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Eaton Walden, born about 1767, was taxable in the Mecklenburg County, Virginia household of his father in 1788. He was taxable in his own household in 1789, taxable on himself and 2 horses in 1795, and taxable on himself and a horse in 1796. He married Nanney Evans, daughter of Charles Evans, 20 December 1788 Mecklenburg County bond. He was taxable in adjoining Warren County, North Carolina, on 75 acres and a free poll in 1790 and taxable on a free poll in 1792, 1797, 1798, 1800 and 1801. He was head of a Warren County, North Carolina household of 3 "other free" in 1790 and 6 in 1800. He was bondsman for the 24 June 1793 Mecklenburg County marriage of Boling Chavous and Nancy Thomerson. He was taxable in Randolph County, North Carolina in 1815, and he was head of a Randolph County household of 8 "free Colored" in 1830. By 1840 he had moved to Lafayette Township, Owen County, Indiana, where he was head of a household of 5 "free Colored". On 7 April 1842 he was called "my father" (no name mentioned) in the Owen County will of his son Richard. In 1850 he was living with Morgan Walden in Washington Township, District 83, Owen County, counted as an eighty-three-year-old Black man born in Virginia. Eaton's children were:

Richard, born say 1790, an insolvent taxpayer in 1822, listed in the Wednesday, August 1823 session of the Chatham County court. He was in Owen County, Indiana, by 31 August 1826 when he purchased Lot no. 119 in the town of Spencer. He purchased Lot no. 175 on 18 August 1827 and sold Lots no. 105 and 109 in November 1826 to Pardon Boen Roberts. He was head of an Owen County household of one "free colored" in 1830 and 14 in 1840, with a man and woman over fifty-five years of age. He received a license to sell groceries and liquor in Owen County on 6 March 1833, in November 1834, January 1837, and March 1838. He purchased 40 acres in Washington Township on 17 October 1836 and made a deed of gift of 1/4 acre of this land to (his brothers) Jesse and Morgan Walden as a "burying ground for myself and all my colored friends and relations forever" on 7 April 1842, now known as the Walden Cemetery. His mother was already buried there. By his 7 April 1842 Owen County will, proved five days later, he left land in Owen County to his brother Jesse and sisters Winney and Elizabeth Walden, and he mentioned but did not name his father.

Jesse, born about 1795, one of the freeholders of Chatham County who were ordered by the court to work on the road from Bell's Cross Roads to the County line near Goodwins by the Monday, February 1825 session. He married Martha Turner, 16 October 1828 Mecklenburg County, Virginia bond. He obtained "free papers" in Randolph County on 1 October 1834 and recorded them in Owen County, Indiana, on 2 February 1835. They stated that he was a "young man of colour," a laborer, "moving to some of the western states". He was head of an Owen County, Indiana, household of 5 "free colored" in 1840 and counted in the 1850 Owen County census: 55 years old, Black, born in Va., $250 estate, with Patsy, 35, Black, born in N.C., and nine children born in Indiana after 1834, whose names were Elias, Jack, Littleton, Robert, Richard, Simeon, Gillian, Martha, and Jesse Jr. Jesse married Mary Pruitt Scott on 4 Mar 1838, in Orange County, Indiana. They had 2 children born in Indiana, whose names were Betsy and Mary. (more)

Morgan, born about 1798, married Clary Walden 20 October 1829 Randolph County bond. He was head of an Owen County, Indiana, household of 9 "free colored" and one 70-80 year old white woman in 1840, (his light-skinned mother). Eaton, his father, was living in Morgan's Owen County household in 1850. He was counted in the census as having an estate worth $600 and being deaf and dumb. Also listed were Morgan's wife Polly, born in North Carolina, and his five children, Riley, Sally, Talitha, Ira, and Polly, who were all born in Indiana, his sister Nancy, and brother John.

Nancy, born about 1801, is also listed in the 1850 Owen County census, living with brother Morgan.

Winney, born about 1805, in North Carolina. She had at least 3 children, Delilah, William, and Emmazilla, before her marriage to George Evans on 7 May 1843 in Owen County, Indiana. He was born on 16 Dec 1803 in North Carolina. He died on 07 Apr 1873 in Vigo County, Indiana. Winney Walden lived in Lost Creek Township in 1850 and 1860. She was buried in Jan 1896 in the Roberts Cemetery. Winney Walden had the following children:

Delilah Walden was born about 1825 in North Carolina. She married Chesley Norton on 18 Sep 1845 in Vigo County. He was born about 1805 in North Carolina. (more)

William Walden was born in Apr 1829 in North Carolina. He died in 1916 in Jasper, Illinois. He married Mary Ann Walden, daughter of Harbard Walden and Jane Scott, on 31 Oct 1858 in Owen County, Indiana. She was born on 10 Jul 1834 in North Carolina. She died on 06 Feb 1894 in Jasper, Illinois. (more)

Emmazilla "Emma" Walden was born in 1842 in Indiana. She died in 1925. She married Byron Ross on 25 Jan 1866 in Vigo County. He was born about 1839 in Georgia. He died in 1922. Byron was a self identified run-away slave, who escaped captivity when Union soldiers advanced into his area. His master/father had ordered Byron to take his horses, and hide them from the soldiers. Instead, Byron stole a horse, and made his way to the Union troops, who helped him to make his way to Indiana after the War. One of Byron's straight line male descendant's yDNA test, shows a haplogroup of R-M405, which is Northern European, confirming that Byron's slave master, was his father. This descendant also shows he has a 4% Native American ethnicity, which means that Byron's mother was either half or full blooded Native American.

Elizabeth, born about 1803, in North Carolina. She married Chesley Norton on 17 February 1822 in Randolph County, North Carolina. (more)

Wiley, born about 1810 in North Carolina. He married Sarah Wilson on 1 March 1832 in Vigo County, Indiana. (more)

John, born about 1816 in North Carolina. He is listed in the 1850 Owen County census, living with his brother Morgan.

SOURCE of pre-1800 data: Paul Heinegg @ http://freeafricanamericans.com