John Walker
ID # 6943, (1832-1889)
| Birth | John Walker was born on 24 January 1832 at Inverary, Argyllshire, Scotland. |
| Christening | He was christened on 8 February 1832 at Inveraray and Glenaray, Argyll, Scotland. |
| Marriage | He married Ellanora (Laura) Hespeler, daughter of Jacob Hespeler and Elise (Lissie) Diehl, on 16 January 1868 at Hespeler, Waterloo Co., Ontario. See Dumfries Reformer 1866-1870, Marriages, as extracted by Rosemary Ambrose. The Reformer edition of 22 Jan 1868 carries a marriage notice for the marriage of Laura Hespeler, the 3rd daughter of Jacob Hespeler, and John Walker of London, Ontario. The wedding was held in Hespeler at the home of the bride's father and conducted by Rev. M. Boomer, D.D., Rural Dean. Rev. Michael Boomer hung his hat at Trinity Anglican Church in Galt. As a result, the marriage was recorded in Trinity Anglican's marriage records. The entry is very basic. It records the marriage of John Walker of London and Laura Hespeler of Hespeler on January 16, 1868. It does add the names of the witnesses, R. J. Nolman and Mina Hespeler. This may be found in Brant County branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society's publication # 207, page 7. The overall transcription of Trinity's marriage records has the odd problem, probably related to handwriting. The name of the above witness, R. J. Nolman, is probably not quite right, but this has not been pursued. In the earlier days of the districts, the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, being the official churches, did not have to submit marriage registrations to the district registrars. With the advent of counties and county register books, this changed. All churches were to submit records of their marriages. Just why the daughters of Jacob Hespeler, at least to this point, did not have their marriages registered in the county registers is unknown. Certainly, by this time, Anglican churches were submitting records. |
| Death | He died on 14 August 1889 at City of London, Middlesex County, Ontario, at age 57. |
| Burial | He was buried at Woodland Cemetery, London, Ontario. |
| Note | For a backgrounder of John Walker, see Appletons' Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1600-1889. Page 328 has a brief biography. This tells John Walker came to Canada in 1864, fought against the Fenians at Fort Erie in 1866 and was afterward attached to the militia from which he retired in 1884 with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. The biography dates his birth to January 24,1832, in Inverary, Argyllshire, and, with this information, we find Ancestry recording his birth the same day (transcription only) in a database entitled Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950: John Walker born 24 Jan 1832, baptism 8 Feb 1832, baptism place Inveraray and Glenaray, Argyll, Scotland. Parents John Walker and Mary Mchardy. FHL Film nbr. 1041067. Death reg. 011048-89 City of London, Middlesex Co. John Walker died 14 August 1889. Age 57. Born Scotland. Registrar County of Middlesex. Church of England. Physician Dr. Innes. Informant W. H. Bowlby, barrister, Berlin. The cause of death is shown as paralysis, six days. There is a note entered at the bottom of the registration that is partially illegible. It reads: ...body was brought to .. ....... Street his late residence in London. Note that W. H. Bowlby is married to Lissie Hespeler, the oldest sister of Ellanora (Laura), John's wife. Considering that John was failing for six days, Laura had time to contact her family and Ward and Lissie Bowlby at least must have rallied for support. John Walker is buried in Woodland Cemetery in London. This is evidently a large cemetery and, apparently, the London branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society didn't get around to a transcription. Find-a-Grave, however, has a photo of the gravestone as well as a transcription. Years later, in 1934, Ellanora (Laura), his wife, was buried with him, though she died in Los Angeles. See notes for Laura. |
Child of John Walker and Ellanora (Laura) Hespeler |
|
|
| Last Edited | 22 Nov 2019 |