Archalaus Walker

Other Events:

• RESEARCH:

  Internet sources regarding the name Archalaus and its variants:

  "There are many spellings of the name 'Archelaus,' e.g., Archer, Archibald, Archless, Achilles, Archilles, and even Eschelus. According to 'Wheeler Cousins,' there was only one man named Archelaus Wheeler in Virginia during the 1700s. The earliest record concerning Archelaus Wheeler is his listing in the 1774 Tithables of Buckingham Co., VA where he appeared as 'Archer Wheler.' "

• Alt. Birth: Abt 1783, South Carolina, USA
• Alt. Birth: 17 Dec 1783;

  Cemetery listing, Wayne Cemetery, Dorchester, Macoupin County, Illinois. Additional information states that many of the stones are in poor, crumbling condition, but the survey was done in the 1970's when they were in better condition.

• Residence: 1788-1802, Georgia, USA
• Military: 23 Nov 1810, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA;

  "Archelus Walker," commissioned as ensign, 25th Tennessee militia, from Dickson County.

• Military: 1812, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA;

  "Achilles" Walker was with a military infantry detachment under Lt. Col. R. C. Napier lists an "Achilles Walker" as a private. [Note: Archelous was enumerated in the 1860 census as "Achilles."]

• Court: Jan 1814, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA;

  "Archibald Walker" appointed for jury duty along with others for the next term of court (April).

  January Term Ordered by the court that the following persons be summoned a venire to next Term -- (To Wit) Joel Shropshire, John Willy, Thomas Choat, James Martin, Isaac Walker, Archibald Walker, John Hall, James Brown, Jesse Lu[m]sdon, Jonathan Jenkins, Edward Pickett, William Gates, Hugh Dickson David [Rushion?], Aaron Arnold, James Harriss, Samuel Johnson, Lewis Berry, Robert Lucas, William Speight, Robert Coldwell, Alexander Martin, Thomas Mitchell, John Watts, John Carrothers, Rodger Gibson,"

• Land: 1818, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA;

  Stephen Walker found something in the Charlotte, TN, archives, indicating that an Archalaus Walker filed two land entries in 1818, numbers 11341 and 11342. No sale by Arch appears in Dickson Co land records, perhaps he did not complete the entries? Assigned them? Is there a missing deed book? Need to obtain originals from TSLA and consult Pam in Charlotte to ask about a missing deed book.

• Residence: Abt 1808-1819, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA
• Census: 1820, Goshen township, Madison County, Illinois, USA;

  "Archer Walker" household 1 male 26-45 [Arch, abt 37] Next door is the Pryor Scroggins family, with whom he probably moved from Dickson County. Nearby is Samuel Walker, over 45.

• Note: 28 Mar 1825, Madison County, Illinois, USA;

  Arch was married to Susan Robinson in Macoupin County. Was this Arch's first marriage? He would have been 42 years old, which is unusual for the time and place. He was clearly alone in the 1820 census, shortly after his move from Dickson County to Illinois. In any case, he married Susan Robinson in 1825. They have not been located in the 1830 census, unless they are the Archalus Walker family found in St. Clair County, Illinois; the apparent husband and wife in the household were between 30 and 40, and they had three males between 10 and 15 with them. If this was Arch and Susan, could she have had children from a previous marriage? The marriage record does not name her as "Mrs. Susan Robinson." Also, the age is not right. This may not be them. Archalus and Susan are found in the 1840 Madison County census, just the two of them, both between 50 and 60. They are found again in the 1845 state census, with a male 10-20 and a female under 10. Susan's age is given as between 50 and 60. It is possible that she had a daughter between 1840 and 1845, if her age was on the lower side of that time span. It is also possible that they had a young relative living with them, or a foster child. The male may have been farm help. Susan apparently died between 1845 and 1850, as she is missing from Arch's home in the latter census. His brother Jacob's family is living with him, and the fact that all younger family members were listed after Jacob and Agnes (his wife) makes it likely that they were all children of Jacob and Agnes--though that should not be taken for a certainty. It seems unlikely that Archalus had children, but he may have lost a child or children, and may even have had an earlier marriage. His obituary states that he had "outlived the majority of his family." The composition of that family remains a mystery.

• Court: 5-6 Mar 1827, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA
• Court: 10-11 March 1827, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA
• Possible Census: 1830, St. Clair County, Illinois, USA;

  Archalus Walker 3 males 10-15 1 male 30-40 1 female 30-40 There are discrepancies here. Arch should have been about 47, not between 30 and 40. Additionally, he had no known children. However, he has not been located in census elsewhere.

• Land: 18 Mar 1831, Madison County, Illinois, USA;

  Archalaus Walker purchased 22.5 acres from Seth and Laura Gillet for $50. Description: ". . . in the South half of the east half of the north east quarter of Section Twenty Four in Township 3 north Range 8 west . . . ." Proved 19 March 1831 and recorded 17 September 1831.

