said you had a toothache, I can sympathise with you as I had it a few days ago, but it is better now.

I should like to hear your waltz very much, I hope you will come to Winsley at Christmas and then we will have some fun like we use to have, won’t we? The dolls ornaments will be very pretty.

We don’t have prizes here. I wish we had but I don’t suppose I should get one. I’m afraid I should be very low in class, I’m bottom now because I’m a new girl and they are always put lowest the first half. But I do hope I shan’t be bottom next. Eight girls are going in for Cambridge examination: I should like to go in next half. Our oldest girl is seventeen and the youngest ten. Are you twelve yet?

Mr. Bloomfield has been here and we had been looking for him for almost a week and on Sunday evening we had forgotten to look out and Mrs. Wallis called Hattie into the dining room, I wasn’t looking and one of the girls said Oh! So we knew he had come.

I think I must say goodbye, Hattie sends love to you and Uncle Richard, Auntie & Dick & Will.

I remain your affectionate coz.

Polly

Note: Cissy refers to Priscilla, Dick refers to Richard and Will refers to William - all the children of Richard (1829) and Priscilla (1830).. This letter was found in Birstwith House, along with many documents and artifacts.

Birstwith

Dec 2nd.1874

My dear Cissy,

You will have heard by this time that we have got a little sister, it will be a little more than a fortnight old when Charley comes home, it seems very funny to have a little baby in the house but it does not cry much. I think we are going to call it Elizabeth but Lucy wants it to be called Amy.

I didn’t write to you yesterday as I had some other letters to write and Papa wrote to Auntie Thank you for your letter. Grandma gave Papa a pattern of silk yesterday which he should have told Auntie about but he forgot it, she wants Auntie to get her three yards.

I had a letter from Rosa yesterday in French she didn’t say how they were so I suppose they are all pretty well; tell Auntie Uncle Ben’s book is called “Christ and Antichrist.

We are all going up to Winsley for a walk so as Edie must not be out late and I have to write to Rosa, I will conclude,

I am with love to all your loving Cousin,

Polly.

This letter, contained in an envelope was addressed to Miss Walker, Mrs R Walker, St. Ann’s Villas, Shaw Lane, Headingly, near Leeds. The stamp has been torn off so the postmark is incomplete, but does start ”HAR. so would be Harrogate, correct for a Birstwith letter. It was back stamped Leeds, 2 Dec. 1874.

The letter contains a small piece of material, probably the silk referred to.

The writer (Polly) is Mary Walker of Birstwith and sent to her Cousin in Leeds (Cissy) Priscilla Walker. See TC’s 11-1 & 11-2.

Amy Elizabeth Walker was born 30-11-1874. Dau of Thompson & Rachel Hannah Walker of Birstwith.“Polly”was 17yrs old. “Charley” was Charles Walker born 22-2 1860 her brother.

Thompson Walker of Birstwith in the Parish of Thornwaite, Yorkshire, died on 1 May, 1885, just prior to his 63rd birthday. He was buried in the Friends Burial Ground at Rawdon. He is described in the Quaker “Digest of Deaths” as a Gentleman. He had previously been appointed an Executor of his Aunt Elizabeth’s Will and his Uncle Spence’s Will.

According to the 1891 Census Return all the children and their mother, with the exception of Charles and Henry, were living at “Stanfield/East View house” in Birstwith. A letter, written in England by Louisa Walker (a cousin from Canada), in August 1900, reads in part as follows:-

“When we left there (she is speaking of Darley and her Aunt Maria) we turned towards Birstwith. What a lovely walk ... at last we passed Great Uncle Spence’s (Birstwith House). Across the road live Thompson Walker’s family. His widow is at the point of death, she has been in bed since April and was too low to see anyone, being conscious only a short time at once. Charlie, who is a Chemist in Harrogate, had gone up on his wheel. We stayed for tea and met, besides 2 of the 3 sons, namely Chas. and Fred, also 4 of the 5 daughters, one died in March. Fred is partially paralyzed so that he walks or moves at all only with great difficulty. And all his nerves seem to be upset. The eldest sister, Mary (Polly) is about 45 years old, rather a nice looking woman with perfectly grey hair. They are all very nice, very quiet and all very delicate”.

Note:- As seen above we know there were 6 daughters, not 5, and that Edith died in Jan. 1900, not March. Although the 1891 CR enumerator states the name of the dwelling to be “Stanfield House” we know by that time it was called “East View House” as recorded by many other documents including the Bootham School records. Apparently it has been referred to as “Stanfield” by many of the local residents for a number of years, including the enumerator, “AFTER” the name change.

As recorded in the Membership list of York Monthly Meeting all the girls left the Society of Friends to join the Church of England. Lucy (aka Lucia), Anne (aka Annie or Minnie), Emily and Edith (aka Edie) all left on 15 May, 1890. Amy Elizabeth left on 13 Dec. 1893 and Mary resigned on 12 Apr. 1899. As far as can be determined at this date of writing the girls never married. Edith, of East View house, died there on 6 Jan. 1900 and was buried in the Birstwith Parish Church yard.

Rachel Hannah Walker (born Walker*) died on 22 Aug., 1900, just prior to her 64th birthday. She also was buried in Birstwith Parish Church yard.

Some time, very shortly after Rachel died, the children, Mary, Frederick, Lucy, Anne, Emily and Amy all moved to the house immediately south of East View called “Laurel Bank”. They were all listed in the 1901 Census Return, as still living there. It has been said that later on five of the 6 daughters were often referred to as ”The 5 Spinster Aunts” by younger generations.

Edith Walker, died 6 Jan. 1900 and was buried in the Birstwith Parish Church yard.

Lucy Walker, died 19 Oct. 1922 and was buried in the Birstwith Parish Church yard.

Frederick Thompson Walker died on 29 Oct. 1905 and was buried in the Birstwith Parish Church yard. See Biog-90 for Fred.

In a letter written in 1923 by Aunt Maria Walker, three of the girls, Mary (aka Polly), Emily and Amy Elizabeth were still living in Laurel Bank in Birstwith. It would seem from this that Anne had already left home. It is not known where she went. Some time later, the exact date is unknown, the 3 remaining girls moved to 122 West End Ave. in Harrogate, Yorkshire.

Emily Walker died in Harrogate on 9 Aug. 1938. Her Probate was to her brother Henry, a florist. Effects £455. She was buried in Birstwith Parish Church yard, in Birstwith.

Amy Elizabeth Walker died 18 Sept., 1940. Her Probate was to her brother Henry, florist. Effects £557. Amy was also buried in Birstwith Parish Church Yard, in Birstwith.

Mary Walker apparently moved from Harrogate sometime shortly after Amy Elizabeth died in 1940, to live with her brother, Henry at “Bella Vista” Filey, Yorks., as that is where she died on 24 Jan. 1944. Her Probate was to her brother Henry of Filey and to her sister Anne. Effects £1087. Mary was buried in the Birstwith Parish Church yard.

It is not known at this time what happened to Anne (Minnie) Walker, but we do know that she lived longer that the others as she died in 1957, but, it is not known where she was buried.

By:- R.B. Walker, Eng. & H. L. Walker, Can. - 30 September, 2004