Dr. Thomas Walker, II

Not the same as Thomas "Thundering Tom" Walker

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA. DAR Ancestor # A119663

Dr. Thomas Walker

(1714 - 1794)

Thomas Walker was born in King and Queen County, the son of Dr. Thomas Walker, Sr. and Susanna Peachy Walker. He studied medicine at William and Mary and was one of the most prominent physicians in Albemarle County. In 1741, he married Mildred Thornton Meriwether, the widow of Nicholas Meriwether, II, and through her, obtained the property known as “Castle Hill,” an estate of 15,000 acres. In the 1742 Personal Property Tax List of Albemarle County, Thomas Walker is listed as having 86 slaves, 93 cattle, 22 cattle, and two carriages. (Cappon) In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Walker explored portions of Southwest Virginia and into Kentucky, naming the Cumberland Mountains and River. He served as commissary of Virginia troops under General Braddock during the French and Indian War and later was asked to negotiate with Native Americans of New York and Pennsylvania. He was elected to the House of Burgesses for Hanover, Louisa, and Albemarle County (Albemarle and Louisa Counties were formed from parts of Hanover County) and surveyed the Virginia-North Carolina border. Dr. Walker was a trustee for Albemarle County in 1763, charged with the task of selling lots in the new county seat, Charlottesville. He was appointed guardian to the young Thomas Jefferson after the death of his father, Peter Jefferson. (Anderson, p. 222-223; The Magazine of Albemarle County History, Vol. 52, p. 40)

• Educated at William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA & Edinburg Univ.
• Doctor to President Jefferson's father
• Guardian & Doctor to Thomas Jefferson
• Delegate to Revolutionary Convention
• First to locate Cumberland Gap
• Home on Castle Hill

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He married twice:[1]

1. On 22 June 1741 to Mildred Thornton (1721-1778), daughter of Col. Francis Thornton, Jr. and Mary Taliaferro, and widow of Nicholas Meriwether. 12 surviving children.
2. In 1781 to Elizabeth Gregory (1717-1796), daughter of Roger Gregory and Mildred Washington, and widow of Henry Willis and then Reuben Thornton. After Thomas’ death she married a Mr. Alcock. No issue of this marriage.

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As a widow of Nicholas Meriwether, Mildred Thornton married Dr. Thomas Walker on 6/22/1741 bringing the vast Meriwether lands with her.

The 12 known children of Mildred Thornton and physician and explorer Thomas Walker were born at “Castle Hill,” Albemarle County, Virginia:

1. Mary Walker was born 24 JUL 1742 in Albemarle County, Virginia, and died 2 FEB 1824 in Albemarle County, Virginia. She married Nicholas Lewis, son of Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. He was born 19 JAN 1733/34 in Virginia, and died 8 DEC 1808 in Albemarle County, Virginia.
2. John ‘Jack’ Walker was born 13 FEB 1743/44 in Albemarle County, Virginia, and died 2 DEC 1809 in Virginia. He married Elizabeth Moore, daughter of Bernard Augustine Moore and Anne Catherine Spotswood. She was born 21 OCT 1746, and died 10 SEP 1809 in Albemarle County, # #Susannah 'Sukie' Thornton Walker was born 14 DEC 1746 in 'Castle Hill', Albemarle County, Virginia, and died 1808. She married Henry Rev. Fry 16 JUN 1764. He was born 1738, and died 1823.
3. Thomas Walker was born 17 MAR 1748/49 in Indian Fields, Albemarle County, Virginia, and died ABT 1795 in Albemarle County, Virginia. He married Margaret Hoops. She was born ABT 1750.
4. Lucy Walker was born 5 MAY 1751 in Albemarle County, Virginia, and died ABT 1800. She married George Gilmer , Dr. 27 AUG 1767 in Albemarle County, Virginia, son of George Gilmer , Dr. and Mary Peachy Walker. He was born 19 JAN 1741/42 in Williamsburg, James City County, Virginia, and died ABT 1795 in Albemarle County, Virginia.
5. Elizabeth Walker was born 1 Aug 1753 in Albemarle County, Virginia; married Mathew Maury
6. Mildred Thornton Walker was born 5 Jun 1755 in Albemarle County, Virginia; married Joseph Hornsby
7. Sarah Walker was born 28 MAY 1758 in Albemarle County, Virginia and died BEF 1791. She married Reuben Lindsey 20 OCT 1774. He was born 15 JAN 1746/47 in Albemarle County, Virginia, and died 1831 in Albemarle County, Virginia.
8. Martha Walker was born 2 May 1760 in Albemarle County, Virginia and died on an unknown date; married George Divers. No children.
9. Willis Henry ‘William’ Walker b. 1761 in Albemarle County, Virginia. “Reuben did not die young as some have recorded, but had an argument and went south to South Carolina to head up a plantation owned by his wife's late husband's family.” Married Mary Lewis.
10. Reuben Walker b. 1762, died 1765.
11. Hon. Francis Walker was born 22 JUN 1764 in Albemarle County, Viriginia, and died MAR 1806. He married Jane Byrd Nelson 1798, daughter of Thomas Nelson , Govenor and Lucy Grymes. She was born ABT 1776 in York County, Virginia, and died 1808.
12. Peachy Walker was born 6 FEB 1767 in Albemarle County, Virginia, and died 29 OCT 1811 in Mercer County, Kentucky. She married Joshua Fry 1 SEP 1783. He was born 17 FEB 1769 in Essex, Virginia, and died 1839 in Kentucky.

