Alexander Walker and his wife Charlotte Laws were among the pioneers who settled in the Perryville area while it was a part of Virginia.

His father, Thomas Walker, came to this area with James Harbison (Harberson) and others before the Revolutionary War.

Alexander and Charlotte had five children and numerous grandchildren who moved on to Missouri, Tennessee and other states.

Alexander and Charlotte were married Dec.r 7, 1798, in Mercer County. She was born Oct. 13, 1779, in Fauquier County, Virginia, and was a daughter of Thomas Laws and Jane Kenton.

Alexander was born June 8, 1772, in Perryville, and died Oct. 29, 1854 in Boyle County. He is buried in Harberson graveyard on the Mathida Myers farm.

Charolette died in Feb. 1851 in Boyle County. She is buried in Harbison Station Cemetery.

The Walker couple had five children:

John Hamilton, Thomas Walker, James Harbison, Jane A., Nancy, Andrew Jackson, and Amanda.

John went to Tennessee

John Hamilton Walker was born Jan. 18, 1800, in Mercer County, and died April 15, 1872, in Rogersville, Tennessee.

He was married twice. He and Talitha Taylor, daughter of Leonard W. Taylor and Sarah “Sally” Blagrave, were married Dec. 11, 1821, in Mercer County. Talitha was born Aug. 13, 1803, and died August 27, 1835.

John and his second wife, S. Mary Givens, daughter of James and Jane Givens, were married Jan. 26, 1837, in Mercer County. Mary was born Dec. 13, 1779, in Kentucky. She died in April 1872 in Rogersville, Tennessee.

Census records show John and Mary were in Rogersville, Hawkins County, Tennessee, in 1850, 1860, and 1870. During that time, John was a tavern keeper, Indian agent, and a register for the county.

He was referred to as “colonel” in 1870, and brigadier general in another reference. He served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

John made a request in 1865 to President Andrew Jackson, asking that he be pardoned after the Civil War so he could work and support his family. John said in the request he held an appointment under President Buchanan, but never fought or engaged in the persecution of any loyal person.

He was 65 years old when he applied for the pardon saying he had small means of support for his family and was ready to become a loyal citizen in the United States. He agreed to take the oath of amnesty, which was not permitted while he was under arrest. (No further information is known on the request).

John and and his first wife, Talitha, had six children:

• Sarah Jane Walker was born in 1822 and died in 1880. She and David C. Wilson were married May 24, 1843, in Boyle County. David was born Aug. 22, 1816, in Boyle County, and died Feb. 28, 1889. He was the son of Samuel Wilson and Mary “Polly” Templeman.

Their five children were born in Boyle County:

Talitha was born March 5, 1845, in Boyle County. She and Daniel C. Huston (1840-1888) were married in Boyle County.

Mary Ellen Peace (1848-1924), John Templeman (1851-1925), Samuel Alexander (1853-1915), and Frances Walker was born in 1855.

• Martha Ann (1829-1876).

• Francis Marion “Franklin” (1827-1864), who married Margaret Kelso, died July 22, 1864, during a Civil War battle in Atlanta, Georgia. He was an attorney prior to the war.

They had five children: Lapsley Green Walker (1854-1939), Mary Ella (1858-1936), Hugh (1860-?) and Francis Marion Jr. (1863-1931).

• Silas Taylor (1829-1864). He was a painter in 1850 and 1860 in Hawkins County, Tennessee.

• Mary Elizabeth (1832-1909).She was in Hawkins County, Tennessee, in 1850.

• Taylor was born in Aug.. 19,1835 and died in Nov. 10, 1935, in Perryville.

John and his second wife, Mary, had three children:

John Harvey (1838-1855), Virginia “Jennie” (1840-1915), and

America who was born in 1842. She and Samuel Powell of Tennessee, were married Oct. 15, 1861, in Perryville. She died in 1878 in Rogersville, Tennessee.

Two stayed in Kentucky

Thomas and Andrew J. Walker stayed in Kentucky.

Thomas Walker was born Dec. 19, 1801, and died Oct. 13, 1836, in Perryville. He is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery.

He and Nancy Hutchings (1803-1834), daughter of Gabriel and Elizabeth Taylor Hutchings, were married Oct. 17, 1821, in Mercer County.

They had five children: Mary Ellen (1822-1894), Emily Miller, (1825-1866), Caroline M. (1828-1903), Gabriel Hutchings (1831-1864), and Thomas I. (1834-1840).

Andrew Jackson Walker was born Sept. 23, 1813, in Mercer County and died in 1869, in Perryville. He and Nancy Rochester Tadlock, were married April 30, 1840, in Mercer County. She was born Jan. 25, 1820, in Perryville, and was a daughter of Carter Tadlock and Cynthia Barrie. Nancy died Aug. 31,1885, in Perryville.

Andrew and Nancy had nine children:

Carter Tadlock (1841-1898), was married to Mary Warren Hart. They had a daughter, Katherine Kent, who was married to Duke Marvin Godbey Sr. Marvin and Katherine had a son, Duke M. Jr., born August 11, 1912, in Perryville.

Duke Jr. was married in 1937 to Kathryn Purdom, daughter of Robert W. and Eva K. Kirkland of Forkland  Kathryn was born Oct. 4, 1911, in Forkland, and died April 12, 2005, in Danville. She is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery.

Other children of Andrew and Nancy Walker are:

Mary Jane (1843-1857); Maria Rochester, born in 1846; Blanch Burton, born in 1849; Nancy James (1852-1858); Alexander (1854-1858); Charlotte Ann (1858-1926); and George Thomas (1861-1931).

Amanda went to Missouri

Amanda Walker was born about 1817 in Mercer County, and died after June 1880, in Missouri. She and Joel Compton (1815-1860) were married Dec. 17,1838, in Mercer County.

They were listed in the 1850 Boyle County Census, and in 1860, 1870, and 1880 Census in Johnson and Jackson County, Missouri.

They had eight children born in Kentucky:

Jane L. (1841-1926); Mary, born about 1843; Sally W., born about 1845; Nancy P., born about 1845; Jackson, born about 1847; Charles, born about 1850; Charlotte F., born about 1851; and Emily, born about 1853.

Little is known about the other three children of Alexander and Charlotte Walker .

James Harbison Walker was born in 1904.

Jane A. was born in 1807, and married Washington Latimore on May 28, 1822, in Mercer County.

Nancy was born in 1809 and she and James Pleasant Givens were married on April 18 1933, in Mercer County. He was born in 1804.

(Editor’s note: Carolyn Crabtree, a local genealogist and historian  did the research for this article.)