The Quaker Walton family has been traced back to Thomas Walton, born about 1536 in Oxhill Parish, Warwickshire. Oxhill is close to Stratford-upon-Avon, in the Vale of the Red Horse. The valley’s name comes from a horse figure cut into the red soil of the hill above the village of Tysoe. Oxhill itself is an old town, named in the Domesday Book as Octeselve.1

The first reliable Walton ancestor is William, born in 1629 in Oxhill, who married Alice Martin in 1657.2 Before 1656 William and Alice moved out of Warwickshire, and their sons were baptized at Bibury Parish in Gloucestershire, which is about 25 miles from Oxhill. William died in England in 1681, but his four sons became Quakers, and they emigrated.3

The four brothers arrived around 1682 or 1683, in the first great wave of migration of English Friends to Pennsylvania.4 “These dates are confirmed by a letter written by Nathaniel, the eldest of the brothers, to his youngest brother William, dated October 7, 1713 in Byberry, in which he reminds his brother that he had paid his passage from England and that he claimed interest on this payment for thirty years and upwards.”5 Nathaniel said that, “he paid for William’s passage to this country, £5 sterling; that he laboured hard for this money in Old England at a groat a day; that the principal and compound interest which he had forborne thirty years and upwards, had almost come to £200 old currency; that William had got him nothing, but might see he had made a man of him to that very day; and that he most certainly expected him to pay some way or other to his content; not, he adds, because he could not do without it, for he blessed God, he had plenty of every thing, but because it was his due, and William was able to pay it.”6

In the Keithian separation in 1692 John Hart, Nathaniel Walton and others at Byberry followed Keith.7 They kept possession of the meeting house. Daniel Walton, William Walton, Thomas Walton, John Carver, Giles Knight and others formed their own meeting and remained Friends.8 This may have caused some estrangement between the brothers, which never healed. Nathaniel’s was written long afterwards.

Children of William and Alice: (all baptized at Bibury in Gloucestershire)

Nathaniel, b. 1656, d. 1733, m. 1685 Martha Bowling at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting

Thomas, b. 1658, d. 1758, m. 1) 1689 Priscilla Hunn, 2) 1736 Elizabeth Eastburn

Daniel, b. 1660, d. 1719, m. 1688 Mary Lamb9

William, b. 1662, d. 1736/7, m. 1689 Sarah Howell10

Nathaniel stayed in Byberry, while his brothers later moved to Bucks County. Daniel and William were both counted as eminent early Friends. Their names both appear in a list kept by Middletown Monthly Meeting.11 Thomas was not as active in the meeting as his brothers, while Nathaniel followed George Keith in the separation of 1692 and was no longer a member of Byberry Meeting.

Second generation: The four brothers in Pennsylvania

Nathaniel and Martha lived in Byberry. In 1688 the four brothers bought land from Thomas Fairman.12 The four tracts were side by side in Byberry.13 They were laid out at the northern end of the township, running along the line of Moreland Township, extending south of Byberry Road.14 Nathaniel later bought more land, four tracts in Byberry and one in Bucks County.15 Some of this land went to his sons Joseph, Benjamin and Malachi. Some of it was sold by his executors after his death.16

In 1692, when the Keithian separation tore Friends into two factions, Nathaniel followed the Keithians, unlike his three brothers. In a profile of Daniel Walton, written in 1854, a story was told about Nathaniel.

“Nathaniel, the eldest of the family,… became entangled in the sophistries of Keith, lost his spiritual perception and slid back again into outward observances, from which his parents and himself had been led; but the younger brothers stood firm, and all three signed the testimony of the Yearly Meeting against Keith. The Keithites kept possession of the meeting-house, where the Friends of Byberry had been wont to assemble, yet they found their numbers small and deceasing, whilst those who kept to the faith and practice of their forefathers in the Truth, increased in numbers… It is narrated that on a certain occasion, he [Nathaniel] came to Friends’ meeting, and one of his brothers being led to labour in the gospel… stirred up angry feelings in the man, who probably feeling himself wrong, took every defence of the truth as a personal attack, so in the heat of the moment, he interrupted the speaker with the coarse language, “Brother, thou lyest.”17

Nathaniel died in 1733. In his will he named his wife Martha and ten children: Mary, Lydia, Elizabeth, Margaret, Esther, Martha, Joseph, Benjamin, Nathaniel, and Malachi. Nathaniel and Malachi were the executors.18 The daughter Martha was probably deceased, as he gave her legacy to her children. He left varying amounts to the different children; some had probably already received assistance from him. The real and personal estate was to be sold, and the proceeds divided among Martha and three of the children. Martha wrote her will in 1736 and died in 1741.19 Eight of the children were still alive.

