William Cressy Walker

William Cressy Walker born June 26, 1807, in New York City, New York. He married Rachel Wright, February 16, 1832, in Randolph County, Indiana. William died sometime after 1880, and his wife Rachael between 1870 and 1880. In the 1830 census they were living in White River, Randolph County, Indiana. About 1831 LDS Elder Levi Hancock recorded the events of a Winchester missionary meeting in his journal: “The next morning Sunday came and we were prepared for the worst. It was my turn to speak and I sang too. Zebedee gave the prayer. Bill Walker placed himself at the door and looked as surly as a bull; he was my friend. He said nothing, but something said to me, that I should not be hurt. So I commenced talking and soon forgot myself and said what came to my heart. I mounted the bench and walked in among the same crows who had written that letter. I said, ‘You wrote to warn me to leave this place before then, but you see I am still here. … My father fought for liberty you now enjoy, and you want to deprive me of the liberty that rightly belongs to me. … I am a cousin to the first man who signed the Declaration of Independence. Now, if you want to reveal anything to me, come on, I am ready."

From the brother-in-law of William Cressy Walker....James Rollins Autobiography, BYU, p.10 - p.11: About 10 o'clock in the day I succeeded in obtaining bail. My bail was fixed for all these crimes and I was signed by the notorious Beaugard Methodist preacher, Nathaniel Carr, my brother-in-law. Soon after this was settled, I obtained a horse, saddle, and bridle, and started with my wife on the same horse for Far West, 36 miles distance. It was quite cold, and we had to ride and run alternately to get warm until we arrived, wearied at Far West in the night safely. We had not been home long, Beaugard appeared in Far West and exacted my step-father's hotel, my father-in-law's hundred acres of land, and 40 acres of my own land, at least a thousand dollars worth of other property for security for the five hundred dollars for my bail, or he would take me back to prison. Some of the land that he wanted lay 3 miles from Haun's Mill. I had not heard whether my wife's father would consent to Beaurgard's requirements or not. About this time, my wife's brother, William Walker, brought a horse, saddle, and bridle and portmanteau, and told me to take the horse and skip. Beaugard, that evening, took me up stairs and told me if I didn't produce those men to go my security the next day, he would take me back to prison. That night I saddled up the horse and mother gave me $16 to start with. C. L. Higbee and myself started together. The young people of Far West had gathered at a house half a mile out of town to bid us good-bye."

James Rollins Autobiography, BYU, p.10 - p.11 "While riding on my journey that day, I met a boy at Wood River Bridge, one mile from Alton, I quickly inquired of him, if my wife was in Alton. He said, "Yes, she is very bad at her brother's John Walker's. If you want to see her alive, hurry." The same words that was said to me when I lay asleep on the log. I surely did hurry my jaded horse and landed on the doorstep of John Walker's house. There I found my warning true in every sense as the doctor and women were just putting my wife in bed as I arrived. She was expected to die for days. Previous to this in a few days after my return she began to recover, when she was well enough, I rented a house and my family and Wm. Walker's family moved together into the house which I had rented. Soon after this, Adam Lightner, my brother-in-law and wife returned from Louisville, Kentucky and then they lived in the same house, also, it being a very large house. We all remained there during the summer season. I then moved to Clifftony miles above Alton where we found a house empty, large enough for 3 or 4 families to live in. We here decided to build a large flat boat for carrying wood to Alton and St. Lewis, this boat we constructed during the winter. Previous to this we hired a smaller boat and loaded it with sugar, maple for the Alton mill. As we arrived with the boat near the mill we endeavored to land the boat and fasten it to the shore, the boat in turning dipped water. I took the rope and swam to the shore, fastened it. In coming around she filled with water and sunk. The wood above the gunells of the boat was taken off by the current and floated down the river. We succeeded in raising the boat and emptied it of its contents that remained and we took the boat and tied it that night to the place where we had loaded it in the morning."

Mormon Redress Petitions 13 January 1840 Alton, Madison, Illinois, p 550: "I the undersigned do by these presents represent To You my Losses and Suffering in the State of Missouri in the Year 1838 By the Hands of a mob in that State who pillaged my Goods & Chattels and drove me and my family from my home. And do Certify my Loss of property To be no Less than Six Hundred Dollars." signed William C. Walker.