• Land: 16 May 1834, Madison County, Illinois, USA;

  Sheriff of Madison County conveyed the same land to Archalaus Walker as was conveyed to him by deed on 18 March 1831. There must have been some title problems as a result of the Hall estate from which the land came in 1831. Proved 16 May 1834, recorded 16 May 1834.

• Land: 15 Oct 1835, Macoupin County, Illinois, USA;

  Archalus entered for 80 acres in Section 10, Township 8 North, Range 8 West:

  "The West Half of the North East quarter of Section ten, Township eight, North of Range eight, West of the third principal Meridian in the district of lands subject to sale at Edwardsville, Illinois, containing eighty acres."

• Land: 15 Oct 1835, Macoupin County, Illinois, USA;

  Archelaus Walker entered for a second eighty acre parcel, in Section 35, Township 9 North, Range eight West:

  "The West half of the South East quarter of Section thirty five in Township nine, North of Range eight, West of the third principal Meridian, in the district of lands subject to sale in Edwardsville, Illinois, containing eighty acres."

• Deed: 25 Aug 1836, Walker, Archalaus to McMahon, Madison County, Illinois, USA;

  Archalaus Walker sold 40 acres to Thomas McMahon, for $50, in Madison County.

• Census: 1840, Ridge Prairie, Madison County, Illinois, USA;

  "Archillus" Walker household 1 male 50-60 [Arch, abt 57] 1 female 50-60 [wife, Susan Robinson]

• Occupation: 23 May 1840, Madison County, Illinois, USA;

  Archelaus Walker was one of the appraiser for the estate of George W. McMahon.

• State Census: 1845, Troy, Jarvis township, Madison County, Illinois, USA;

  Archelaus Walker household 1 male 10-20 1 male 60-70 [Archalaus, about 62] 1 female under 10 1 female 50-60 [Susan Robinson, wife]

• Court: 18 Feb 1848, Macoupin County, Illinois, USA;

  A notice in the Alton (Illinois) Telegraph and Democratic Review newspaper regarding the case of Archelaus Walker who had filed foreclosure of a Macoupin County property, to be heard on the 2nd Monday of the May term of Macoupin County Circuit Court. Archelaus Walker vs. John Harrington, William O. Harrington, Steele Hunter, and Sally Hunter his wife, James Steele, and Jane Steele his wife, William Faris and Permelia Faris his wife, Enoch Harrington, Susan Harrington, George W. McMahon, Emily McMahon, Sarah McMahon, Permilia McMahon, Gideon Lemmons, and Susan Lemmons his wife, Henry C. McMahon, Harrison Harrington, Charles Harriington, Francis McMahon, Charles McMahon, and William T. McMahon. As an interesting follow-up to this is an excerpt of a letter from a George Churchill, from Troy, Madison County, Illinois, to his niece Caroline Elizabeth Churchill Bingham, 30 October 1849:

  ". . . James A. Steel's wife is dead. Your former admirer, Rev. Samuel Kelley, has removed back to Arkansas. He and his father-in-law, Isaac K. McMahan, had seceded from Methodism, and joined the Baptists. Samuel Steele Hunter and Robert McMahan have gone with him. Their destination is Pike Co., Ark."

• Census: 25 Oct 1850, Township 3N Range 7W, Madison County, Illinois, USA;

  1. Archib[all?] Walker, 67, farmer, real estate $2000, SC 2. Jacob Walker, 57, farmer, SC 3. Agnes Walker, 55, NC 4. Mary Best, 23, TN 5. Charles Best, 1, IL 6. Agnes Walker, 20, TN 7. James A. Walker, 18, IL

• Census (State): 1855, Macoupin County, Illinois, USA;

  D. B. Sawyer household 2 males, 1 female under 10 2 males, 1 female, 10-20 1 male, 1 female 40-50 [Daniel B. Sawyer and Minerva Scroggins] 1 male over 70 [Archalus Walker]

• Census: 3 Sep 1860, Staunton, Macoupin County, Illinois, USA;

  1. Daniel Sawyer, 47, male farmer, real estate $8000, personal $1700, NC 2. Minerva Sawyer, 44, female, Tennessee 3. Harrison Sawyer, 20, male, Illinois, attended school 4. Harriet Sawyer, 17, female, Illinois, attended school 5. Sarah Sawyer, 11, female, Illinois, attended school 6. William Sawyer, 9, male, Illinois, attended school 7. Franklin Sawyer, 6, male, Illinois, attended school 8. Daniel Sawyer, 2, male, Illinois 9. Achilles Walker, 76, male, Virginia

• Obituary: Aft 11 Dec 1866, Staunton, Macoupin County, Illinois, USA;

  "DIED At the residence of Daniel H. Sawyer, in West Prairie, on Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 4 P. M., of general debility, Mr. Archeleous Walker, aged 84 years. The deceased was a native of Virginia, raised in Georgia, and lived for many years in Tennessee. He had lived in this State for the past forty-five years. was a member of the M. E. Church for nearly fifty years. Having outlived the majority of his family, he departed this life without an enemy, and in the hopes of a blessed immortality, leaving a wide circle of friends to miss his genial smile, and who live in hopes of meeting him beyond the grave."

