Col. John Walker

Family

It appears Col. Walker’s had 4 daughters by 1st wife, Miss Boyes, and 2 daughters with 2nd wife Sarah, widow of Henry Fleete. Sarah (Unknown) married Lt. Col. WALKER between 23 and 28 October 1661, because a power of attorney made in Westmoreland County proves the marriage (Document 2c):

John WALLKER of Glocester County doe appointe Captn. James NEALE of Maryland, Esq., my attorney to demand a debt of 10,000 pounds of tobacco oweing by Mr. William PEIRCE of Potomeck unto Lt. Collonell FLEETE, deceased, and due unto mee by marriage with Mrs. Saragh FLEETE the relict and adminestratrix of Left. Collonell FLEETE.

Captain Henry Fleet was an early pirate/explorer who settled in Jamestown after voyaging on Lord Rich's ships, the Warwick and the Tiger, that sailed down the West African coast and to the West Indies in the 1620s and later. Upon his death, his widow, Sharin Fleet married Lieutenant Colonel John Walker of Virginia and brought into that marriage a number of enslaved Africans, including Edward Mozinga (Mozingo).

John Walker of Rappahanock County, Virginia Colony, John's will, dated Feb. 21, 1665, was proved Feb 3, 1668 (recorded Richmond Co. Feb 14 1706). A codicil dated July 6, 1668 names Anne and her husband John Payne. He bequethed land in Gloucester and [Old] Rappahannock County.[1][2]

He named children:

• Sarah[1]
• Hester[1]
• Anne, married John Payne (married by July 6, 1668)[1]
• Francis[1]
• Jane[1]
• Elizabeth[1]

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Col. John WALKER was deceased by 28 January 1668/9 when his widow Sarah made a will or deed of gift. Sarah named John WALKER's six daughters:

• Anne PAINE (sic),
• Francis (sic) WALKER,
• Jane WALKER,
• Elizabeth WALKER,
• Sarah WALKER,
• and Easter WALKER.
• She also named my sonne Henry and my Daughter Mary BURDEN.
• Francis SETTLE and Richard FOX witnessed the document, which was recorded 29 December 1679 (Document 23f-g).

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While in England, Fleete married Sarah Burden, a widow and brought her to Virginia. They had one son, Henry Fleete." (p.66) He left his widow so well provided for that she could twice remarry respectably, first Col. John Walker, a member of the King's Council and later, Dr. John Stone. She could also send for her daughter in England, and bequeath young Henry (not yet of age) a deed of gift to all his father's lands. Even after remarriage she always signed her name on legal documents as "Widow Fleete". (pp.72-3)

"Adventurers of Purse and Person" Vol. 1, (p.972) has more: "Rather late in life Henry Fleete married a widow, Sarah ( ) Burden, who had a young daughter Mary Burden. Sarah married third, bef 28 Oct 1661, Col. John Walker of Gloucester County (died 1668/9) and had two daughters by him, Sarah Walker and Hester Walker, and married fourth, by 2 Nov 1672, Col John Stone, by whom she has no children. As Sarah Walker she left a will, 28 Jan 1668/9 - 29 Dec 1679." A footnote says: She named her son Henry, daughters Mary Burden,Sarah Walker and Hester Walker and Colonel Walker's six daughters.

http://www.angelfire.com/mt2/genealogy/html/fam1127.html

p 17 Sarah, widow of Henry FLEET, had a "natural" daughter called Mary BURDEN. Col. WALKER provided a legacy, for Mary BURDEN when he married Sarah FLEET, indicating that he was the father of Sarahs illegitimate daughter Mary BURDEN.

John WALKER moved to Rappahannock County sometime after making this power of attorney. As a resident of Rappahannock County, Col. John WALKER wrote his will on 22 February 1665/6. He made legacies as follows: to daughter Anne WALKER, six cows, and in lieu of two cows given her by Francis BAYLIE, one feather bed with furnishings; to daughter Frances WALKER, one cow and one feather bed with furnishings; to daughters Jane and Elizabeth WALKER, the same legacy as given to daughter Frances; his daughters Anne, Frances, Jane, and Elizabeth received equal shares of his lands in Gloucester County to be delivered at age sixteen or day of marriage, whichever came first; daughters Sarah and Hester received equal shares of his lands in Rappahannock County (both were under sixteen and unmarried); daughters Sarah and Hester received four cows and feather beds with furnishings; wife Sarah received 1,000 acres in Rappahannock County during her natural life. Richard FOX and Abraham WARREN witnessed the will. John WALKER made a codicil on 6 July 1668: two parcels of land-1,030 acres and 900 acres on the eastward side of Rappahannock Creek-to wife Sarah in lieu of her dower rights in his Gloucester County lands; the legacy given to daughter Anne in the will has been received by her husband John PAYNE so is void. On 3 February 1668/9, Richard FOX, aged thirty-nine, and Joseph CHISELL, aged twenty-seven, deposed that the will and codicil were valid (Document 23k-1).

References

• Virginia, Marriages of the Northern Neck of Virginia, 1649-1800 : marriages and marriage references for the counties of Lancaster, Northumberland, Old Rappahannock, Richmond, and Westmoreland https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/1127047?availability=Family...
• “Conway Family.” The William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 12, no. 4, 1904, pp. 264–267. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1915587. Accessed 10 Sept. 2020.
• Virginia colonial abstracts Series I Author: Beverley Fleet. Publisher: Richmond, Va, 1937. Page: 17, Richmond County Deed Book 1 pg 55. Hathitrust Land given by the Will of Col. John Walker to his daughter Sarah, wife of Edwin Conway.
• Notes and Queries," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Oct., 1922), pp. 385-402 (Published by: Virginia Historical Society). Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4243897