Walter Ker

Not a known son of Henry Ker of Graden & Lilias Rutherford

Walter Ker, b. in Scotland, 1656; banished from there as a Noncomformist, 3rd September, 1685; came with his wife Margaret name unknown and children to America, December, 1685, and settled at Freehold, New Jersey, where he d. 10th June, 1748; his wife was b. in Scotland in 1661, d. in Freehold in 1734. He was from the Parish of Dalsert, Lanarkshire. Colonial Families of the United States of America; Volume 7 On the summit of a hill, about three large fields distant from Tennent Church, in a dence woods, is a small graveyard containing three stones. Margaret, wife of Jo___Ker, died, Dec. 20, 1745, aged 33, 6, 22 Margaret, wife of W_____Ker, Oct., 1, 1734, in 73rd year. Walter Ker died, June 10, 1748, in 92nd year. From "Historical and Genealogical Miscellany" by John Stillwell, M.D. Vol. II, Pg. 318 Walter Ker was banished for life to the colony of New Jersey in September, 1665, for refusing to sign the Oath of Allegiance to King James II, Walter Ker became one of the original settlers of the town of Freehold in Montour County in central New Jersey. Walter Ker was one of 200 passengers who sailed from the port of Leith, near Edinburgh, aboard the "Henry and Francis" , September 1665. Walter Ker requested recording of Scots' Meetinghouse, 1705, elder, Freehold Scotch Meetinghouse, 1705, testified concerning effect of Christian teaching on Indians, 1746. Walter Kerr had 30 acres of land deeded to him 1688 by Thomas Parr, brickmaker, servitor to Gawen Laurie, late governor.In 1689 James Johnston deeded 50 acres to Walter Kerr. In 1691 James Johnston deeded land to Walter Kerr in right of his second son, James Kerr. Walter Kerr, the first of his name in Monmouth, was banished from Scotland Sept. 3, 1685, and it is supposed that he and w. Margaret and children came in the ship Henry and Francis, which arrived in this country December, 1685. Shortly after his arrival he settled in Freehold. He was one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church 1705. In 1746 William and Samuel Ker were deacons in the Presbyterian Church and Joseph and Walter Ker were elders same year. Many members of old Monmouth families went to Chester, Lancaster and other counties in Eastern Pennsylvania, from 1715 to 1730 and in the next generation there was quite an oxodus from these families to the valley of Virginia and Western North Carolina, and it is possible that among the number, were descendants of Water Kerr, of Freehold. The epitaph on the the tombstone of his w. is as follows: "Here lies what's mortal of Margaret, wife of Walter Ker, who departed this life October ye first Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and thirty-four, in the seventy-third year of her age." The insciption on the third headstone shows that Margaret, wife of Joseph Kerr, d. in the year 1745, aged 33 years. About half a mile to the east of the Tennent Church, on the summit of a wooded hill belonging to the estate of the late Sheriff Perrine, is an old family burying ground which was originally owned and used for burial purposes by the Ker or Carr family. There are only three persons interred there, namely: Walter Kerr, Margaret, his wife, and Margaret, wife of Joseph Ker. Salter's History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, New Jersey

Walter Ker's tombstone is a firm-grained sandstone, with clear-cut inscription that reads as follows:

Here lies what's Mortal of Water Ker

Deceased June 10th 1748 in ye 92 years of his age Who long with Patience Bore life's heavy load Willing to spend and be spent for God the noble Portrait in a line to paint he Breath'd, a Father liv'd, & Dy'd a saint Here sleeps in peace the aged sire's dust Till the glad Trump arouse the sleeping just.

Marriage 1 *

Margaret Johnstone [sic: unknown] b: 1661 in Scotland Married: 1677 in Scotland

Children

• Joseph Ker
• James Ker b: in New Jersey
• John Ker b: ABT. 1693 in New Jersey
• William Ker b: 1700 in New Jersey
• Samuel Ker b: 21 JAN 1699/00 in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey

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Notes

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:c4ca9b3d-ff12-4a2d-9f82...

East Jersey Deeds, Volume C, f.220.

Know all men by these presents that I James Johnston of the county of Monmouth of the Province of East New Jersey for favour and other considerations moving me have given, granted, aliened, & sold and by these presents do give, grant, alien, & sell to Walter Ker of said county & Province for the use & behoof of James Kerr his second son an tract of land containing about an hundred acres lying in said county of Monmouth & Province aforesaid upon the north side of an brook beginning thirty chains below Wemcock Point & joining to the west side of an small tract of land sold by me to Wm Davidson adjoining to my farm at Toponemus thence running down along said brook to the corner point of Wm Oliphant’s land which lies on south side of said brook & in breadth according to a return of the survey of the said tract of land under the hand of John Barclay by virtue of an warrant directed to him from the Proprietors of the said province for laying out of the samen in right of an quarter of Robert Turner’s property purchased by me & which return is recorded in the Records of the said province which tract of land is bounded southerly by said brook west & north by barren land unappropriated east by Wm Davidson.

To have and to hold the said tract of land & premisses unto him the said Walter Ker for use benefit & behalf of the said James Ker his heirs & assignees forever together with all rights, privileges, liberties, & immunites & other appurtenances to the samen belonging or in any manner of way appertaining.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this thirtieth day of January 1690-1691. James Johnston. Signed sealed & delivered in presence of William Naughtie,Thomas Powell.

William Naughtie came before me & made oath that James Johnston Esqr. sealed & delivered the above writen instrument as his acts deed. Jurat Coram me December 3rd, 1696. L Morris.

Comments

Birth seen as 07/01/1656

References

• Please see William C. Armstrong: The Kerr Clan of New Jersey, Beginning with Walter Ker of Freehold (p. 3.); https://docslib.org/doc/5698907/the-kerr-clan-of-new-jersey (Steven Ferry, October 17, 2022.)
• Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775, Johnson Family. “Ker.” Page 315. < AncestrySharing >.
• Genealogical record of the first settlers of Monmouth and Ocean Counties and their descendants. < AncestrySharing >
• The Original Scots Colonists of Early America. Supplement 1607-1707. Page 92. < AncestrySharing >
• Directory of Scots Banished to the American Plantations, 1650-1775. Page 87. < AncestrySharing >
• Johnson And Fisher Family. “Water Kerr - Stories From Different Books - Gathered On Rootsweb” < link >
• https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/ker/89/
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/LHZH-THH
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10794554/walter-ker
• Carr Family of Erath County, Texas: History and News of the Carr Family. “Walter Ker, 1656-1748.” Jerry L. Carr (6 April 2018). < link >
• Karr, Randolph., and Dora V. Karr. A Quest for the Ancestors of Walter Ker (1656-1748) of New Jersey. Los Angles, Calif.: Karr, 1972. < FamilySearch >
• Somerset, Douglas W.B. Walter Ker and the 'Sweet Singers'. (2012) < link >
• https://www.familytreedna.com/public/carr?iframe=yresults Group: Walter Ker, NJ, USA. Y DNA Haplogroup R-M269
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torphichen
• https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Torphichen,_West_Lothian,_Scot...