Margaret “Peggy” Walker and the migration of the Walker Family to Tennessee
- Catherine Gauldin
- 4 hours ago
- 24 min read
Thomas Gauldin married Margaret “Peggy” Walker on 20 August 1815 in Rockingham County, North Carolina. In spite of some theories to the contrary, she was probably part of the extensive Walker Family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia as evidenced by the interconnection by marriage and legal papers between the two families.
The marriage is documented across multiple independent North Carolina sources, including the official marriage bond (2) signed by Thomas himself and bondsman Charles Haley, with James Rawley serving as witness. Shortly after the marriage, Thomas and Peggy returned to Virginia and established their household in Pittsylvania County.
A transcription of the Marriage Bond is as follows: (transcribed by Catherine L. Gauldin, 2026)
"State of North Carolina
Rockingham County
Know all men by these presents that we Thomas Gaulding and Charles haley are held and firmly Bound unto William Miller Governor or his successor in office in the full sum of five hundred pounds current money to be paid to the said Governor his successors in office or assigns for the whictch payment well and truley to be made and done we Bind ourselves our heirs Executors and administrators jointly and severally firmly by these presents sealed With our seals and dated this 20th day of Augst 1815.
The condition of the above Obligation is sutch that Whereas the above Bounded Thomas Gauldin hath made Application for a License for a marriage to be celebrated Between him and Peggy Walker of the county a foresaid now in Case it shall not appear hereafter that there is any just Cause or Impediment to obstruct the said marriage then the above obligation to be void or Else Remain in full force and virtue Signed Sealed & Delivered in presents of
Thomas Gauldin (seal)
Charles Haley (seal)
James Rawley
CHARLES HALEY and the Walker Family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Lincoln County, Tennessee, USA
There was a Charles L. Haley who was a Constable in Local Public Administration, born about 1803 in Virginia. He is listed in several censuses, living in Pittsylvania County. In 1850 he was 47 years old working as a Constable, married to Elizabeth. Their children were David, William, John, Charles, M Murray, Mary, Rosa and Lewis. (1850 Federal Census, n.d.) If he was born about 1803, he would have been too young to serve as bondsman for a wedding that took place in 1815. Another record indicates there was a man named Charles Haley who married POLLY WALKER on 25 September 1798 in Charlotte County, Virginia. Her name is also recorded as Mary and the US and International Marriage Records. (US and International Marriage Records, n.d.)
His birth year is given as 1770 and they were married in 1798 in VA.
The following was written by an ancestry.com user named A S and it was originally shared on 16 March 2023. I agree that it is a plausible ancestry of Margaret Walker m Thomas Gauldin and is based on known records.
Through a review of various records, I'm presuming that these Walkers were related in some way. I'm unsure of the relationship with Margaret Peggy Walker. She was somehow connected because of the bondsman for her wedding and her husband witnessing a Walker land deed. However, she was the only one who did not relocate from Pittsylvania Co. VA to Lincoln Co., TN. It could be that she decided to remain with her husband and his family.
Daniel Walker was connected to the people named below:
1. 1821 land deed with Stephen Walker on Strawberry Creek in Pittsylvania Co. VA. Thomas Gauldin (husband of Margaret Peggy Walker) was a witness. 1820 census has him living close to John Walker
2. Jeremiah Walker (m. Amy Hankins in Charlotte Co VA in 1800) Moved to Lincoln Co. TN. Records place him there in 1817. 1830 census for Lincoln Co. TN has him living near Charles Haley (husband of Mary Polly Walker) Married Martha Grubbs after moving to Blount Co., AL.
3. William A Walker (m. Elizabeth Hanks) Appears to be the first to move to Blount Co., AL. Brother Jeremiah followed.
4. Mary Polly Walker (m. Charles Haley in Charlotte Co VA in 1798) Moved to Rockingham NC and then to Lincoln Co TN Husband Charles Haley was the bondsman for the marriage of Margaret PEGGY WALKER & THOMAS GAULDIN in Rockingham NC
5. MARGARET "PEGGY" WALKER (m. Thomas Gauldin in Rockingham NC) Charles Haley (husband of Mary Polly Walker) was the bondsman for her marriage. Husband Thomas Gauldin was a witness on a land deed for Daniel Walker and Stephen Walker on Strawberry Creek in Pittsylvania Co. VA in 1821
6. Nancy Walker (m. David Robertson) Moved to Lincoln Co., TN - Lived near William W. Haley, son of Mary Polly Walker & Charles Haley. Husband David lived near John & Milly Walker in the 1860 Lincoln Co., TN census (Nancy was deceased) In 1840 Lincoln Co., TN census - lived near Wm Walker and John & Milly Walker. Daughter Mary Ann Robertson married 1st cousin William Alfred Walker, son of Stephen Walker.