Notes:

Archalus died at the home of Daniel Sawyer. Daniel's wife, Minerva was a Scroggins prior to marriage [see IL marriages online, Daniel Sawyer-Minerva Scroggins].

Also, married in Madison Co IL, on 15 Aug 1830, a John L. Walker and Elizabeth Scroggins. A WorldConnect file does not offer parents for John L. Walker, but states that both he and Elizabeth Scroggins were born in Dickson Co TN. Arch Walker had a known affiliation with the family.

Could John L. Walker have been a son of Arch, or his other possible brothers, James or Joseph?

John L. Walker appears in the 1880 Macoupin Co census - born abt 1811, TN; father born Virginia, mother born GA. Arch stated he was born in VA - does this support John as the son of Arch, or his possible older brother, James?

Also in Archalaus's 1810 militia company, and worth studying:
Captains:

John Wright, Capt.
Lewis Russell

Lieutenants:

Needham Hilliard
James Gunn
William Turner

Ensigns:

Charles Baker
Archelas Walker
William Gunn
William Ragan



Name:

Supporting the variants of this name, a website discussing Archaelaus Wheeler, born in Buckingham VA--same geographic background. This information could be useful in proof argument.

"There are many spellings of the name "Archelaus," e.g., Archer, Archibald, Archless, Achilles, Archilles, and even Eschelus. According to "Wheeler Cousins," there was only one man named Archelaus Wheeler in Virginia during the 1700s. The earliest record concerning Archelaus Wheeler is his listing in the 1774 Tithables of Buckingham Co., VA where he appeared as "Archer Wheler."

http://www.mcclure-hopsonfamilyhistory.com/wheeler.htm

Alt. Birth:

The 1850 census enumerated Archalus as born abt 1783 in South Carolina. This must be weighed against the 1860 census and his obituary, both naming his birthplace as Virginia.

In the same household was his likely brother, Jacob, whose birthplace was also given as South Carolina.

In Jacob's case, at least, it is unlikely that he was born in South Carolina. Several of Jacob's known children have been located in the 1880 census or later, and reported their father's birthplace:

John McLean Walker, "Georgia"


Archalaus C. Walker, "Georgia"


Joseph Walker, "Georgia"


James A. Walker, "Kentucky"

Daughter Mary M. Walker (Best) was not located in the 1880 census, but in both the 1900 and 1910 census, her father's birthplace was given as "Tennessee."

Since so much evidence points to Jacob's birthplace being in error in the 1850 census, it lends even more likelihood that Arch's was also in error, probably reported by Jacob's wife, Agnes.

Residence:

Arch's obituary states that he was "raised" in Georgia. If he was born in 1783, this probably indicates a move to Georgia by the time he was age 5 or so. We know from the birthplaces of subsequent children that they remained in Georgia until after 1802.

Military:

This military detachment served for 10 days in May 1812, and were probably among the Tennessee militia raised in response to the Duck River Massacre--in which Indians killed several people and abducted Martha Crawley. Also known as the Martha Crawley incident.

This seminal event inflamed westerners against the Indians and the British were suspected of inciting them, thus making it one of the events leading to the War of 1812.

Residence:

• Obituary states he was "raised in Georgia" and "lived for many years in Tennessee."
  
• 1810, Arch was commissioned as an ensign, 25th Tennessee Militia, Dickson County, Tennessee.
  
• Bounty land application of his brother Jacob Walker contains Arch's affidavit stating that he witnessed Jacob's marriage in February 1811 to Agnes McLean.
  
• 1812, a military infantry detachment under Lt. Col. R. C. Napier, Dickson County, lists an "Achilles Walker" as a private. [Note: Archelous was enumerated in the 1860 census as "Achilles."]
  
• Appears on jury duty, 1814, Dickson County, Tennessee.
  
• Appears on 1820 Madison County, Illinois, census.
  
• Obituary in 1866 indicates he lived in Illinois for 45 years, calculating to about 1821
  
  Court:
  

  "Archibald" Walker files versus Elijah Walker, to prove that Elizabeth Walker was not of sound mind when she excecuted a deed of gift giving Elijah a slave girl in January 1823, shortly before her death.
  
  The matter was decided by a jury who determined that Elizabeth Walker was not of sound mind when the deed was executed.
  
  Court:
  

  Archibald Walker & others versus George H. and Elijah Walker, seeking to prove that Elizabeth Walker was not of sound mind when she executed the deeds of gifts (a slave to each) to George H. and Elijah in January 1823. Juror Nathan Tubb was excused on the morning of the 11th and no decision was made.
  
  Land:
  

  Deed states that the acreage was ". . . the undivided share of the above quarter belonging to the party of the first part heirs to the estate of N. Hall deceased."
  
  Deed:
  

  ". . . the east half of the west half of the northeast quarter of section nineteen township three north of range seven west of the third principal meridian, to contain forty acres. . . "

  Archalaus married Susan Robinson on 28 Mar 1825 in Madison County, Illinois, USA. Susan was born between 1785 and 1795; died between 1845 and 1850 in Illinois, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]