The Walden Family

John Chavis Walden, born say 1720, was called John Charvis in July 1745 when John Meally sued him in Surry County, Virginia court. He was called John Chevas alias Walden when the case was dismissed because he had left the county. He was living in Southampton County, Virginia, on 9 November 1749 when the churchwardens bound out his unnamed son, "a mulatto of John Walden a poor child according to law. He was in Brunswick County, Virginia, in June 1758 when he gave testimony in the suit of (his brother?) Matthew Walden against William Randle. The inventory of John Chavis Walden's estate, presented in Brunswick County on 25 September 1761, totaled 10 pounds and included a mare, a colt, hogs, and carpenter's tools. His children may have been John Chavis, Bartholomew, Isham, Robert, and Benjamin.

John Chavis Walden, born say 1742, was taxable on 125 acres in Dinwiddie County in 1782. He purchased 70 acres in Warren County, North Carolina, on the east side of Causeway Branch adjoining Worrell on 23 April 1782 and purchased 125 acres on the west side of Smith's Creek in Warren County for 40 pounds on 27 February 1783. He sold (signing) the 125 acres for 50 pounds on 1 November 1785. He was taxable on 460 acres and 1 poll in Warren County in 1784 and taxable on 75 acres and no polls in 1786. He purchased three tracts of land in Mecklenburg County, Virginia: 400 acres joining the Warren County line on 26 December 1785 for 120 pounds; a 1-1/5 acre lot on the south bank of the Roanoke River on the west side of the road leading to Christopher Haskins' ferry, about 400 yards from the ferry on 9 July 1792 for 12 pounds; and 110 acres on the Warren County line and the head branches of Cotton Creek for 55 pounds on 8 January 1795. He was taxable on 3 horses and 9 cattle in Mecklenburg County in 1787; taxable on himself and William Kersey in 1788; taxable on himself and slaves Pompey and Tiller in 1790; and on himself and John Walden, Jr., in another list for 1790; on himself, John Walden, and Robert Corn in 1791; on himself and son Jarrell in 1795 and 1796; and taxable on himself, son John and slaves Patty, Milly, Amy, Mary & Hannah in 1805 and 1806. He was called John C. Walden in August 1793 when the Warren County court ordered the Collector to pay him 67 pounds for building and keeping in repair the bridge across Palmer's Mill Pond, and on 27 August 1793 he was called John Walden of Mecklenburg County, Virginia, when he and John Birchett of Warren County posted a bond for 200 pounds to insure their keeping the bridge in repair for seven years. He (signing) and his wife Rebecca sold 400 acres where he was then living in Mecklenburg County on 3 February 1797, sold 60 acres at the head of Cotton Creek on 11 March 1797, and sold 50 acres on the county line to Susanna Mayo on 25 December 1797 with Moses Stewart and Charles Durham as witnesses. His sons Eaton and John were counted in the 1800 Warren County census. He owned land in Chatham County before May 1785 when he was among the freeholders ordered by the court to work on one of the county roads. On 20 July 1800 he was called John C. Walden of Chatham County when he purchased 172 acres in Randolph County on Brush Creek, and on 27 February 1805 he bought another 170 acres on Flat Creek in Randolph County which he sold to his son William on 1 September 1810. In the Tuesday, November 1819 session of the Chatham County court, a bond from him and John Farrar for building a bridge and keeping it in repair for seven years was returned, and the court ordered the County Treasurer to pay him 33 dollars for building the bridge across Hughs' Creek on the road leading from Ramsey's Mills on Deep River to Fayetteville. He was head of a Warren County household of 10 "other free" in 1800 (perhaps the same John Walden who was head of a Chatham County household of 12 "other free" in 1800), 4 "other free" and a slave in 1810 and 6 "free colored" in Chatham County in 1820. head of a Chatham County household of 12 "other free" in 1800. He transferred 100 acres to his son Bartley Walden by deed proved in Chatham County court on Tuesday, November 1819 and to (his son-in-law) Wiley Jean by deed proved in Chatham County court on Tuesday, February 1821. His 12 September 1829 Chatham County will, recorded November 1829, mentioned his wife Rebecca and thirteen children to whom he left 514 acres in Chatham and Randolph counties. The will also mentioned a granddaughter Lucy Scott, probably the Lucy Walden who married Abraham Scott, 22 October 1822 Wake County bond. John Chavis Walden's children were Stephen, Lucy, William, Sarah, Elizabeth, Bartley, Anna, John, Mary "Polly", Eaton, Rhoda, Robert, and Jarrel.

Sons Eaton and Jarrel migrated to, and settled in Owen County, Indiana in the early 1830's. Some of their descendants migrated to the Lost Creek Settlement.

Eaton Walden, born about 1767, was taxable in the Mecklenburg County 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. (more)

Jarrel Walden, born say 1777, was taxable in his father's Mecklenburg County household in 1795 and 1796. He married Mourning Jackson, 16 September 1801 Mecklenburg County marriage bond. (more)

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