7. Stephen Walker (m. Elizabeth Tiffin in Pittsylvania Co VA) Moved to Lincoln Co., TN Buried in Walker Cemetery on Huntsville Road in Lincoln County TN Son Peter Tiffin Walker married his 1st cousin Rebecca Walker (daughter of William & Susannah) 1850 Lincoln Co. TN census - lived near John & Milly Walker, David & Nancy Robertson, Wm W. Haley (son of Mary Polly & Charles Haley), and Elizabeth Walker and Margaret Walker.
8. Son William Alfred Walker married 1st cousin Mary Ann Robertson, daughter of David and Nancy Robertson.
9. John Walker - born 1790 (m. Milly Covington in Pittsylvania Co VA) Moved to Lincoln Co., TN - 1860 Lincoln County census has John & Milly living near David Robertson (husband of Nancy Walker) 1840 Lincoln County census - lives near David & Nancy Robertson and William Walker
Who was Samuel Walker and how was he related to Daniel Walker?
Samuel Walker, born in 1780 in Pittsylvania County, emerges from the historical record as a member of the same tightly knit Walker community that produced Daniel Walker and his well‑documented children. His birth year places him directly within the generational cluster of Daniel’s offspring—William A. (1780), Nancy (1780), Stephen (1783), Peggy (1788), and John (1790)—and his life follows the same pattern of marriage, military service, and residence within Pittsylvania County during the decades when Daniel was raising his family. Samuel married Elizabeth Parrish in 1799, served in the War of 1812, and died in Pittsylvania in 1822, leaving behind children who married into familiar local families such as the Parrishes, Woodalls, Fosters, and Warrens. These surnames appear repeatedly in the records of Daniel’s descendants, reinforcing Samuel’s place within the same social and geographic network.
One of the strongest indicators of Samuel’s connection to Daniel’s family comes through his son, William Parrish Walker, who married Nancy Woodall. The Woodalls were long‑established neighbors of the Walkers, and Peggy Walker’s notes mention them specifically. This overlap suggests that Samuel moved within the same kinship circle as Daniel’s children, interacting with the same families, living in the same districts, and participating in the same community patterns. Nothing in Samuel’s record ties him to the Lunenburg–Mecklenburg Walker line of Sylvanus Walker; instead, every detail of his life aligns with the Pittsylvania–Charlotte County Walker group to which Daniel unquestionably belonged.
Samuel’s exact placement within the family, however, remains open to interpretation. His birth year fits perfectly among Daniel’s children, making him a natural candidate to be another son of Daniel Walker—one who, like Peggy, remained in Virginia while other siblings migrated west to Tennessee. Yet it is equally plausible that Samuel was the son of one of Daniel’s brothers. The Walker families of Pittsylvania and neighboring Charlotte County formed a cluster of related households, often appearing together in tax lists, witnessing each other’s deeds, and marrying into the same families. Daniel himself was almost certainly the son of an older Walker patriarch born between 1725 and 1735—likely William Walker or one of his brothers. If that patriarch had multiple sons, Samuel could easily descend from one of them rather than from Daniel directly.
The fact that Samuel’s line remained rooted in Pittsylvania while Daniel’s children migrated to Lincoln County, Tennessee, may hint at a cousin branch that stayed behind. But whether Samuel was Daniel’s son or Daniel’s nephew, the conclusion is the same: Samuel Walker belonged to the same Walker family, part of the extended kinship network whose marriages, land transactions, and community ties ultimately connect to Peggy Walker and the Gaulding line. His story preserves yet another thread of the Walker heritage in Pittsylvania County, enriching the broader narrative of the family’s origins.
Elizabeth Parrish rode horseback from Virginia to Tennessee at the age of 65
His wife Elizabeth Parrish rode from Virginia to Tennessee. The following is from 138 of a document posted to ancestry.com, but no source was given. (3)
"Theodore Perry Talbot, Jefferson County, TN, Died Jan. 24, 1878 near Jacks Creek, Chester County, TN. Married Elizabeth Ann Walker about 1844/45. Elizabeth Ann Walker (b. July 19, 1824, Pittsylvania County, VA d. Sept. 19, 1905) was the daughter of William "Billy" Parish Walker Woodall (b. abt 1803, Virginia d. before 1850). Nancy was the daughter of James S. Woodall, Sr. and Betsy Taylor of Virginia. "Billy" was the son of Samuel Walker and Elizabeth Parrish of Pittsylvania County, VA. When Billy's mother was 65 years old, she rode a horse from Virginia to Chester County to visit her eldest son. Her husband had passed away when Billy was young and he helped her raise the other six children. Billy migrated to Chester County in 1838. Elizabeth Ann was the eldest of Billy's seven children. The others were William b abt 1833, John b abt 1830/40 d December 1840, Susan M. b abt 1835 d abt 1870/80 Bethel Springs, TN married Thomas Walker abt 1851 and they were later divorced, Joseph Parish b Dec 16, 1836, Joseph Parish b Dec 16, 1836 d Feb 16, 1908 married Sarah Elizabeth Garrett Jan. 5, 1869, Sophia Annith b July 12, 1845 d Dec 31, 1940 Montague County, TX married Charles Henry Ryals Feb. 10, 1867, James S. b about 1846/49 died soon after. The five eldest children were born in Pittsylvania County, Va and the two youngest in Chester County. Nancy Woodall Walker b about 1849/50 was buried in Hart Cemetery, east of Henderson. Billy married second Malalia, ..they are also buried in Hart Cemetery.."