3 stillbirths.

Will

Will of Thomas Walker. Albemarle Co., VA, WB 3, pp. 232-234, w. 13 May 1788, p. Dec Court 1794.

• son John Walker
• son Thomas Walker
• son Francis Walker
• Mary Bower
• George Gilmer
• Joseph Hornsby
• Henry Fry
• Revd Matthew Maury
• George (Divers?)
• Joshua Fry
• wife Elizabeth
• Exrs: my three sons John, Thomas and Francis Walker
• Wit: Robert (Mechie?), James Barret, W. Alcock, Joshua Fry jr, Thomas Meriwether, Thomas Walker Gilmer, Thos. Divers, Lewis Nicholas

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References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Walker_(explorer) Thomas Walker (January 25, 1715 – November 9, 1794) was a physician, planter and explorer in colonial Virginia who served multiple terms in the Virginia General Assembly, and whose descendants also had political careers. Walker explored the Western Colony of Virginia (present day Kentucky) in 1750, 19 years before the arrival of Daniel Boone.
2. http://www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/thomaswalker.html Thomas Walker was one of the early Virginia explorers who pushed westward across the Appalachian Mountains, expanding European settlements by documenting the existence of Cumberland Gap, building the first colonial house in Kentucky, and surveying both parcels for sale and boundaries between colonies.1 cites:
   1. "Dr. Thomas Walker History," Kentucky State Parks, http://www.parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/thomas-walker/history.aspx (last checked July 13, 2014)
   2. Archibald Henderson, "Dr. Thomas Walker and the Loyal Company of Virginia," American Antiquarian Society, 1931, pp.82-84, http://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44806881.pdf (last checked July 13, 2014)
   3. posted online in "The Land of Our Ancestors," TNGenWeb, http://www.tngenweb.org/tnland/squabble/walker.html (last checked July 13, 2014)
   4. "Castle Hill 002-1112," Virginia Department of Historic Resources, nomination to National Register of Historic Places, http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Albemarle/002-0012%2... (last checked July 13, 2014)
3. https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I3901... 12 children
4. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Walker-2063 cites
   1. Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed June 28, 2016), "Record of Thomas Walker", Ancestor # A119663.
5. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8587501
6. http://www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/thomaswalker.html
7. “Offspring of Dr. Thomas Walker and Mildred Thornton Walker” < PDF > posted at https://www.wikitree.com/photo/pdf/Thornton-392
8. “Offspring of Dr. Thomas Walker and Mildred Thornton Walker” < PDF > posted at https://www.wikitree.com/photo/pdf/Thornton-392
9. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8587513/mildred_meriwether_walker
10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8587501/thomas_walker
11. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12892875/elizabeth_mary_walker_... cites
12. See W.G. Stanard, "The Thornton Family" (William and Mary College Quarterly, Richmond, Va., 1896-97), IV: 159; John Augustine Washington (1920-2020), Descendants of Rev. Lawrence (c1602-52/3) and Amphyllis Twigden Washington (-1655) Five Generation Chart (Chevy Chase, Md. 1982); Dr. Justin M. Glenn, The Washingtons, A Family History, Volume One, Seven Generations of the Presidential Branch (Savas Beatie, El Dorado Hills, Cal. 2014), I: 42-44; James Houston Barr III, Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Pope, c1610-1660, of Virginia, Ancestor of Washington, Governors and Legislators, History of His Descendants (Louisville, Ky. 2018), 28.