William ‘Boss’ Walton

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Walton-8233

'New York state flag'
William Walton was a New Yorker.
William Walton, the eldest son of Thomas Walton and Mary Lawrence was born about 1675 at Richmond County, Staten Island, New York Colony.[2][3]

William was admitted a Freeman of the City of New York in 1698.[4][5]William married Mary Santfordt (aka Santvoort, Sanford) of New York, in the New York Reformed Dutch Church on 7 September 1698. They registered their intentions of marriage in the New York church on 30 August and were married there with a license on 7 September. William was recorded as Willem Wallen of New York. It was the first marriage for both.[6][7][8]

Their seven children, baptized (bp.) in the Reformed Dutch Church of New York (additional information from Stillwell[9]) are:

1. Thomas Walton (bp. 13 August 1699; d. 1727), unmarried.[10]
2. Maria Walton (bp. 30 November 1701).[11]
3. Jacob Walton (bp. 7 July 1703).[12]
4. William Walton (bp. 1705, bp. 20 October 1706).[13]
5. Jacobus Walton (bp. 27 February 1709; died young).[14]
6. James Walton (bp. 28 March 1711), died without issue.[15]
7. Abraham Walton (bp. 24 February 1714), died without issue.[16]

According to Phillips (1945), while the Waltons were English, the baptismal records for their children are recorded with the Dutch Reformed Church of New York, as well as the marriage licenses of their sons William and Jacob, indicating they must have joined the church of their wives, as the Santvoorts and Beekmans were Dutch. The family changed, though, to the Episcopal Church as the Walton vault is in the Trinity Church churchyard on lower Broadway.[17]

Phillips (1945) indicates that the 1703 Census records William Walton as head of the family, comprised of 1 male, 1 female, two children, 1 negro. William and Mary raised their children at their Hanover Square residence, the commerce district of New York. The home originally belonged to James Graham, Attorney General, and opposite the home lived Mistress Kidd, the widow of the famous Captain Kidd. In 1728, Captain Walton also had a house at Margate Cove (aka Mosquito Cove), now known as Glen Cove.[18]

William Walton's name appears on the list of subscribers to finish the steeple of Trinity Church in 1711, and in 1736, Captain Walton subscribed to the enlargement of the church, which had been a small building in 1698, and enlarged in 1737-1739[19]

'Captain' William Walton is considered the first to acquire eminence, and founder of the New York Walton family dynasty.[20]The origin of his fortune was the preference for the shipping trade allotted him by the Spaniards of St Augustine and the West India Islands, a preference so exclusive as to amount to a monopoly. He had purchased land on the East River and his shipyards were extensive covering several lots on the Water Street river front. His vessels became known for speed, and he built, as well as sailed his vessels to the Spanish Main and Antilles where he extended his commercial ventures.[21]

Captain Walton would take his two sons, William and Jacob, who were in business with him on these ventures. His son William became the richest man of his time in the country.[22] The family became so wealthy that they underwrote or insured ventures of other New York merchants.

Captain Walton was occasionally referred to as "Boss Walton." "Boss" had been adapted from the Dutch by English-speaking New Yorkers to indicate leadership in business.When war broke out with France, some of the Walton fleet would be fitted out as privateers to assail French commerce.[23]William and his son, William, were succeeded by Jacob Walton's children such that for over one hundred years they became princes of their time and held first place in shipping and mercantile.[24]

William Walton, progenetor of the the Waltons of New York, died on 23 May 1747 in New York. As William Walton died intestate, letters of administration upon his estate were issued on 24 October, 1749 to William Walton and Robert H. Morris.[25]The probate date was 24 December 1747 in New York.[26]

Phillips (1945) reports a story in her Walton biography that helps to support the birth and death years of William Walton: A very quaint mourning ring belonging to his wife and which the Author [Annette Townsend Phillips] purchased from a direct descendant of William Walton is marked 'William Walton, ob.1747 ae72' which would place the date of his birth as 1675.[27]

Notable kin

William Walton is a Charlemagne descendant through his mother, Mary Lawrence.[1]

William Walton through his descendants - Jacob Walton - Abraham Walton - Maria Eliza Walton - Isaac Roosevelt - James Roosevelt, is the 4th great grandfather of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), the 32nd President of the United States.

Mary Lawrence and Thomas Walton had at least five children all born in Staten Island:[5][6]

1. Thomas Walton (b.1682; d. 1737), m. Mary Stillwell, no children
2. William Walton (b. 1675; d. 1747), m. Mary Santvoort
3. Mary Walton (b. 1676; d. 1742), m. William Ricketts
4. Matthew Walton (b. 1678; d. abt 1713), m. Rebecca Lockerman
5. John Walton (b. 1680)