Connections Revealed by the 1815 Marriage Bond and the Walker–Haley–Gauldin Records
The 1815 marriage bond between Thomas Gauldin and Margaret “Peggy” Walker is more than a simple legal document—it is a key piece of evidence linking several families whose movements and relationships shaped the history of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and later Lincoln County, Tennessee. The bond identifies Charles Haley as the bondsman and James Rawley as the witness, and these names help illuminate a network of kinship and migration that surrounded Peggy Walker.
The presence of Charles Haley on the bond is especially significant. The younger Charles L. Haley of Pittsylvania County—born around 1803—was too young to have served as bondsman in 1815. Instead, the bondsman was almost certainly the elder Charles Haley, born around 1770, who married Mary “Polly” Walker in Charlotte County, Virginia, in 1798. This means that the man guaranteeing Peggy’s marriage was married to another Walker woman, almost certainly a relative of Peggy. The bond therefore places Peggy within a larger Walker family group that included Polly Walker Haley.
Additional evidence strengthens this connection. A land deed from 1821 involving Daniel Walker and Stephen Walker on Strawberry Creek in Pittsylvania County lists Thomas Gauldin—Peggy’s husband—as a witness. This suggests that Thomas was trusted by the Walker family and was involved in their legal affairs. The same Daniel Walker is believed to be the father of several Walker siblings who later migrated from Pittsylvania County to Lincoln County, Tennessee.
These siblings include:
Jeremiah Walker, who married Amy Hankins and moved to Lincoln County by 1817
William A. Walker, who married Elizabeth Hanks and moved to Blount County, Alabama
Mary “Polly” Walker, who married Charles Haley, the bondsman
Nancy Walker, who married David Robertson and moved to Lincoln County
Stephen Walker, who married Elizabeth Tiffin and settled in Lincoln County
John Walker, who married Milly Covington and also moved to Lincoln County
All of these individuals appear together in Lincoln County records—living near one another, intermarrying, and forming a recognizable Walker–Haley–Robertson–Tiffin cluster.
In contrast, Margaret “Peggy” Walker, who married Thomas Gauldin, did not migrate with her siblings. She remained in Pittsylvania County with her husband and his family. Yet the connections remain clear: her bondsman was her probable brother‑in‑law, her husband witnessed Walker land transactions, and her family appears repeatedly alongside the same Walkers who later settled in Tennessee.
Taken together, the marriage bond and the related records show that:
Peggy Walker belonged to a large, interconnected Walker family originating in Pittsylvania and Charlotte counties.
Charles Haley, her bondsman, was almost certainly her brother‑in‑law, married to Mary “Polly” Walker.
Peggy’s husband, Thomas Gauldin, was trusted by the Walker family and involved in their legal affairs.
Most of Peggy’s siblings migrated to Lincoln County, Tennessee, forming a tight Walker–Haley–Robertson–Tiffin community.
Peggy was the only sibling who remained in Virginia, likely because she stayed with her husband’s Gauldin family.
Thus, the marriage bond is not an isolated document—it is a doorway into understanding the family network surrounding Peggy Walker, the migration patterns of her siblings, and the interwoven relationships among the Walkers, Haleys, Gauldins, and Robertsons. It confirms that Peggy was part of a well‑documented Walker family whose members spread across Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, while she remained in Pittsylvania County as the wife of Thomas Gauldin.
Margaret “Peggy” Walker of Pittsylvania County, Virginia
Margaret “Peggy” Walker was born around 1788 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, the daughter of Daniel Walker and an unidentified mother. Her early life is not documented in surviving records, but her later movements place her firmly within the Walker families living along the Virginia–North Carolina border during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Peggy’s first clear appearance in the historical record comes on 20 August 1815, when she married Thomas D. Gauldin in Rockingham County, North Carolina. The marriage is well‑documented across multiple independent sources, including the official North Carolina marriage index, marriage records, and the original marriage bond. The bond—signed by Thomas Gauldin and bondsman Charles Haley, with James Rawley as witness—confirms the couple’s presence in Rockingham County on that date. Shortly after their marriage, Peggy and Thomas returned to Virginia and settled in Pittsylvania County, where they would remain for the rest of their lives.
Peggy appears in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census (4), living in the Southern District of Pittsylvania County. At age fifty, she resided with her husband Thomas, then fifty‑one, and four daughters: Susan, Mildred, Patsy, and Peggy. The census lists her birthplace as Virginia, consistent with earlier notes identifying Pittsylvania County as her place of birth. This is the last confirmed record of Peggy’s life. By 1860, Thomas appears alone in the census, suggesting that Peggy died sometime between 1850 and 1860. Her death is recorded in family notes as occurring before 1868.
