William Walton was the youngest of the four Quaker Walton brothers of Byberry. He was renowned as a preacher at Byberry Meeting and as a traveling Friend, who visited meetings as far as Maryland and Carolina.1 In 1689 he married Sarah Howell under the auspices of Abington Meeting.2 They settled in Byberry, and had ten children, “most of whom migrated to Warminster, Warwick and Buckingham in Bucks County, and to the neighborhood of Horsham in Montgomery County.  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.  His grandchildren and those of his brother Daniel intermarried.”3

William first bought a tract in Byberry in 1688, adjoining the land of his brothers. He later added more holdings, one of 100 acres from John Holme and 555 acres from William Allen, both in Moreland Township. Pennypack Creek flowed through his lands, and Byberry Road cut across a corner of it.4

William was one of the elders of Abington Meeting. He was a representative many times to the Quarterly Meetings in Philadelphia. He also visited families in Byberry and went on ministerial visits to other areas. In the records of Abington MM he is sometimes referred to as the Preacher.

He may have been personally associated with Penn.5 In 1708 William Penn was in England, during a long absence from the colony and his manor house of Pennsbury. Penn wrote to his secretary James Logan and instructed him to “let William Walton, that comes from Bristol, keep all in order till we come.”6

Walton lived about fifteen miles south of Pennsbury, but he could have been in charge of the manor house, since there is no other known William Walton at the time and the second generation of Waltons would not have been old enough.7 (The alternative is that Penn was sending out a man named William Walton from Bristol in England to be his manager; he was known to send other servants from England.)

William died in late 1736 or early 1737 while on a missionary trip to Tortola Island. At the time Henry Tomlinson called him “a public Friend in good esteem.”8 In his will he named his wife Sarah, six children, and three grandchildren. His son William Jr. was the executor.

Sarah died before September 1749, when her will was probated. In it she named her daughter Sarah Alberton, two sons of her son Isaac, granddaughter Mary Mardon, and granddaughter Rachel Mardon. Sarah had outlived at least six of her children.

Children of William and Sarah:9

Rachel, b. 7^th month 1690, d. 1718, m. 1714 Edward Parry, lived in Horsham. Edward had a daughter Sarah from his first marriage, to Jane Evans.¹⁰ Edward and Rachel had children Edward and Rachel, before Rachel’s death at a young age, possibly related to childbirth.11 Edward died in Horsham in 1726.

Isaac, b. 4^th month 1692, d. 1755, m. 1) ab. 1713 Mary Parry, 2) 1728 Sarah Kennet, 3) 1737 Sarah Holt.12 He was in trouble with Abington Meeting for the marriage with Sarah Holt, being “indecently familiar” before the marriage. He was in trouble again with the meeting in 1755 for drinking to excess, but died before the meeting could give him a copy of the testimony against him.13 He died in Manor of Moreland, Philadelphia County, without a will. He had at least nine children, possibly by all three wives.

Jeremiah, b. 9^th month 1694, d. Feb. 1740/1, married in 1718 or 1719 at Abington Elizabeth Walmsley, daughter of Thomas and Mary.14 “Most of the Waltons about Horsham are of this family.”15 They lived in Byberry, and raised a family of ten children. Elizabeth died in 1775.16 Children: William, Thomas, Rachel, Jeremiah, Jacob, James, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Phebe. The children married into Quaker families such as Duncan, Kirk and Jeanes.

Jacob, b. 3^rd month 1697, probably died young. He was not named in the wills of his parents.

Sarah, b. 1^st month 1699, d. 1767, married 1724 Benjamin Albertson, son of William and Hannah. They were cleared to proceed in marriage by Abington meeting on 8^th month 1724.  Children: William, Jacob, Josiah, Benjamin, Chalkley, Sarah. The children were alive in 1749 when Sarah’s mother made her will.17

William, b. 2^nd month 1701, d. 10^th month 1740, unmarried. Letters for his estate were granted to his brother Isaac.18

Abel, b. 10^th month 1703, d. 1771, married 1731 Rebecca Walmsley, daughter of Henry and Mary. They were married under the auspices of Abington Meeting between 8^th month and 10^th month 1731. They lived in Moreland and had four known children. Abel died in 1771; Rebecca died in 1775.19

Job, b. 3^rd month 1706, d. 1784, m. 1) Agnes Walmsley, dau. of Thomas and Mary, 2) 1757 Catherine McVaugh.20 He lived in Byberry. According to tradition he was a preacher at Byberry Meeting in 1752, but Abington meeting complained that he preached while drunk. He was finally disowned in 1755 for drinking to excess. He and Catherine were married at Swedes Church; she died 1800.21  Children of Job and Agnes: Isaac, Sarah, Job, Isaiah, Thomas, Mary, William, Elijah.22

Hannah, b. 2^nd month 1708, d. 1741, m. 1) Thomas Walmsley, Jr., 2) Thomas Mardon. Hannah’s first husband, Thomas Walmsley, was the son of Thomas Walmsley and Mary Paxson. The younger Thomas died a few months after his marriage to Hannah by falling off a horse. About 1730 she married Thomas Mardon, a tailor, and bought out the time of his indenture.23 They lived in Byberry, where Hannah died in 1741 and Thomas in 1762. Children: Rachel, Mary, Jacob and Sarah.

Mary, b. 7^th month 1710, d. 1732, m. in 1729 William Homer, son of William Homer and Elizabeth Walmsley. They were cleared by Abington to proceed in marriage in 2^nd month 1729. Mary died a year or so later, and in 1732 William married Mary’s first cousin, also named Mary Walton, a daughter of Daniel and Mary Walton. William had two children with the first Mary and eight more with his second wife. Children: Elizabeth, William.24