More England

The photos of Russia here will please you but it does seem as if I had seen nothing of you.

Mary Walker, August 1897 in a letter to Edward and Betsy

        

     Mary Walker, who turned 82 that summer, expressed her disappointment that Edward and Betsy had to cut short their trip because of Percy's illness. At this point in her life, Mary, who never lived more than 50 miles from where she was born, had seen two of her children leave the British Isles. Edward had made a prosperous life in Topeka, but his oldest sister and sibling, Mary, had perished abroad in the fall of 1874, Another daughter, Margaret, had died in 1888 and her second oldest child, Eliza, seems to also have died by this time.

     Mary Cooke Walker had been born in the summer of 1815 in Acton [Russia Hall is on Frog Ln] in Cheshire. When she married Thomas Bloor Walker in August of 1837, just weeks after her 23rd birthday, it was only about 8 miles from Acton. 

Russia Hall in 2009

        Of their eight children, all but the youngest, were born in Bradfield Green near Crewe as Thomas addressed his letter to Mary in 1846 when he was in London selling the cheese they'd made. For some reason their last child Sarah Gray Walker was born in Wales near Denbighshire, but even that was only about 35 miles from Mary's birthplace. Thomas died there in April of 1854 and Mary and her children by 1861 were living in Russia Hall where she lived until her death in 1904.

       When Edward and Betsy visited in 1897, she lived with her son, Thomas, and his family at Russia Hall, but her five surviving daughters all lived near by.

Thomas Walker - 1890s

      

Letter from Mary Walker
to Edward and Betsy
August 1897

My precious Children, Edward and Bessie –
Mr. Sharp is taking charge of this letter and wished me to say who sent the things. I send a pair of sheets, 1 pillow slip & 4 serviettes.
Julia sends a pair of sheets, 2 pillow slips and small salt cellars for Lilly. Sally sends a gold broach for Lilly and Emma sends a . . . [bible?]. I think Lilly will be pleased. Sally hopes Bessie will treasure the old china cups and saucers she sent&; Edward the cup like my china he asked me for. I . . . Bessie the sweet William seed and the gillyflower seed. Mr. Sharpe is to have some of it.
My dear Edward, I send you a very old silver spoon which was your Grandma Walker’s with my dear love hopes your dear Percy is better. The photos of Russia here will please you but it does seem as if I had seen nothing of you.

      In 1897 Lily Walker was 24 and didn't marry John Leib until 1903 but from this letter it appears they were sending items for a dowry. I guess maybe anyone of marrying age would have received such gifts. The next oldest girl was Eula and she was only 13 so that may explain why all the items were for Lily.

     Julia in the letter is Edward's sister who was married to Thomas Spencer and lived at Well House Farm, Handley about 10 miles or so from Russia Hall in Tattenhall. Sally could be Edward's youngest sister, Sarah Gray Salmon, who lived less than 5 miles from Russia Hall in Waverton. The only Emma I can find would have only been nine so I doubt that is her.

The plate shown here I've always assumed was bought by Edward and Betsy on this trip, but I don't know for sure. It was made not far from Tattenhall and dates between 1894 and 1895 so I don't think it's one of the items described above.