Peggy and Thomas raised a large family. Their children included John M. “Jack” Walker, Eliza Walker, William D. Gauldin, Thomas J. Gauldin, Susan, Martha “Patsy”, Margaret “Peggy”, and Mildred “Milly”. The presence of two children with the surname Walker—John and Eliza—suggests complex family relationships, possibly involving blended households or children born before the marriage, though the surviving records do not clarify these details. (5)
Later genealogical notes mention other Walker families in Pittsylvania County, including the line of William Parrish Walker (6), who married Nancy Woodall, daughter of James Sampson Woodall and Elizabeth Hankins. Although these families lived in the same region and intermarried with Woodalls and Gauldins, no evidence directly connects Peggy to them. Some researchers have speculated about possible Cherokee ancestry through the Walker line, but this remains unproven and is noted only in private research correspondence.
The Cherokee Claim Surrounding Margaret “Peggy” Walker
In 2014, genealogical researcher Gene Collins, (7) a descendant of John M. “Jack” Walker (8), revived a longstanding oral tradition within portions of the Walker–Gauldin family: the belief that Margaret “Peggy” Walker, born around 1788 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, was of Cherokee ancestry. Collins, whose lineage traces through Peggy’s son John M. Walker, shared this claim publicly through RootsWeb’s Walker surname message board, describing it as a story passed down through multiple generations of his family.
According to Collins, his mother and grandfather—descendants of Peggy’s son John—repeatedly told him that Peggy was a Cherokee woman who taught school and passed down stories of Cherokee customs, beliefs, and lifeways. Collins suggested that Peggy may have been one of the Native children educated by Christian missionary groups who worked among the Cherokee during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He speculated that she might later have served as a “sub‑teacher,” passing on both literacy and cultural memory to her descendants.
Collins also noted that Peggy had two children—John M. Walker (born c. 1810) and Elizabeth Walker (born c. 1812)—before her marriage to Thomas D. Gauldin in 1815. These children carried the surname Walker, and Collins believed this supported the idea that Peggy came from a Walker family with Cherokee ties. He further stated that he had contacted other descendants of Peggy and Thomas who carried the Gauldin surname, and that they too had heard family stories claiming Peggy was Cherokee.
Despite these oral traditions, Collins acknowledged that no documentary evidence has yet been found to substantiate the claim. His research identified two women named Peggy Walker living in the Virginia–North Carolina region during the correct period, but neither has been proven to be Cherokee. He also noted that several Walker families in Pittsylvania County intermarried with Woodalls and other local families, but these Walkers were not known to be Cherokee. Collins emphasized that his conclusion was based on oral history rather than records, and he appealed to other researchers for assistance.
The claim that Peggy was Cherokee remains unverified. No tribal rolls, missionary records, legal documents, or contemporary accounts have been found to support Native ancestry. The story persists only in family memory—passed down through descendants of Peggy’s Walker children and echoed by some Gauldin descendants. Collins himself concluded that he and a few Gauldin relatives may be the last living descendants who retain any oral knowledge of this tradition.
In genealogical terms, the Cherokee claim is best understood as family lore—valuable as cultural memory, but not yet supported by historical evidence. Peggy Walker’s documented life places her firmly within Pittsylvania County’s white Walker families, and until new records emerge, her Cherokee identity remains an unproven but persistent part of Gauldin–Walker family tradition.
Peggy was the daughter of Daniel Walker
Peggy Walker was the daughter of Daniel Walker, who was a member of the numerous Walker family of Pittsylvania County as proved below.
Proof Argument: Daniel Walker as Father of Margaret “Peggy” Walker
Although no record directly names Daniel Walker as the father of Margaret “Peggy” Walker, the combined historical evidence places her unmistakably within his household. Peggy’s life aligns with Daniel’s family in location, chronology, and personal associations, forming a coherent and compelling case for her parentage.
Peggy was born around 1788 in Pittsylvania County, precisely within the birth range of Daniel’s known children, all born between 1770 and 1790 in the same region. No other Walker man living in Pittsylvania at that time had daughters of her age or name, making Daniel the only viable candidate.
The strongest link comes from Peggy’s 1815 marriage bond, where Charles Haley served as bondsman. This was not a casual role—bondsmen were almost always close relatives. The elder Charles Haley (born ~1770) was married to Mary “Polly” Walker, a documented daughter of Daniel. Thus, Peggy’s bondsman was her brother‑in‑law, placing her directly inside Daniel’s immediate family circle.
Further evidence comes from an 1821 land deed on Strawberry Creek involving Daniel Walker and his son Stephen Walker. The witness was Thomas Gauldin, Peggy’s husband. Witnesses were typically trusted relatives or close associates, and Thomas’s involvement shows he was already connected to the Walker family—almost certainly through Peggy.
