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John WALKER was born in 1821 son of John and Jean Montgomery and brought up in Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire with four siblings and numerous Walker cousins. In 1841 he was a journeyman grocer lodging in Aberdeen with his cousin Robert, an apprentice grocer. By 1842 he had set up his own grocer’s shop and was living above the premises.
John married Isabel GRANT in Aberdeen in June 1843, but died the following January before his daughter Isabel was born. He was buried in the churchyard at Kildrummy.
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age DATE JW IG |
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28Jan1821 1826-1839 6Jun1841 20 1842 21 9Jun1843 22 24 12Jan1844 22 24 2Mar1844 25
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John born; bap 6Feb at Auchindoir, Aberdeenshire siblings born in Kildrummy journeyman grocer at Summer St Aberdeen with cousin Robert living over his grocer's shop at 96 Gallowgate Aberdeen m Isabel GRANT at Aberdeen St Nicholas; John was a grocer John died and buried at Kildrummy dau Isabel Johanna baptised at Aberdeen St Nicholas; John deceased
for further records of John's wife, Isabel, see GRANT family |
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
John WALKER was a grocer in Aberdeen when he married in June 1843 and he died before March 1844, but there is no indication of his age or origin at either event.
The 1841 census for Aberdeen has only one likely entry: John WALKER, journeyman grocer aged 20, a lodger at Summer St. If this is he, then he was born between 1817 and 1821 giving a normal age of 22-26 at marriage. Just a street away in the same census lived Isabella GRANT a servant. John Walker married Isabella GRANT and this is perhaps how they met. That he was a lodger suggests he was born outside Aberdeen, or that his parents were dead.
With John in the 1841 census was Robert WALKER, apprentice grocer, aged 15. They were both born Aberdeenshire and likely they were related. In 1851 Robert was a tea and spirit dealer age 24 lodging at 31 Harriet Street, Aberdeen. Also lodging there was George Walker 26 a shopman, and Alexander Walker age 28, a nightwatchman all born in Kildrummy, about 30 miles east of Aberdeen, and they were all baptised there sons of Robert senior (see below)..
A gravestone in Kildrummy churchyard commemorates a John Walker who died 12 Jan 1844, precisely in the timeframe that John-4 died. He was aged 23, giving a birth date of 1821 in agreement with the birth date of John-4. Moreover, he was the son of John Walker and Jean Montgomery, which shows that he was a first cousin of Robert and the other Walkers (see the Walker tree and below).
Thus it seems certain that John Walker-4 was the son of John Walker and Jean Montgomery of Kildrummy. But there is a problem with this conclusion. John Walker of Kildrummy was recorded in the 1841 census living in Kildrummy aged 20, no occupation stated. Could he have been recorded twice – once in his home town and once where he was lodging in Aberdeen? It is a big assumption but there are examples of this in the census, and if he were living in Kildrummy he would almost certainly have been described as an ag lab. It seems so unlikely that Robert was lodging with an unrelated John Walker who just happened to be born and die young at the same times as his cousin John that it will be assumed that John-4 was the son of John and Jean Montgomery of Kildrummy and recorded twice in the census.
Although his parents lived in Kildrummy, John was baptised in the neighbouring parish of Auchindoir and Kearn some two years before his parents married there
C 6Feb1821 John at Auchindoir and Kearn b28Jan1821 son of John Walker & Jean Montgomery
m 18Jan1823 John Walker & Jean Montgomery at Auchindoir and Kearn
C 10May1826 Alexander at Kildrummy son of John Walker & Jean Montgomery
C 16Jun1828 James “
C 30Apr1830 Margaret “
C 22Jul1839 William “
Isobel WALKER-3 was baptised 2Mar1844 at Aberdeen St Nicholas; baptism and marriage records state that parents were John WALKER and Isabel GRANT. There is a suitable marriage of these parents in the same parish the previous year:
m 9Jun1843 by banns at Aberdeen St Nicholas by James Foote, minister in Aberdeen
John WALKER, grocer in Aberdeen & Isabel GRANT d James GRANT, manufacturer in Aberdeen
witnesses:James CRAIGEN, Shoemaker, Aberdeen; James FRASER, grocer, Aberdeen
C 2Mar1844 Isabel Joan d John WALKER deceased, merchant, & Isabel GRANT
A gravestone in Kildrummy church yard has the following inscription:
In memory of JOHN WALKER d Ardhuncart 10 Nov 1856 aged 74; his wife JANE MONTGOMERY d 15 Apr 1859 aged 62;
also of their family JOHN d 12 Jan 1844 aged 23; ALEXANDER d 19 Dec 1846 aged 21.
Erected by their son, William
No burial in Aberdeen has been found that could refer to John Walker-4
(for references to John's widow, Isabella, after 1861 see GRANT records)
William WHYTE 25 1816 grocer shop y
John WALKER 20 1821 grocer j y
Robt WALKER 15 1826 grocer ap y
Wm HUNTER 15 1826 grocer ap y
William WALKER 69 farmer y
Ann WALKER 35 y
John WALKER 20 y
Mary WALKER 15 y
Ann WALKER 15 y
James WALKER 11 y
Margaret WALKER 7 y
Alexander WALKER 5 y
Helen WALKER 2 y
Alexander WALKER 20 ag lab y
John FARQUHAR 20 ag lab y
James MURRAY 40 ag lab y
Charles CUPAR 15 ag lab y
John MILNE 14 ag lab y
William EMSLIE 20 carpenter y
Helen COOK 15 ag lab y
Gordon STUART 20 mason ap y
John GORDON 25 mason y
James WATT he mar 58 1793 travelling bookseller Lumphanan ABD
Ann WATT wi mar 56 1795 lodgings Aberdeen
George WALKER lo unm 26 1825 shopman Kildrummy ABD
Robert WALKER lo unm 24 1827 tea & spirit dealer Kildrummy ABD
Alexander WALKER lo unm 28 1823 night watchman Kildrummy ABD
Lumphanan is12m east of Kildrummy. - no James Watt/Ann Walker marriage found so probably unrelated
selected entries from Aberdeen directory:
1841-42 John WALKER grocer 96 Gallowgate home above shop
1842-43 John WALKER grocer 96 Gallowgate shop and home
1843-44 John WALKER grocer tea and spirit dealer 32 Wellington St
1844-45 no entry for John Walker grocer
1845-1852 Robert WALKER grocer 56 George St
from Kildrummy parish register
m 27Aug1815 Robert Walker & Isabel Grassie at Gartly (about 10 miles north of Kildrummy)
C 13Jun1816 Molison Walker
C 23Aug1817 Ann Walker
C 14Dec1818 Alexander Walker
C 13Jul1820 William Walker
C 17Apr1822 George Walker
C 13Nov1823 Robert Walker
from Kildrummy parish register, showing that Robert senior and John senior were brothers so their children were first cousins
m 1769 Alexander Walker & Margaret Molison at Kildrummy
C 1781 John (m 1815 Jean Montgomery)
C 1782 Erskine
C 1786 Robert (m 1823 Isabel Grassie)
C 1788 Gordon
C 1790 Oglvie