I was having a problem with where to start this story when I remembered that history was having a “problem” remembering what the “R” stood for in Captain Joseph R. Walker’s name.

Was it Redeford, Reddford or Reddeford or Rutherford? 

Therefore I will start in 1600 near Nisbet, Scotland where Samuel Rutherford was born.

After earning his Master’s degree from Edinburgh Collage in 1627 he became the pasture of a rural church in Anwoth. The Church of Scotland was called the “Kirk”; which is Scot for church. In 1636 Rutherford had published books defending Protestant divines, which put him in direct conflict with the dominating English Episcopacy.

In 1638 the struggles between Parliament and King in England, and Presbyterianism vs. Episcopacy in Scotland culminated in momentous events for Rutherford. In the confusion of the times, he simply slipped out of Aberdeen and returned to his beloved Anwoth. But it was not for long. The Kirk held a General Assembly that year, restoring full Presbyterianism to the land. In addition, they appointed Rutherford a Professor of Theology at the University of St. Andrews, although he negotiated to be allowed to preach at least once a week.

The National Covenant of 1638, the outstanding covenant of Scottish History, declared the firm determination of its Presbyterian authors and subscribers to resist to the death the claims of the King and his minions to override the Crown Rights of the Redeemer in His Kirk. It is a formidable document indeed, bristling with references to former Acts of Parliament in typical legal fashion. It gives high honor to the eternal God and His most holy Word; demands the faithful preaching of that Word, the due and right ministration of the sacraments, the abolishing of all false religion, and the rooting out of the king's empire of all heretics and enemies to the true worship of God, on conviction 'by the true Kirk of God'.

The subscribers further say that they fear neither 'the foul aspersions of rebellion, combination, or what else our adversaries from their craft and malice would put upon us, seeing what we do is so well warranted, and ariseth from an unfeigned desire to maintain the true worship of God, the majesty of our King, and the peace of the kingdom, for the common happiness of ourselves and our posterity. They pledge themselves as in the sight of God to 'be good examples to others of all godliness, soberness, and righteousness, and of every duty we owe to God and man'.

During his period in England, Rutherford wrote his best-known work, "Lex Rex," or "The Law, the King." This book argued for a limited government and limitations on the current idea of the Divine Right of Kings.

It is important to understand that Presbyterianism was not just another religion. A Presbyter was an elder, a senior member of the congregation, in the early Christian Church. The name is also used for priest. In the Presbyterian denomination he is a member of the Presbytery which is an official court of the district composed of pastors and elders. Therein lays the clue and fundamental issue to understand when Covenanter is mentioned: Presbyterianism is a way of life. It recognizes the government of each church by its elders with the churches associated in local presbyteries; represented in provincial synods and in a National Assembly which was the highest court of appeal. The rule by Bishops was an absolute curse to Presbyterians because it clashed with their religious beliefs and interfered with their freedom to manage their own affairs and that of their congregation.

The Covenanter's stand for political and religious liberty led to almost a century of persecution and their widespread migration to Ireland and the American colonies. Their struggles brought an end to 500 years of French (Catholic) influence in Scotland and contributed to a close alliance with England. And their refusal to acquiesce in the face of overwhelming odds eventually led to the union of the thrones of Scotland and England in 1603.

Charles II (a Stuart) himself signed the Scottish Covenant, to reject episcopacy and preserve the purity of the Kirk and in 1651 was crowned king of Scotland and by 1660 king of England, Ireland and Scotland. In 1670 (until 1673) Charles suddenly declared himself Catholic and England’s intent to side with France against the Dutch.

Wigtown or Wigton was a town and a parish on the East border of Wigtownshire, and on the West shore of Wigtown Bay. The name is derived either from wic, `a village,' and ton, `a hill;' or from wic, `a bay,' and ton, 'a town ' - derivations which are both supported by the actual position of the town. The form Wigtown is generally used so as to distinguish the Scottish burgh from the Cumberland town of Wigton.

The town is a royal and parliamentary burgh, a seaport and seat of trade, and ranks as the county town of Wigtownshire. It is situated on a tabular bill of about 200 acres in area, rising to a height of over 100 feet above sea-level, and commanding an extensive view. It has a station on the Wigtownshire railway, and stands about 3 furlongs NNW of the mouth of the Bladenoch, 7 ¼ miles S by E of Newton-Stewart, 11 N of Whithorn, 26 E of Stranraer, and by road 129 SSW of Edinburgh. As seen from a distance the town presents a very picturesque appearance; and its neatness, cleanliness, and general air of comfort and good taste favorably impress those who enter it.

