This family is of English origin, and the name signifies a walker-over or inspector of the royal forests, also a weaver, or fuller. At one time a list of the most common names in England was made, called "The Mighty Sixty," and in this the name of Walker came seventeenth. The "Encyclopedia of Heraldry" gives fifty-two different Walker families, with their various arms. The one presumably belonging to the branch here considered is: A shield bearing a ducal coronet; supporters; a man-lion and a herron; crest: a cock; motto: Nil desperandum.

In the seventh generation in the American line, Isaac Walker, grandfather of Charles R. Walker, intermarried with the Townsend family, which was descended from Sir Roger Townsend, who was knighted for services rendered in action against the Spanish Armada in 1585.
Isaac Walker, of Richville, N.Y., has an ancient elegantly illuminated copy of the coat-of-arms of the Townsend family, described as follows: He beareth azure a cheveron ermine between three escallops argent; surmounted by a knight's helmet; a crest, a stag.

Captain Richard Walker, immingrant ancestor, born in England in 1690, came to New England in 1630 and settled at Lynn, Mass. He was admitted a freeman March 4, 1633-34, and was ensign in the Lynn militia company in 1630, later lieutenant and captain. In 1638 he was a member of the artillery company of Boston. He was deputy to the general court; was surety for Howes of Mattacheeset in 1638. He removed to Reading, Mass., where he was a proprietor in 1644, and later a town officer. He lent money on mortgage to Sir Richard Temple in 1660, and cancelled the bond in 1670. His son, Richard, who came over in 1638 in the ship "Elizabeth," deposed in 1676 that he was aged about sixty-five years. In 1630, while Walker was on guard duty, he was attacked by Indians, who were frightened away without casualities, however. (See Walker Genealogy of Shirley branch and "History of Lynn," pp. 171-2). Pope says, "He joined in 1639 with William, Robert and Thomas Talmage, brothers of his wife, Jane, in a letter of attorney for the collection of moneys from the overseers of the will of John Talmage, of Newton Stacey, county of Southampton, husbandman, the brother of their father, Thomas Talmage, and from the executors of the will of their brother, Symon Talmage."

Captain Walker married (first) Jane, daughter of Thomas Talmage, of Newton Stacey; (second) Sarah ____. He died May, 1687, and was buried May 16, aged ninety-five years. Administration granted June 19, 1687, to his widow, Sarah, who died Dec. 1, 1695.
He had a long, useful and active career.
Children:
1. Captain Richard, born 1611, in England.
2. Samuel, mentioned below.
3. Tabitha, married March 11, 1662, Daniel King.
4. Elizabeth, married, March 2, 1663, Ralph King.
5. Shubael, born about 1640.
6. John, born about 1638-40.
7. Obadiah.

(II) Samuel, son of Richard Walker, was born in England in 1615-17. His age is given as sixty-nine when he died, Nov. 6, 1684; he deposed April 2, 1666, that he was forty-four years. (See Pope, p. 170; "History of Woburn," p. 4, Walker Family of Shirley). He removed from Lynn to Reading, then to Woburn. He was a proprietor of Reading in 1643 with his father and brother Richard. He was admitted to the church at Woburn about 1650, with his wife. He was highway surveyor there 1662. He was a malster by trade, and was the third man to keep a tavern at Woburn, being licensed for that purpose in April, 1662. Administration to sons, Samuel and Joseph.
Children:
1. Samuel, born Sept. 28, 1643.
2. Joseph, March 10, 1645.
3. Hannah, April 11, 1647, died April 28, 1648.
4. 5. Israel and Hannah (twins) born June 28, 1648.
6. John, born Feb. 14, 1649-50, mentioned below.
7. Benjamin, born June 4, 1652; died April 26, 1653.
8. Ike.
9. Ezekiel.

(III) John, son of Samuel Walker, was born in Reading, Feb. 14, 1649-50, and died at Woburn, Jan. 3, 1724. He married (first) Oct. 14, 1672, Mary, daughter of Robert and Mary (Knight) Pierce. She died Nov. 8, 1695 . He married (second) Bethia, daughter of William and Judith (Phippen) (Hayward) Simonds, of Woburn.
Children:
Benjamin, Mary, John;
by second wife:
Bertha, Benjamin and Sarah.