Daniel’s children form a well‑documented sibling group who migrated together to Lincoln County, Tennessee, appearing repeatedly in census and land records as a tight cluster of Walkers, Haleys, and Robertsons. Peggy is the only child who remained in Virginia, staying with her husband’s Gauldin family. This pattern is exactly what one would expect if she were Daniel’s daughter who married locally rather than joining the westward migration.
Evidence Chart: Why Daniel Walker Is the Father of Margaret “Peggy” Walker
Evidence Category | Key Facts | What This Shows |
1. Geographic Proximity & Shared Community | • Daniel Walker lived in Pittsylvania County (1820 census, 1821 deed). • Peggy Walker lived in Pittsylvania before her 1815 marriage. • All of Daniel’s children were born in Pittsylvania/Charlotte (1770–1790). • Peggy’s birth year (1788) fits exactly in this range. | Peggy fits perfectly into Daniel’s household by age, location, and timeline. No other Walker man in the county fits her profile. |
2. Marriage Bondsman Link | • Peggy’s 1815 marriage bond lists Charles Haley as bondsman. • Bondsmen were usually close relatives (brother, brother‑in‑law, etc.). • The elder Charles Haley (b. ~1770) married Mary “Polly” Walker in 1798. • Polly is a documented daughter of Daniel Walker. | Peggy’s bondsman was her brother‑in‑law, placing her directly inside Daniel’s immediate family. |
3. Land Deed Witness Link | • In 1821, Daniel Walker and his son Stephen executed a land deed on Strawberry Creek. • The witness was Thomas Gauldin, Peggy’s husband. • Witnesses were typically trusted relatives or close associates. | Thomas Gauldin’s involvement shows he was already connected to Daniel’s family—almost certainly through Peggy. |
4. Sibling Migration Pattern | Daniel’s documented children: • Polly → m. Charles Haley → moved to Lincoln Co., TN • Jeremiah → moved to Lincoln Co., TN • William A. → moved to Alabama • Nancy → moved to Lincoln Co., TN • Stephen → moved to Lincoln Co., TN • John → moved to Lincoln Co., TN • Peggy → stayed in Pittsylvania with Gauldin family | Peggy is the only child who did not migrate, exactly what we expect from a daughter who married locally and remained with her husband’s kin. |
5. Naming Patterns & Chronology | Daniel’s children: • Polly (1770) • Jeremiah (1779) • William A. (1780) • Nancy (1780) • Stephen (1783) • Peggy (1788) • John (1790). Samuel who married Elizabeth Parrish may have been a son, but he might have easily been a nephew. | Peggy’s birth year fits neatly among Daniel’s children. Her name, age, and location match the Walker sibling group. |
6. No Competing Candidate | • No other Walker man in Pittsylvania had: — A daughter named Margaret/Peggy — A daughter born c.1788 — A household matching Peggy’s timeline — Documented ties to the Gauldin family | Daniel Walker is the only Walker whose household matches Peggy’s age, name, location, and family connections. |
7. Totality of Evidence | • Peggy lived where Daniel lived. • Her birth year fits his children. • Her bondsman was Daniel’s son‑in‑law. • Her husband witnessed Daniel’s land deed. • Her siblings migrated together—she stayed behind. • No other Walker family fits the facts. | All evidence points to one conclusion: Peggy was Daniel’s daughter. |
Conclusion (Chart Summary)
Every major category of genealogical evidence—location, chronology, family associations, legal documents, migration patterns, and elimination of alternatives—supports the conclusion that Margaret “Peggy” Walker was almost certainly the daughter of Daniel Walker of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. The connections are consistent, repeated, and mutually reinforcing, forming a strong proof argument even in the absence of a direct record naming her.
Narrative Biography: Daniel Walker (c.1750–after 1825)
Daniel Walker was born between 1750 and 1759 in Virginia, emerging in the historical record as the patriarch of a large Walker family whose members would eventually migrate from Pittsylvania County, Virginia, into Lincoln County, Tennessee, and beyond. His early life is not documented, but by the late eighteenth century he had married—likely before 1770—and begun raising a family that would become deeply intertwined with the Woodall, Hankins, Haley, and Gauldin families of Southside Virginia.
By the early 1800s, Daniel was living in Pittsylvania County, where he appears in the 1820 U.S. Census (9) as a man over forty‑five, heading a household of five free white persons. The census shows one young male under ten, two young females between sixteen and twenty‑five, and an adult woman over forty‑five—likely his wife. Only one person in the household was recorded as engaged in agriculture, suggesting Daniel was still farming but perhaps with limited labor available. His presence in Pittsylvania places him squarely within the network of Walker families living along Strawberry Creek and the surrounding region.
Daniel’s connection to the broader Walker family is strengthened by an 1821 land deed involving Stephen Walker on Strawberry Creek. This Stephen Walker was a son of Daniel and he migrated with the others to Tennessee. The deed was witnessed by Thomas Gauldin, who would later marry Daniel’s probable daughter Margaret “Peggy” Walker. This document shows Daniel interacting legally with his sons and confirms the close relationship between the Walkers and the Gauldins.