In 1662 Charles II confirmed and extended the burghal rights in a new charter. The burgh is governed by a provost, 2 bailies, a treasurer, and 15 councillors. A grassy mound between the town and the harbour marks the site of Wigtown Castle, which stood on the banks of the former course of the Bladenoch.

The ancient church of Wigtown stood on a retired spot about 100 yards from the E end of the town, and was dedicated to St Machute, who died in 554. Given by Edward Bruce, brother of King Robert, to the monks of Whithorn, it became afterwards a free rectory under the patronage of the crown; though about 1650 the patronage was acquired by the Earl of Galloway. The original church was rebuilt in 1730, repaired in 1770, and re-roofed in 1831, but is now in a state of ruin. The present parochial church, erected in 1853, adjoins the ruin. It is an ornamental structure with a handsome spire, and contains 660 sittings.

It was here that resistance to the government was centered after the Act of Uniformity in 1662 reintroduced the rule of the church by bishops. Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, was witness to a conventicler in Nithdale in which an audience of some 7,000 was ranged round the hillside to listen to a preacher. They had come fifteen miles or more to hear the sermon that lasted for almost seven hours before setting off on the long walk home.

In 1664, by Royal Prerogative, the Court of High Commission, which, together with the Star Chamber, had been Archbishop Laud's notorious instrument of repression, was again set up, with power to determine all aspects of Church policy. These measures gave the bishops legal authority to hunt down all who refused to conform to their demands.

Non conformists and all true Covenanters were savagely persecuted during the next twenty-five years. Simultaneously, English Puritans who failed to conform to the requirements of the Clarendon Code [1661-65] were harassed and scourged, though certainly with much less actual brutality than the Scots.

The Huguenots of France were also soon to experience all the ferocity of a fanatical king and church. But the war that was now waged against Scottish Covenanters with a similar intensity pre-dated Huguenot troubles by almost a quarter of a century. If the French Protestants suffered the rigor of the 'dragonades' in the 'eighties; the Covenanters met with similar woes and even some more tragic, in the 'sixties. Hunted mercilessly by the dragoons, some of them believed it right to meet force with force. Hence such encounters as those of Rullion Green [November 1666]' Drumclog and Bothwell Bridge [both in June 1679]' and Airds Moss [July 1680], The murder of Archbishop Sharp of St. Andrews in 1679 further illustrates the state of desperation reached by a small section of the covenanting party. A larger number were willing to abide, not only in the kingdom, but also in the patience of Jesus Christ, and to wait prayerfully and courageously for the dawn of better days.

The heartland of Covenanter resistance was in Ayrshire, Scotland and the southwestern counties of Dumfries and Galloway. It was here that the likes of Richard Cameron preached to open air congregations or conventicles that numbered thousands and where many bloody reprisals were made by the military.

The southwest of Scotland is a region of rolling hills and large expanses of moor and bog which in the 17th century was not easily accessible. In this sometimes beautiful, and in other times harsh, surroundings the shepherds were the masters of travel and knew of the best sites where conventicles could be held in relative safety. When Richard Cameron published the Declaration of Sanquhar in 1680 and openly sought the removal of King Charles II, military actions against the Covenanters hardened and shortly thereafter Cameron was put to death by a company of English dragoons. The main detractors were John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, who operated from his castle at Stranraer and Sir Robert Grierson of Lag. At least 80 summary executions took place in 1684-1685: many more were simply not reported.

The worst is that of an 18 year old Margaret Wilson of Wigtown who was tied to a stake in the sea and drowned. Another to suffer the same fate was Margaret Lachlan aged 63. Others were hung without trial such as William Johnson, John Milroy and George Walker for simply being Covenanters. James Renwick was the last of the prominent Covenater Martyrs. He was hanged in February 1688 after refusing to apply for a pardon - not long before the last of the Stuart Kings, James II of England (VII of Scotland) vacated the throne.

The cemetery surrounds the parochial church; and contains the tombstones of the Martyrs of Wigtown, whose fate is described below. That of Margaret Wilson is a horizontal slab supported by four short pillars, and bears the following inscription in addition to her name:

'Let earth and stone still witness beare, Their lys a virgine martyr here, Murther'd for owning Christ supreame Head of His Church, and no more crime, But not abjuring Presbytury, And her not ouning Prelacy. They her coudem'd by unjust law “Of Heaven nor Hell” they stood no aw; within the sea ty'd to a stake, She suffered for christ Jesus sake. The actors of this cruel crime was Lagg, Strachan, Winram and Graham. Neither young years nor yet old age could stop the fury of there rage.'