Sources

1. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd. The Royal Descents of 900 Immigrants to the American Colonies or the United States, Vol II. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2018. Pages 879-884.
2. ↑ Furman, Robert. Daughters of Thomas Lawrence, Newtown, L.I. The American Genealogist, 1940, 17:78.
3. ↑ Phillips, Annette Townsend. The Walton Family of New York, 1630-1940. Philadelphia, PA: The Historical Publication Society, 1945. Page 11.
4. ↑ Stevens, John Austin. The Waltons of New York with Notes and Queries. The Magazine of American History, Vol II. New York and Chicago: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1878. Page 39.
5. ↑ Johnson, Alvin Page. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Colonial Ancestors: Their Part in the Making of American History. Boston: Lothrop, Lee and Shephard, 1933, Hathi Trust Digital Library. Page 37.
6. ↑ 1698. den 30 Aug. (ingeschreven), den 7 Sept met een licentie (getrouwt), marriage of Willem Wallen, j. m. Van N. Yorck, en Marÿ Santfordt, j. d. als boven, beyde woonende alhier.
7. ↑ Purple, Samuel S., editor. "Marriages from 1639 to 1801 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York." Collections of the New-York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Vol. 1. New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1890. Page 88.
8. ↑ Ancestry.com. American Marriages Before 1699 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1997. Original data: Clemens, William Montgomery. American Marriage Records Before 1699. Pompton Lakes, NJ, USA: Biblio Co., 1926. Name: William Walton; Spouse: Mary Sandford; Marriage Date: 30 Aug 1698; Marriage Place: New York. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2081&h=916...
9. ↑ Stillwell, John E. The history of Captain Richard Stillwell, son of Lieutenent Nicholas Stillwell and his descendants. New York: Unknown, 1930. Page 236.
10. ↑ Evans:p 260.: 1699 Aug 13, baptism of Thomas. Parents: Willem Walton & Maria Santvoort. Witnesses: Abraham Santvoort, Magdalena Van Vleck, widow.
11. ↑ Evans: p 279.: 1701 Nov 30, baptism of Maria. Parents: Willem Walton & Maria Santvoort. Witnesses: Abraham Kip, Vroútje van Hoorn wife of Abr. Santvoort.
12. ↑ Evans: p 292.: 1703 July 7, baptism of Jacob. Parents: Willem Walton & Maria Santvoort. Witnesses: Thomas Sanders, Aeltie Santvoort.
13. ↑ Evans: p 319.: 1706 Oct 20, baptism of William. Parents: Willem Walton & Maria Zantvoort. Witnesses: Jacob Fenix, Maria Walton.
14. ↑ Evans: p 336.: 1709 Feb 27, baptism of Jacobus. Parents: Willem Walton & Maria Santvoort. Witnesses: Abraham van Vlek, Vroúwtje Santvoort.
15. ↑ Evans: p 352.: 1711 Mar 28, baptism of James. Parents: William Walton & Maria Santvoort. Witnesses: Jústes Bosch and his wife Annetje Smith
16. ↑ Evans: p 373.: 1714 Feb 24, baptism of Abraham. Parents: William Walton & Maria Santfort. Witnesses: Abrate van Vlek, Sÿtje Santfoort.
17. ↑ Phillips, Annette Townsend. The Walton Family of New York, 1630-1940. Philadelphia, PA: The Historical Publication Society, 1945. Page 13.
18. ↑ Phillips, Annette Townsend. The Walton Family of New York, 1630-1940. Philadelphia, PA: The Historical Publication Society, 1945. Pages 11-12.
19. ↑ Stevens, John Austin. The Waltons of New York with Notes and Queries. The Magazine of American History, Vol II. New York and Chicago: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1878. Page 39.
20. ↑ Phillips, Annette Townsend. The Walton Family of New York, 1630-1940. Philadelphia, PA: The Historical Publication Society, 1945. Page 11.
21. ↑ Stevens, John Austin. The Waltons of New York with Notes and Queries. The Magazine of American History, Vol II. New York and Chicago: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1878. Page 39.
22. ↑ Phillips, Annette Townsend. The Walton Family of New York, 1630-1940. Philadelphia, PA: The Historical Publication Society, 1945. Page 11.
23. ↑ Johnson, Alvin Page. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Colonial Ancestors: Their Part in the Making of American History. Boston: Lothrop, Lee and Shephard, 1933, Hathi Trust Digital Library. Page 38.
24. ↑ Stevens, John Austin. The Waltons of New York with Notes and Queries. The Magazine of American History, Vol II. New York and Chicago: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1878. Page 39.
25. ↑ Stillwell, John E. The history of Captain Richard Stillwell, son of Lieutenant Nicholas Stillwell and his descendants. New York: Unknown, 1920. Page 236.
26. ↑ Letters of Administration (New York County, New York), 1743-1866; Index, 1743-1910; Author: New York. Surrogate's Court (New York County); Probate Place: New York, New York. Ancestry.com. New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: New York County, District and Probate Courts. Name: William Walton; Probate Date: 24 Dec 1747; Probate Place: New York, New York, USA; Inferred Death Year: Abt 1747; Inferred Death Place: New York, USA; Item Description: Letters, Vol A, 1743-1755. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8800&h=172...
27. ↑ Phillips, Annette Townsend. The Walton Family of New York, 1630-1940. Philadelphia, PA: The Historical Publication Society, 1945. Page 11.