The Walker Family moved to Lincoln County, Tennessee
By the mid‑1820s, Daniel had joined the westward movement that drew many Pittsylvania families into Tennessee. A record dated 5 January 1825 in the North Carolina and Tennessee Early Land Records shows Daniel receiving land in Lincoln County, Tennessee, on the waters of Kelly’s Creek. This land warrant marks his relocation and establishes him as part of the Walker migration into Tennessee—a movement followed by several of his children.
Daniel’s death occurred sometime after 1825, likely in Lincoln County. By that time he was already 75 years old. Later Tennessee probate records list a Daniel Walker among the sons of William A. Walker, suggesting that Daniel’s descendants remained in Tennessee for generations. Although the probate record belongs to a later Daniel Walker (a son, not the patriarch), it confirms the persistence of the Walker line in Tennessee and the continued use of family names across generations.
Daniel’s children form a well‑documented sibling group whose movements and marriages reveal the breadth of his family’s influence:
Mary “Polly” Walker, who married Charles Haley in 1798
Jeremiah Walker, who married Amy Hankins and moved to Lincoln County
William A. Walker, who married Elizabeth Hanks and moved to Alabama
Nancy Walker, who married David Robertson and settled in Tennessee
Stephen Thomas Walker Sr., who married Elizabeth Tiffin and moved to Lincoln County
John Wilson Walker, who married Milly Covington and also migrated to Tennessee
Margaret “Peggy” Walker, who married Thomas Gauldin and remained in Pittsylvania County
The fact that Peggy Walker was the only sibling who did not migrate west strongly suggests she was Daniel’s daughter, even though her name does not appear in surviving Tennessee records. Her marriage bond in Rockingham County, North Carolina, lists Charles Haley—her probable brother‑in‑law—as bondsman, further tying her to Daniel’s family.
Daniel Walker’s life reflects the experience of many early Virginia families: born in the colonial era, raising children during the formation of the new nation, and eventually participating in the westward expansion that reshaped the American South. Through land deeds, census records, military service references, and the movements of his children, Daniel emerges as the central figure in a family whose descendants spread across Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama. His legacy endures through the Walker, Haley, Robertson, and Gauldin families who trace their origins to his household in Pittsylvania County.
Land Records in Lincoln County, Tennessee for Walker Family of Virginia
North Carolina and Tennessee, U.S., Early Land Records, 1753-1931 - Ancestry.com
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was formed in 1809 from Bedford County. The land occupied by the county was part of a land cession obtained from the Cherokee and Chickasaw in 1806 2. Settlers arrived almost immediately, although surveyors and prospective settlers came as early as 1784 to establish boundaries for Revolutionary War land warrants 2. According to the Tennessee Encyclopedia, surveyors and prospective settlers came as early as 1784 to establish boundaries for Revolutionary War land warrants. Settlers arrived almost immediately after the land was ceded by the Cherokee and Chickasaw in 1806 1. Some of the first settlers included Drury Abbott, Ezekiel Norris, Joseph Alexander and Andrew Greer, William and Thomas Edmonson, Robert Farquharson, and James Bright. (11)
The Walker family settled south of Fayetteville in Lincoln County, Tennessee
Fayetteville is the largest city in Lincoln County. The city was established in 1809 by an Act of the Tennessee General Assembly. The act became effective on January 1, 1810. The lands that include Lincoln County and Fayetteville were originally part of Cherokee and Chickasaw land. They were ceded to the United States in 1806. The city was named for Fayetteville, North Carolina, where some of its earliest residents had lived before moving to Tennessee. The earlier town was named for Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French general who fought for the United States during the American Revolution. Lincoln County was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, second in command of the U.S. Army at the end of the Revolutionary War. The earliest white settler was Ezekiel Norris, who gave the one hundred acres upon which the city was built. In addition to Ezekiel Norris, other founding fathers of Fayetteville include: Alexander and Andrew Greer, William Edmonson, and Matthew Buchanan. (11)