And a plain upright-slab records that:

Since the dates and location are compatible, there is a "good chance" that George Walker (1625) was the father of John Alexander Walker (1655).

The invitation to the Protestant William of Orange, to take the throne in 1690, ultimately led to the political Act of Union in 1707 between Scotland and England. The act of Union was passed between the countries of Scotland & England created what became the "United Kingdom" (technically Scotland & England now ceased to exist - at least- that is how it was meant to be), the cattle trade underwent severe depression.

The times were hard in 1712 and many went hungry in the highlands. From what I have gathered so far, is that John Walker (1680) his wife Katherine Rutherford (1685) and brother Alexander Walker (1682) moved from Wigton, Scotland to Newry Down, Ireland in 1712 in the mist of a conflict between James Graham of Montrose and Robert “Rob Roy” MacGregor.

The Scots from Ireland largely came to colonial America in family groups, often such that members of an extended family settled near one another in America, whether they immigrated together or separately. Some Scots from Ireland came to America as part of larger congregational migrations, meaning that an entire group or congregation of Presbyterians together moved from one locality in Ireland to one locality in America. It is thus very important to trace persons that immigrated with a Scot from Ireland ancestor or were associated with the ancestor in America.

n some cases, the immigrating group was led by a minister. In such instances, the minister may be traced back to the church he served in Ireland or Scotland. Most of the immigrants who accompanied him would be from the same area. However, a group or congregational migration may have drawn from a larger area than just one town or parish in Ireland.

The first wave of emigration may have taken merchants and ship-owners by surprise and families sailing to New England had to make do with whatever was available. The ships that carried passengers to Boston were small, even by 1718 standards.

The MacCalum of 70 tons brought 100 passengers from Londonderry as did the Mary and Elizabeth of only 45 tons. The “William and Mary” which carried the McGregor party from Coleraine displaced just 30 tons. They were not ships one would select for a long voyage, given a choice.

Alexander and John Walker had migrated from Wigton, Scotland to the Northern Ireland plantation of Ulster in 1712 and being Presbyterians would have naturally sought out a related church group, such as Rev. James MacGregor. Alexander and wife Martha decided to explore the new world leaving their 3 young children with John on the agreement they would send word when they had found an acceptable settlement.

James MacGregor led his group of settlers from Londonderry, Ireland, to New Hampshire in 1718 in search of political, economic, cultural and religious freedom. He and other pioneers set off as a group to the wilderness of where 19 Plots of 60 acres has been assigned to them for development, after petitioning the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

They cleared the trees and built primitive log dwellings and started tilling the soil of their farms by April of 1719 on either end of the west Running brook westward into Beaver River. The 19 Proprietors called their community "Nutfield". It is reported that they chose that name because of the large number of Nut trees they found there. They settled in an area and founded the town of Derry that later split in two and became Londonderry and Derry, New Hampshire. Records show Alexander Walker 60 acres land out 1720 recorded 1725.

In 1720, local history has it that McGregor also planted the first potatoes in North America. Ten years later demand for ships to America was even greater. Robert Gamble, a merchant in Londonderry, Ireland wrote in July 1729: "There is gone and to go this summer from this port twenty-five sail of ships, who carry each, from 120 to 140 passengers to America; there are many more going from Belfast, and the ports near Colerain, besides great numbers from Dublin, Newry, and round the coast."

Dublin papers advertised at least a dozen ships for Philadelphia in the summer of 1729. Because ships that took passengers to the New World could not always find a return freight, not many Londonderry or Belfast merchants had ships in the trans-Atlantic trade.

John Walker having settled in Newry, Ireland, with his family and Alexander's children, sailed from Strangford Lough, (district) Down, in May 1729, on board a vessel thought to be commanded by the English Captain, Richard Walker of Woburn Massachusetts (not sure about this), with a group of 28 to 30 people and disembarking on Dock Street in Philadelphia in August 02 of that year (others say Maryland). Soon rejoining his brother Alexander, they eventually settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania. My records show that Katherine’s nephew Thomas Rutherford arriving in Philadelphia in 1729, making me believe they may have traveled together.

