Daniel Walker, II

DANIEL WALKER

Daniel Walker, was married to Mary Young, an English woman, and sided with the British during the Revolution. In Claredon, Vermont, the Committee of Safety, of which his brother Gideon Walker was a member, notified Daniel, that because of his support of the Crown, if he was found off his farm, he would be declared an outlaw. Daniel, with five other Tory men, started for Canada immediately, his family soon followed him to Ernestown, Lennox & Addington Co., Ontario before 1795. Possibly Gideon's father also went to Canada.

He appeared in Cataraqui Loyalist Town Crier (March 2004), 23(2):8-9

contributed by Lilyan Durkee of Southbury CT

"The Walker family of Ernestown Township had its origin in America, in Rehoboth, Mass., when the widow Walker and her two children arrived from England about 1630. Her name appears in the town records of 1643 and 1646.One of her great-grandsons, Daniel Walker, was born on October 10, 1706. He married, January 1, 1729/30, Mary, daughter of Jasiel Perry.

During the war for the Conquest of Canada, Daniel joined the army under General Wolfe and was present at the battle of Quebec in September, 1759. He was then 53 and was employed as an artificer. After the war he received his discharge in Canada. Then, in the company of others, he undertook the long journey home overland, in the winter of 1760 or 1761. They journeyed up the St. Lawrence River to Sorel, then up the Richelieu River and across lake Champlain to the mouth of the Otter River. Then up that river and across the hills to the Connecticut River, down which they proceeded to Long Island Sound, and on to Rhode Island and Massachusetts, finally reaching his family the following year.

In 1768 the region which is now known as northern New York and Vermont, was open for settlement and Daniel gathered his 12 children and grandchildren, from Coventry, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and started the long journey to the Otter River Valley, on April 1st, 1768.

The genealogy of the family, entitled, "Walkers of the Old Colony", has this to say about Daniel, Jr. (born March 11, 1735/1736): "He married Jerusha Bates, and then Mary Young, an English woman by whose influence he espoused the side of the British in the revolution. The Committee of safety, of which his brother Gideon was a member, notified Daniel that if he was found off his farm, he would be declared an outlaw. He at once, with five other Tories, started for Canada. His property in Clarendon was confiscated and his family soon followed." Daniel Walker, Jr. had settled on one of the finest farms in Vermont, three hundred acres of valley land in Durham County and Clarendon Town. A dispute arose between New York and New Hampshire over ownership of the new settlements. New York 'won' and under Ethan Allen, the Green Mountain boys took matters into their own hands, beating Benjamin Hough, a justice of the peace. They also warned Daniel Walker Jr. that he could "not with any degree of safety return home without danger from the said rioters".

War broke out and from the Clarendon settlement Daniel Walker, Ebenezer Washburn, Robert Perry, and David Shorey joined Lt-Col. John Peters' Queen's Loyal Rangers, to become part of the Loyalist regiments with Burgoyne. Daniel Walker was at the Battle of Bennington in August and at the Battle of Saratoga the next month.

At the family home in Clarendon, Vermont, things went badly. The farm buildings, live stock and implements were seized on January 30, 1778 and sold at public auction. His family continued to reside with his parents. In 1779, Daniel's name appeared on a list of those persons who were attainted and threatened with seizure and death if they returned to Vermont. This was revoked and Daniel returned home, likely with the idea of removing his family to Canada. He became ill and remained there until January 1781; not long afterwards, his family is recorded in Canada.

Daniel and Mary Walker are shown living at Riviere Du Chene from July, 1781, until their removal to the Bay of Quinte region in June, 1784. At that time Daniel and Mary Young Walker, were accompanied by daughter Mary, aged 14, and Daniel, aged 12. The other daughter Esther had already married Solomon Ball, a young Loyalist from Vermont. Mary and Daniel were soon baptized by the Rev'd John Langhorn.

The Walker family arrived at Cataraqui about the middle of June and remained there until arrangements had been made for their settlement in Ernestown in early July, where Daniel Walker drew the east half of Lot #9, in the second concession. Older sons William and Weeden finally came to Canada in 1788. By that time they had married, and both were fathers of two small children. Daniel travelled to Montreal to present his claim for losses of property during the war.

Daniel died in 1795 in Ernestown."

added by Walter Ashworth 2nd cousin 6x removed                                                                                                                       https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L2WN-YBG