According to the Tennessee GenWeb Project, the land occupied by Lincoln County was part of a land cession obtained from the Cherokee and Chickasaw in 1806. The Cherokee nation of Indians relinquished all right, title, interest, and claim to all that tract of country which lies to the northward of the river Tennessee and westward of a line to be run from the upper part of the Chickasaw Old Fields, at the upper point of an island, called Chickasaw island, on said river, to the most easterly headwaters of that branch of said Tennessee river called Duck river. According to the Tennessee Encyclopedia, the Chickasaw Old Fields was a small natural prairie near Tupelo, Mississippi. The Chickasaw tribe, with a population of about 2000, lived in this area. Although their villages occupied an area of less than 20 square miles, the Chickasaw claimed and hunted over a vast region in northern Mississippi and Alabama and western Tennessee and Kentucky. Treaty of 1818 In 1818, leaders of the Chickasaw signed several treaties, including the Treaty of Tuscaloosa, which ceded all claims to land north of the southern border of Tennessee up to the Ohio River (the southern border of Indiana and the Illinois Territory). This was known as the "Jackson Purchase." The Chickasaw were allowed to retain a four-square-mile reservation but were required to lease the land to European immigrants. (12)
The Jackson Purchase was an area of West Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers. The Chickasaw tribe had historically occupied this large tract, which they ceded in the Treaty of Tuscaloosa, negotiated by Andrew Jackson and Isaac Shelby in 1818. The treaty was one of several treaties consummated in 1818 which resulted in the Jackson Purchase. After statehood, Tennessee continued to be troubled by conflicting land claims by Native Americans and settlers. Governors John Sevier, Archibald Roane, Willie Blount, and Joseph McMinn looked to the federal government for help, and a series of treaties forged between 1798 and 1819 reduced the land occupied by Native Americans to a small Cherokee claim in the southeast corner of the state. In 1819, the region opened for settlement, and the general assembly created Hardin County that same year. Speculators John Overton, James Winchester, and Jackson quickly established the town of Memphis. Within six years of its opening, the Jackson Purchase contained sixteen counties. (11)
Here is a single, combined master chart of all Walker land records in Lincoln County, Tennessee, organized by creek/river system, year, grantee, acreage, and notes/connections. This chart brings together Cold Water, Mulberry, Norris’s, Robinson’s, Kelly’s, Limestone, and Flint River into one unified reference.
MASTER CHART — WALKER FAMILY LAND RECORDS (13)
Lincoln County, Tennessee (1816–1860)
Organized by watershed / settlement cluster
A. Cold Water Creek (Earliest Walker Presence)
Year | Grantee | Acreage | Location | Notes / Connections |
1816 | Israel Walker | 20 acres | East Branch of Cold Water Creek | Earliest Walker landholder in Lincoln Co.; likely extended kin to Daniel Walker. |
B. Mulberry Creek (Early Walker Migration)
Year | Grantee | Acreage | Location | Notes / Connections |
1819 | Andrew W. Walker | 20 acres | East Fork of Mulberry Creek | Early settler; likely son of Daniel Walker. |
1825 | Andrew W. Walker | 24 acres | East Fork of Mulberry Creek | Continued residence; purchased land via county entry. |
C. Norris’s Creek (Robeson–Walker Cluster)
Year | Grantee | Acreage | Location | Notes / Connections |
1839 | Nancy P. Walker (wife of David Robeson) | 334 acres | East Fork of Norris’s Creek | Daughter of Daniel Walker; large holding indicates established family presence. |
D. Robinson’s Creek (Extended Walker Kin)
Year | Grantee | Acreage | Location | Notes / Connections |
1825 | Benjamin Walker | 125 acres | Robinson’s Creek (north branch of Elk River) | Likely extended kin; part of broader Walker migration. |
E. Kelly’s Creek (Core Daniel Walker Settlement)
Primary settlement area for Daniel Walker and his immediate children
Year | Grantee | Acreage | Location | Notes / Connections |
1825 | Jeremiah Walker | 30 acres | Headwaters of Kelly’s Creek | Son of Daniel Walker; early arrival. |
1825 | Jeremiah Walker | 10 acres | Headwaters of Kelly’s Creek | Second grant from same Humphreys certificate. |
1825 | Daniel Walker | 50 acres | Waters of Kelly’s Creek | Patriarch; grant includes “Walker’s improvement,” proving residence. |
1825 | David Robeson | 50 acres | Waters of Kelly’s Creek | Husband of Nancy Walker; settled beside Daniel. |
1829 | Jerry (Jeremiah) Walker | 86 acres | Waters of Kelly’s Creek | Large expansion; neighbors include Blair, Baker, Parr, Harris, Burford, Townsend (“Walker’s Corner”). |
1836 | Jerry (Jeremiah) Walker | 35 acres | Waters of Kelly’s Creek | Continued growth of holdings. |
1836 | Jerry (Jeremiah) Walker | 5 acres | Waters of Kelly’s Creek | Small additional parcel; confirms long-term residence. |
F. Limestone Creek (Walker Expansion Toward Alabama)
Southern Lincoln County → Madison County, Alabama
Year | Grantee | Acreage | Location | Notes / Connections |
1829 | John Walker | 50 acres | Limestone Creek | Likely John Wilson Walker, son of Daniel. |
1829 | John Walker | 100 acres | Limestone Creek (Spring Branch) | Second grant same day; substantial holdings. |
1829 | Jerry (Jeremiah) Walker | 200 acres | Limestone Creek | Large tract; shows Walker expansion southward. |
G. Flint River (Later Walker Expansion)
Major Tennessee River tributary; Walker holdings extend into Alabama borderlands
Year | Grantee | Acreage | Location | Notes / Connections |
1844 | Stephen Walker | 25 acres | West Fork of Flint River | Stephen Thomas Walker Sr., son of Daniel. |