1840 Census for Bond County, Illinois, (next to Madison County, Illinois, and 2 families away from sister Nancy and husband Horace Martin Alexander) William C. Walker 30001-20001, also 1840 Census Upper Alton, Madison County, Illinois.

1842 August 12 -William Walker rides Joseph Smith's horse, Joe Duncan, across the Mississippi River to give the impression that Joseph Smith had crossed over to the Iowa side.

1842 December 5- Arrest warrant signed in Nauvoo, Illinois by Joseph Smith for the arrest of Amos Davis accused of assault and battery on William C. Walker, also for slander, and selling spirits by the small quantity.

1850 Census and 1860 Census Dallas City, Henderson County, Illinois: William C. Walker, Dealer in wood 53, Rachel 47, John B. 24, William C. 22, Perry C. 19, Thomas O. 17, Hiram W. 13, Rachel E. 12, Clarrissa 19, Charles 1 year old.

1870 Census Dallas City, Henderson, Illinois: William Walker, 64 Day Laborer, Rachel 57, John 31, William 27, Charles 25, Hiram 23, Evaline 21, Wilson 11, Lizzie 7, and next door James Walker 29, Adda 20, John 4, and Francis 6/12 born December.

1880 Census Dallas City, Henderson County, Illinois: William C. Walker 73 farmer, JB 44 son, P. Charles, 42 son, Oliver T., 38 son, H. W., 34 son, William W., 21 Grandson, Margrette E., 17 granddaughter, Henry W. Bodey, 30 son-in-law, L. R. E. Bodey, 30, daughter, Henry W. Bodey, 4, Grandson, Rachel C. Bodey, 2, Ganddaughter.

Children:

John R Walker, born 1836 Indiana, died after 1880, married Clarrissa E Brewer July 5, 1858, in Hancock County, Illinois, and had at least 2 children: William Wilson Walker, born April 1859, in Illinois who married Susan E. about 1888, found on the 1900 Census in San Miquel Township, San Louis Obispo County, California, and Margaret Elizabeth or Lizzy Walker, born November 1862, and married John C. Newton about 1884.

William C. Walker, born 1838 in Missouri, and dies January 13, 1919, in Stronghurst, Henderson, Illinois, marries Rebecca Jane Sparks, February 15, 1876, in Hancock County, Illinois. She was born July 1852, Illinois, to Robert Thomas Sparks and Mary Ann Wallingford, and dies after 1920. 1880 Census Carman, Henderson, Illinois, William C., 39, Druggist, Rebecca J., 26, Mary 3, Eva 1. 1900 Census Stronghurst, Henderson, Illinois, William C. 55, Druggist, 6 of 9 children still alive, Rebecca J., 47, Mary, 23, Evalina, 21, Clara, 19, Charles, 17, Ben H., 16, Logan 13. 1910 Census Farmington Ward 3, Fulton, Illinois, William C., 73, 8 children alive, married 34 years, Jane R. 59, Evalina Burdon, 31, married 6 yrs, Madge Burdon, 5, Mildred Burdon 3. 1920 Census Dallas, Hancock, Illinois, Rebecca Walker, 68, widow, Eva Burdon, 40, divorcee, telephone operator, Mildred Burdon 12, Madge Burdon 15.

They have eight or nine children, six known: Mary Walker, born February 1877, in Henderson County, Illinois; Evalina Walker, born March 1879, in Henderson County, Illinois, and marries about 1904 to Mr. Burdon, divorces before 1910 Census with parents, 1920 Census with mother, 1930 Census Chicago, Cook, Illinois Eva Burdon, 51, widow, Mildred Johnson, 23, widow, telephone operator; Clara Walker born October 1881 in Henderson County, Illinois; Charles Peck Walker, born March 16, 1883, in Carman, Henderson, Illinois, and dies April 1964 in Illinois. SS Death, 1910 Census Sitka, Alaska, US Marine Corp Barracks, and WW 2 Registration, Benjamen Harrison Walker, born September 7,1884, in Carman, Henderson, Illinois, and dies after 1942 WW 2 Registration; and John Logan Walker, born February 14, 1887, in Carman, Henderson, Illinois, and dies after 1942. He has WW 1 and WW 2 registration and mentions wife and five children in 1917.

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Sep 7 2022, 11:55:28 UTC