Katherine was one of the 8 children of John Rutherford and Isabella Alleine, who settled in County Down, Ireland. John lived to the age of 84 and was a Presbyterian minister. His brothers were captains in the Army of Protestant King William III of Orange in the Battle of Boyne (1690) against the Catholic King James II, (brother of Charles II) which gave the Protestants control of Northern Ireland. King William married Mary Stuart, the daughter of James II. (Funny…huh!)

Isabella Alleine was the daughter of Joseph Alleine an English Puritan Nonconformist pastor and author. Joseph was born at Devizes, Suffolk, England early in 1634, he fourth of a large family. His father, the "worthy Mr Tobie Alleine of Devizes", was a descendant of Alan, lord of Buckenhall. Alan's descendants had settled in the neighborhood of Calne and Devizes as early as 1430.

Joseph's elder brother, Edward, had trained for the clergy, but died in 1645. Joseph asked his father that he might be educated to succeed his brother in the ministry, and in April 1649 entered Lincoln College, Oxford. He became a scholar of Corpus Christi College on November 3, 1651. He took he took the degree of B.D. on July 6, 1653 and became a tutor and chaplain of Corpus Christi, preferring this to a fellowship. In 1654 he had offers of high preferment in the state, which he declined; but in 1655 George Newton, of the great church of St Mary Magdalene, Taunton, sought him for assistant and Alleine accepted the invitation. Almost coincident with his ordination as associate pastor came his marriage with Theodosia Alleine, daughter of Richard Alleine. Friendships among "gentle and simple" of the former, with Lady Farewell, grand-daughter of the protector Somerset bear witness to the attraction of Alleine's private life.

His public life was a model of pastoral devotion, yet he found time to continue his studies, one monument of which was his Theologia Philosophica (a lost MS.), a learned attempt to harmonize revelation and nature, which was admired by Richard Baxter. Alleine was no mere scholar or divine, but a man who associated on equal terms with the founders of the Royal Society. These scientific studies were, however, kept in subordination to his proper work. He was surprisingly influential for so young a man, and this was thanks to his earnestness and forcefulness.

The year 1662 found senior and junior pastors like-minded, and both were among the two thousand ejected ministers. Alleine, with John Wesley (grandfather of the celebrated John Wesley), also ejected, then travelled about, preaching wherever opportunity was found. For this he was cast into prison, indicted at sessions, bullied and fined. His Letters from Prison were an earlier Cardiphonia than John Newton's. He was released on May 26, 1664; and in spite of the Conventicle, or Five Mile Act, he resumed his preaching. He found himself again in prison, and again and again a sufferer. Worn out by the continued persecution, he died in November 1668; and the mourners, remembering their beloved minister's words while yet with them, "If I should die fifty miles away, let me be buried at Taunton," found a grave for him in St Mary's chancel. No Puritan nonconformist name is so affectionately cherished as is that of Joseph Alleine. His chief literary work was An Alarm to the Unconverted (1672), otherwise known as The Sure Guide to Heaven, which had an enormous circulation. His Remains appeared in 1674.

It should also be pointed out that the family of John Houston (great grandfather of General Sam Houston) arrived in Pennsylvania around the same time as the Walkers and later immigrated to the Timber Ridge Plantation along with the Walkers, Paxtons, McClungs, Stuarts, Moores, and other Tidewater families. Most of these family were connected by marriage.

Captain Joseph R. Walker was born the son of Joseph Walker and Susannah Willis on 13 December 1798 in Goochland County Virginia, thou he would claim Roane County Tennessee as his home town. Joseph Walker Sr. was born in the area of Rockbridge/Timber Ridge Virginia of what was then Augusta County but is now Rockbridge County on 21 October 1758. Susannah was born in 1770 to Robert Willis Jr. and Ellender Naline (a French Huguenot) near Tuckahoe Creek, Goochland County, Virginia. Joseph and Susannah were married in Goochland County on 22 July 1789...she was 18y and Joseph was  31y and 7 months later in February of 1790 their first child Lucinda was born. Later on 2 December 1791 Jane P. Walker was born and by 20 November 1797 Joel P. Walker was born.

The Willis family had lived in Goochland County since it's inception in 1728 and therefore may have know Thomas Jefferson and his father Peter who had lived there from 1746 to 1754.

As the Crow flies, it is about 95 miles from Tuckahoe to Walker Creek.

Photo by Pat Taylor

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