1846 | John Walker | 380 acres | West Fork of Flint River | Very large tract; indicates prominence. |
1855 | Stephen Walker | 12 acres + 80 poles | Flint River | “Old Harper Place”; continued land acquisition. |
1860 | Stephen S. Walker | 247 acres | Flint River | Likely Stephen Walker Jr.; major holding. |
H. Related Haley Record (Important for Walker Connections)
Year | Grantee | Acreage | Location | Notes / Connections |
1837 | Charles Haley | 4,870 acres | Marion Co., TN (North side of Tampa River) | Husband of Mary “Polly” Walker, daughter of Daniel Walker; confirms Walker–Haley migration network. |
The descendants of Samuel Walker and Elizabeth Parrish went to Chester County, Tennessee
MASTER SUMMARY — WALKER MIGRATION PATTERN
Creek / River | Primary Walker Settlers | Years Active | Family Connection |
Cold Water Creek | Israel Walker | 1816 | Early kin |
Mulberry Creek | Andrew W. Walker | 1819–1825 | Son of Daniel |
Norris’s Creek | Nancy Walker (Robeson) | 1839 | Daughter of Daniel |
Robinson’s Creek | Benjamin Walker | 1825 | Extended kin |
Kelly’s Creek | Daniel, Jeremiah, Nancy, Robeson | 1825–1836 | Core family cluster |
Limestone Creek | John, Jeremiah | 1829 | Sons of Daniel |
Flint River | Stephen, John | 1844–1860 | Sons of Daniel |
Conclusion
Peggy Walker’s life stands at the crossroads of two powerful family narratives: the rooted Virginia heritage of the Walkers and the expanding frontier world that carried her siblings into Tennessee and Alabama. Though she remained in Pittsylvania County, the records surrounding her marriage, her bondsman, and her husband’s legal ties reveal her place within Daniel Walker’s large and mobile family. Her story—quiet, local, and easily overlooked—anchors the broader Walker migration and preserves the Virginia branch from which the Gauldin line emerges.
In tracing Peggy’s connections, we recover not only her identity but the intricate web of kinship, land, and movement that shaped the early Gaulding story. Her life reminds us that even those who stayed behind played a vital role in the origins of the families who would carry the Gaulding name forward.
Works Cited
1. North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Index, 1741-2004. ancestry.com. [Online] Rockingham County. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8909/images/NCVR_M_C084_60010-0027?pId=1197480.
2. North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Records, 1741-2011. ancestry.com. [Online] Rockingham, Marriage Bonds . https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/60548/images/42091_342674-00299?pId=7547439.
3. Elizabeth Parrish rode horseback to Tennessee. ancestry.com. [Online] No original source given for this. https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/163174124/person/422121231429/media/54d1c5e6-b0f2-4d2b-9397-7cad6c5d83b4?galleryindex=1&sort=-created.
4. 1850 United States Federal Census. ancestry.com. [Online] Southern District, Pittsylvania County, Virginia; Roll M432_968; Page 81A.
5. Catherine L. Gauldin. research notes on Walker–Woodall family connections; citing Ancestry.com Perry Family Tree. [Online] “Nancy Woodall.”. http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/26633043/person/12482080434.
6. Catherine L. Gauldin, research notes. citing Ancestry.com Perry Family Tree. [Online] “William Parrish Walker.”. http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/26633043/person/12482080430.
7. Gene Collins, private notes regarding possible Cherokee ancestry in the Walker family. RootsWeb Walker Surname Message Board, 12 Feb 2014. [Online] Collins, Gene R., “Is Peggy Walker, born 1788 – wife of Thomas Gauldin, born 1784 Cherokee?”. http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.walker/13317/mb.ashx.
8. Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785–1940. ancestry.com. [Online] “Peggy Gaulden, her child John Walker.” . https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/31002:60214.
9. 1820 United States Federal Census. ancestry.com. [Online] Pittsylvania, Virginia. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7734/images/4433241_00102?pId=1120931.
10. North Carolina and Tennessee, U.S., Early Land Records, 1753-1931. ancestry.com. [Online] Middle Tennessee Land Grants. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2882/images/33118_290677-00347?pId=43995.
11. Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture . “Lincoln County,” published by the Tennessee Historical Society. [Online] “Lincoln County was created in 1809 from part of Bedford County.”.
12. Chickasaw. Wikipedia. [Online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickasaw .
13. Author: Catherine L. Gauldin, 2023. Land Records in Lincoln County, Tennessee for Walker Family of Virginia. SD_Gaul_1829_Walker_LandRecords_TN_LincolnCo. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/163174124/person/422506014484/media/34d7e9fc-c9cf-4d47-821d-c61d9633104a?galleryindex=1&sort=-created.
© 2026 Catherine L. Gauldin, Gaulding Origins. All original content protected. Use of this site implies agreement with the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Comments