I AM BOUND TO THEM, THOUGH I CANNOT LOOK INTO THEIR EYES, OR HEAR THEIR VOICES. I HONOR THEIR HISTORY, I CHERISH THEIR LIVES. (AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

THERE ARE ONLY TWO LASTING BEQUESTS WE CAN HOPE TO GIVE OUR CHILDREN. ONE IS ROOTS; THE OTHER, WINGS.(HODDING CARTER).



"IF YOU CAN'T GET RID OF THE FAMILY SKELETON, YOU MAY AS WELL MAKE IT DANCE." (GEORGE BERNARD SHAW)

There are many groups of WALKERS in all parts of Scotland and the various groups are probably unrelated to each other. They are found as far back as the fourteenth century. The name comes  from a
 trade: that of "waulker" or "fuller" of cloth, which in Gaelic is "Fucadair". In Gaelic the  name is
 "Mac an Fhucadair", which sometimes appears in English as "MacNucator". It would appear that most, if not all, the Walkers of these two places are descended from three brothers who came from Scotland around the year 1841. The Three Brothers were: NIALL Walker  (Our GGG
 Grandfather), DOMHNULL Walker (Our GGG Grand Uncle), and IAIN Walker (Our GGG Grand Uncle).

HISTORY OF THE Dewan (Irish) NAME

The Irish name Dewan was originally written in a Gaelic form as ODaimhin,  derived from the work "damh," which refers to "an ox" or "a stag". Spelling variations of this family name include: Devine, O'Devine, Davin,  Devane, Dwane, Duane, Dwain, Dwayne, Dwayn, Devan, Davine, Devyne and many  more.
 First found in county Derry where they were seated from very ancient times. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were:  Mary Devine who settled in Virginia in 1653; Felix Devine who settled in  Baltimore MD. in 1804; Bryan Devine settled in New York in 1803; John Davins  settled in Virginia in 1636.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, PROBABLY NEVER ENDING!!! IF THERE ARE ANY MISTAKES  PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE GUESTBOOK OR BY EMAIL...EVERYONE CAN CHECK THEIR OWN  FAMILY FACTS AND LET ME KNOW IF I WAS MISTAKEN ABOUT ANY
 INFORMATION...BIRTHDAYS,ANNIVERSARIES ETC.

EVERYONE WILL ENJOY THIS STORY!!! IT WAS WRITTEN BY DEBBIE...Happy Reading!

It all started long long ago and far far away, in a small mining town on the  east coast of nowhere, a town next to the last town at the end of the world.  Yep the 7th child which then meant not much but since then has become the  number that pops up in many milestones for me later on. It's a girl they said  to Catherine who was by that time used to that - girls were all she gave birth  to it seemed. It was like the good lord said «you shall have girls» and so she  did. A boy was born before that as one of a set of twins but like so often  back then the twins did not live. It was crib death they said and that was  that. We all didn't think much about that till we gave birth to our own then  we felt bad that Ma probably didn't get the comforting that she so needed at  that time cause nobody knew that she needed it - lifes a bitch sometimes.    I  guess we have to name her eh!

First born was called Stella, cause Ma liked the name and it was also from  Da's family, then came Irene (Renee) cause Da liked the name, then Patricia  (Patsy), very popular at the time, then Janie, named after Ma's mother, by  that time Ma was sure she'd have a boy if for no other reason than she was  running out of girl names, but when the baby was delivered the doctor gave Ma  that look that she had seen so many times before and Ma said to hell with it  I'll name this one after myself and so was christened Catherine (Cathy). It  was like she was now determined to have babies till one of them was born with  a penis. She liked the name Terrie and decided that her next baby that would  certainly be a boy and be named that. Then came that look again and since at  that time Terrie was used only for boys Ma found the convenient name of  Geraldine for her little baby girl but in real life decided to call her Terrie  anyway. I don't remember much, actually not anything in the first couple of  years. When I think of it the first real big memory I have was my oldest  sister's wedding day. I was about 2 and some and the celebration started  already in the early morning. Back then the wedding started with breakfast  guests. I think I kept this memory cause my brother-in-law-to-be paid  attention to me. He really liked kids, as I got to see later on, and he played  with me that day cause I was the baby in the family - who knows, maybe he just  thought he had to to be nice, but anyway I obviously enjoyed it and I felt  real important and tra la la. Probably even then, little did I know but Ma was  already pregnant again. Yeah those Catholics, they loved kids back then. I  don't know whether it was the religion, a choice, or just carelessness that  year after year and baby after baby Ma kept havin' kids. Maybe that sounds  harsh but so many mouths to feed. Not that she was the only one in town havin'  them though ? maybe it was keepin up with the Joneses -who knows, but after me  came «the twins» as they were called whether they liked it or not, I don't  think anybody ever asked them. Judy and Joan, usually referred to in that  order cause Judy was born first and then came Joan shortly after. Ma says that  she had kept her figure up till then but being pregnant with the twins changed  that. I don't remember cause I was probably busy being the baby still and was  looked after by my big sisters. Must I say that Ma got pregnant again ? yeah  she kept her promise to herself that she will have a boy even if it kills her.  About 5 months along and she felt something that she hadn't in other  pregancies - this small being was too silent  - there was no movement.  Ultrasound was a thing of the future then so with difficultly finding a heart  beat and stopped movement the doctor could only tell Ma that she will have a  still birth and since she has so many kids at home already that she should  feel blessed. Well she felt anything but blessed with such news and prayed for  a miracle before it was too late. In her rocking chair she rocked her belly  and massaged and prayed and just before she was supposed to go the hospital to  give birth the good lord answered her prayers and there was movement again.  The moment we have all been waiting for, a cold winter February night Ma's  time was up and the delivery began - by that time she was just thankful that  the child was alive and she beat the odds - but the doctor had a look that she  didn't quite recognize and he said «Mrs. Walker you have a baby boy». Needless  to say the celebrations began. A boy with the proud name of Vincent, after  granddad Walker, finally arrived safe and healthy and his reign began being  the little brother of nine big sisters and with the ambition of carrying on  the family name some day. But, the sounds of baby crys were not far away and  once again a little bundle of joy, actually the only birth I remember my  mother having. A very clear memory of the arrival of our baby sister Anne  Marie who remained the one and only "baby of the family" of Catherine and  Francis Walker.

HISTORY OF THE WALKER (English) NAME
 The distinguised surname WALKER is of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin. It is  derived from the Old English "wealcere," meaning "fuller", an occupation  involving the scouring and thickening of raw cloth by beating it and trampling  it in water. It is likely that the progenitor of this name held this  occupation.
 Spelling variations of this family name include: Walker, Walkere and others. First found in Yorkshire, where the family seated from ancient tims. Some of the first settlers of this family or some of its variants were: John  Walker, Roger Walker, and Isabel Walker, who all immigrated to Virginia in  1623; Augustine Walker, who settled in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1630; James  Walker, who arrived in St. Christopher in 1635.
 Family Crest: Walker meaning:  How Great are Honourable Deeds.

Suggested Readings for the name Walker
 Ancestors and Descendants of the Walker Lathrop Family of Chelsea, Vermont by  M. Gudmundson Walker, THe Genealogy of the Families of Formon-Boisclair,  Walker, Beers, Lacy by Mary W. Meadows, Genealogy of the Vale, Walker, Littler  and Other Families by George Walker Vale.