(IV) John (2), son of John (1) Walker, was born at Woburn, Dec. 27, 1677, and located at Weston, formerly part of Watertown, Mass. He was admitted to the church in Weston by letter from the Woburn church in 1714. He became an extensive land-owner, and died in Weston, April 16, 1718.
He married, June 11, 1709, Lydia Cutler, of Reading, daughter of Nathaniel and Mary Cutler.
Children:
John (mentioned below); Nathaniel and Lydia.

(V) John (3), son of John (2) Walker, was born at Weston about 1710. He also settled at Weston. He married there Oct. 28, 1731, Mary Gove, who died Feb. 16, 1749; (second) Nov. 8, 1751, Thankful Garfield.
Children, born at Weston:
1. Mary, May 28, 1732.
2. Sarah, June 14, 1734.
3. John.
4. Jonathan, March 15, 1737-38.
5. Isaac, June 7, 1742, mentioned below.
6. Abigail, Dec. 27, 1744.
7. Samuel, May 11, 1747.
Children of second wife:
8. Thankful, Oct. 11, 1752.
9. Lydia, Dec. 27, 1753.
10. John.

(VI) Isaac, son of John (3) Walker, was born at Weston, June 7, 1742. He was a soldier in the revolution, in Captain Samuel Lamson's company of militiamen, on the Lexington alarm, April 19, 1775; also in Captain Thomas Howe's company, Colonel Nathan Tyler's regiment in 1779; also in Captain Jonathan Fish's company, Colonel Brooks' regiment in 1776.
He married, Jan. 1, 1767, Jerusha Garfield, of the old Watertown family of Garfield.
Children, born at Weston:
Anna, Nov. 8, 1767.
Isaac, Dec. 8, 1768, mentioned below.
Jonathan, Dec. 16, 1769, died young.
Jerusha, July 12, 1772.
Jacob, June 20, 1774.

(VII) Isaac (2), son of Isaac (1) Walker, was born in Weston, Dec. 8, 1768. He and his brothers moved to Berkshire county, Mass. He married Elizabeth, born 1771, died 1846, daughter of Lieut. Samuel Townsend, born 1729, died in Monterey, Mass., 1829.
Children:
Horatio, Lemuel, Townsend, William and Elizabeth.

(VIII) Horatio, son of Isaac (2) Walker, was borh about 1800, in Great Barrington or vicinity, Berkshire county, Mass. He came to Richville, town of DeKalb, New York, in 1820, and settled. He brought his household goods in an ox-cart.
He married (first) Mary, daughter of Moses Fargo, 2d (second) Ruth, daughter of Nathaniel Smith.
Children:
1. Egbert.
2. Isaac, farmer at Richville, N.Y.
3. Moses, farmer, lives in Wisconsin.
4. Elizabeth, lives in Massachusetts.
Children of second wife:
6. Franklin, farmer in the state of Washington.
7. Edwin, lives at Richville, N.Y.
8. William, a farmer and merchant at Richville.
9. Charles Rich, mentioned below.
10. Mary, lives at Syracuse, N.Y.
11. Hiram, deceased.
12. Henrietta, deceased.

(IX) Charles Rich, son of Horatio Walker, was born at Richville, Oct. 28, 1844; Richville is a village in the town of De Kalb, St. Lawrence county, N.Y. He attended the public schools of his native place until he was the age of seventeen, when he took a position as clerk in the genral store in Richville. He engaged in business for himself when he was only nineteen years old as a produce and commission merchant in Potsdam, and continued successfully until 1894, when he retired. He bought a farm in 1879, and since them has conducted it, and also manages several farms for others. He has a herd of thirty cows and makes a specialty of his dairy. He was the first in the town to introduce the modern method of using ensilage in feeding cattle. He makes butter and cheese in large quantities, and is counted among the most industrious and progressive farmers in the county.
In politics he is a Republican, and has been active in public life since he came of age. He was supervisor of the town for thirteen years, and chairman of the board of supervisors of St. Lawrence county for four years. He was a member of the committee of supervisors in charge of building the new county buildings at Canton, the county seat, and was chairman of the county purchasing committee. He was elected county clerk in 1906 for a term of three years, and re-elected in 1909 for another term.
He is a member of Richville Lodge of Free Masons, of Gouverneur; of Richville Grange, Patrons of Husbandry.
He married, in 1870, Louisa E., daughter of William B. Rich, a descendant of one of the oldest and best families of De Kalb. Her great-grandfather, Salmon Rich, was one of the early settlers of the town. In 1804 he took up a tract of eleven thousand acres, including the site of the present village of Richville, which was named for him.
Mr. and Mrs. Walker have no children.