Thomas, the second brother, was a member of Abington Meeting, but was not as active as his brothers Daniel and William. He moved north to Moreland, Philadelphia around 1708.20 He married twice. His first wife was Priscilla Hunn. They declared their intentions in 11^th month (January) 1689 and were cleared to proceed the next month.21 In 1716 Thomas appeared before Abington Meeting and “seemed to be some what sorry that he had indulged his children and that for ye future he hopes to be more carefull and desires friends to pass it by.” This was probably for allowing liquor to be served at the wedding. Thomas and Priscilla had seven known children: Thomas, Caleb, John, Joseph, James, Mary and David.22 In 1718 Thomas Walton’s son Thomas appeared before the meeting to repent of “Several Evil practises whereby ye truth hath been reproached”, including frequenting ill company. He hoped to be more careful in the future. In 1736 Thomas was an elderly widower of 77, when he married the 41-year old Elizabeth Eastburn from Southampton.23 Thomas died in 1758, probably in 1^st month (March). Byberry Meeting records noted his death and added, “aged near a hundred, by computation”.24 He did not leave a will.

Daniel Walton immigrated with his three brothers and settled in Byberry, where he eventually owned 500 acres of land.25 In 1688, he married Mary Lamb in 1688 under the auspices of Abington Meeting.26  “Throughout his long life he was much respected, and was considered among the faithful Friends of that day. He died in 1719, leaving seven children:  Samuel, Daniel, Joshua, Joseph, Benjamin, Hannah, and Mary.  Nearly all the Waltons at present residing in the vicinity of Byberry are descendants of the ancient Daniel.”27 Daniel served as a minister in Byberry Meeting for many years, represented the meeting at the Quarterly Meeting in Philadelphia many times, and served on many committees. In 1711 he was approved as a traveling minister with his brother William.28 He died in 1719 and left a will, describing himself as a husbandman of “Bibery”.29 In it he named his wife Mary and six sons.30 He essentially disinherited his eldest son Samuel, for “disobedience and undutifulness to me and to his mother and also his extravagant life whereby I have been forced to pay several sums of money to discharge his debts which doth amount to such a sum or to so great a part of my estate as I doo think fitt to be his portion.” He gave tracts of land to his sons Daniel and Joshua, and the home plantation to the three younger sons to share when they reached the age of 21, and to be diligent around the plantation under their mother until then. The daughter Mary, youngest of the children, was to receive a cow and £15 when she came of age.31 Children of Daniel and Mary: Samuel, Daniel, Joshua, Joseph, Benjamin, Nathan, Mary.

William Walton was the youngest of the four brothers. Like his brother Daniel he was a preacher at Byberry Meeting. He served as an elder, a representative to Quarterly meeting, and visited families. In 1688 he bought a tract in Byberry, and eventually owned 750 acres there.32 In 1689 he married Sarah Howell under the auspices of Abington Meeting and they had ten children, who married into other Quaker families like Walmsley and Parry.33 “His descendants are now widely scattered, but a greater proportion of them probably retained membership in the Society of Friends than the descendants of his brothers.” 34 William died in late 1736 while on a missionary trip to Tortola Island. At the time Henry Tomlinson called him “a public Friend in good esteem.”35 He wrote his will in April 1734, calling himself a yeoman of “Buyberry”. In it he named his wife Sarah, seven children, and three grandchildren.36 The son William was to inherit the plantation and to keep Sarah there while she lived. Sarah died on 25 of 6^th month (August) 1749.37 She left a will, proved the following month.38 She was living in Byberry at the time, obviously with one of her children.39 She left household goods and small amounts of money to her daughter Sarah and several grandchildren. Her friend William Duncan was the executor.40 Children of William and Sarah: Rachel, Isaac, Jeremiah, Jacob, Sarah, William, Abel, Job, Hannah, and Mary.