52 Ancestors, Week 30: Major Timothy Walton

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The Waltons immigrated to Virginia in the mid 16th century.  I imagine that they were from England, but we have no record of their immigration.

It appears that the first generation of Waltons born in America, was Thomas Walton, born in 1660 in New Kent County, VA.  He left a will in 1719 leaving an equal share of his estate to his wife and 7 children.

Thomas' son, William Walton was born in 1685 in New Kent County and he left a will in 1731, making a deed of land to his son Timothy Walton.

Timothy Walton was his oldest child, born about 1710 in King and Queen County, Virginia.

The Waltons moved from King and Queen County, VA
south to Chowan County, NC in about 1719

By about 1719, the extended family had moved from Virginia to North Carolina.  Three generations of Waltons were born there, until Timothy Blanchard left and moved to Boulder, CO with his family.

In 1752, Timothy (42) married Zilpha Blanchard (36) (love the name!). She was his sister-in-law, the widow of John Walton, with 4 young children. They had one child, Celia in 1753.

(This is one of many marriages between the Waltons and the Blanchards,)

Timothy (and his family) were listed in the Chowan County, NC census in 1753.

Timothy Walton had a military career:

• Timothy Walton  was listed as a private in Captain James Farlee's Company on Nov 25th, 1754,  

• In 1760 he is listed as a captain in the Chowan Regiment of Militia under the command of the Honorable Francis Corbin.

• Other genealogists have him listed as major, but I haven't found any documents confirming that fact.

• Timothy's military service coincides with the French and Indian Wars: 

• For example: George Washington, surprised an encampment of French soldiers in southwestern Pennsylvania on May 24, 1754. Expecting further French incursions, Washington then hastily constructed a fort and prepared to defend his forces, but a combined French and Indian force forced his surrender on July 3. 

• Once he heard of Washington’s defeat, VA Lieutenant-Governor Dinwiddie immediately passed on the news to his superiors in London and called for aid from neighboring colonies. Only North Carolina responded, but refused to make any expenditures outside its own borders. (1)

• Another example: The Anglo–Cherokee War broke out in 1758 when Virginia militia attacked the Cherokee in retaliation for the requisition of some horses by the Cherokee. 

• The Cherokee's reaction was to lead retaliatory raids on the Yadkin and Catawba Rivers in North Carolina which began a domino effect that ended with the murders of 23 Cherokee hostages at Fort Prince George near Keowee and the massacre of the garrison of Fort Loudoun near Chota.

• ...The Cherokee expanded their retaliatory campaign into North Carolina, as far east as modern day Winston-Salem. An attack on Fort Dobbs in North Carolina was repulsed by General Hugh Waddell. However, lesser settlements in the North and South Carolina back-country quickly fell to Cherokee raids. (2)

In 1762, his wife Zilpha died at age 46.

Timothy (53) married the very young Mary Benbury (18) in 1763, and they had four children:

1. 1764: John Benbury Walton
2. 1767: Mary Walton
3. 1768: Elizabeth Walton
4. 1770: Timothy Walton Jr. * (our ancestor)

He (60) died in Chowan County, NC in Dec 1770.  His will is below:

His will reads:  In the name of God amen. I Timothy Walton of Chowan make this my last will and testament in the following manner and first of all I give and bequeath unto my son Timothy Walton all my land in Chowan County on this side of Bennetts Creek road and all my Land in Hertford County to him and his heirs forever. I also give unto John Benbury Walton my oldest son all my Land in this county on the east side of Bennetts Creek road to him and his heirs forever, likewise I give to my son John Benbury Walton the following negroes Kato & Cate. I give and bequeath to my daughter Selah a negro boy named Jeme. All the rest of my estate to be divided according to the acts of distribution made by law ---

I do appoint James Freeman, William Walton and Thomas Benbury to be my executors to this my last will and testament Signed & sealed this 18th December 1770 Timothy Walton In the presence of us Samuel Dickinson William Freeman Jonathan Tryon William Benbury (3)

Sources:

1. Descendants of Robert Walton  
2. Colonial Soldiers of the South, 1732-1774
3. A Muster Roll of the Chowan Regiments
4. (1) French and Indian War 
5. (2)  Anglo-Cherokee War
6. (3) marlomoura169 originally shared this to Marlo Moura Family Tree 06 Mar 2013 on Ancestry.com