SECOND ENTRY:

The Walker family probably came from Rehoboth, Mass., to Washignton county, N.Y. about the time of the revolution. In 1790 Ebenezer Walker was living at Graville, Washington county, and had in his family three males over sixteen, three under that age, and four females. John Walker of the same town had two males over sixteen, one under that age; Nathaniel Walker had a son under sixteen and four females, while Stephen Walker was head of a family consisting only of himself. James Walker lived at Hebron, in the same county.

(I) Jerry Walker, son or nephew of Ebenezer Walker, came from Granville to Clinton county and settled in what is now Altona, then part of the town of Chazy, N.Y. He was born Nov. 9, 1793, and died in Altona, N.Y. Jan. 1, 1840. He followed farming for an occupation.
He married Harriet Daniels, born at Conway, June 30, 1797, died June 9, 1865.
Children:
Fidelia, born at Chazy, April 18, 1815, died unmarried, Dec. 8, 1833.
Hiram, mentioned below.

(II) Hiram, son of Jerry Walker, was born in Chazy, July 17, 1818, and died at Beekmantown, N.Y., Oct. 8, 1908. He was educated in the district schools, and followed farming on the homestead for several years. Later he settled at Beekmantown, where he died. He enlisted in Sept. 1863, in the 153d New York Regiment Volunteer Infantry, in Company K, and served under Sheridan and Banks.
He married, Jan. 15, 1843, Rosetta Robinson (see Robinson). She was born April 25, 1824, died Feb. 24, 1872.
Children, born at Altona:
1. Fidelia M., Sept. 11, 1844, died Feb. 16, 1871; married Newton Harris.
2. Alvira A., April 29, 1847, died 1884; married Mathew Pringle.
3. Lucy, June 7, 1849m dued 1884; married Charles M. Perkins.
4. Samantha, Nov. 17, 1852, died young.
5. Jerra Lewis, May 21, 1854, married Eliza Howard; children: Ida, Ada, Wallace, Willis and Floyd.
6. Hannah, March 30, 1857; died aged twenty-three, unmarried.
7. Mathew Orrin, Oct. 23, 1859; married Lillie LeDue; children: May and Ethel.
8. William Platt, mentioned below.

(III) Willian Platt, son of Hiram Walker, was born at Altona, N.Y., Jan. 8, 1862. He was educated in the public schools of Altona and Chazy. At the age of sixteen he went west and worked in the various lumber districts for seven years. He then established a retail store at Minneapolis, Minnesota, dealing in cigars, tobacco and confectionery. After a year and a half he disposed of his business and settled at Beekmantown, N.Y. He and Alanson T. Dominy formed the firm of Dominy & Walker, April 11, 1887, and conducted a general store until May 5, 1908, when he sold his share in the business. In September following he opened a general store at Four Corners in Beekmantown, and has since conducted a successful business there. He owns and conducts several farms in the vicinity.
He was town clerk of Beekmantown from 1890 to Jan. 1, 1908. In the fall of 1907 he was elected supervisor of Beekmantown and has been re-elected. He is a Republican.
He married, Jan. 12, 1887, Lois Ormes, born at Eden, Fond du Lac county, Wiksconsin, Oct. 2, 1863, daughter of Eugene and Charlotte Ormes. Her father lived in Plattsburgh, N.Y. at the time of the civil war, and was in the service.

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