| Anecdote | | Lieutenant Colonel William Walker of the U.S. Confederate Army is believed to have fathered 3 illigetimate children with Margaret Elizabeth "Betty" Montgomery in Shoal Creek/Murphy, North Carolina. I believe she possibly served as a live-in nanny for Colonel Walker's family. She is listed on an 1850 U.S. Census for Colonel Walker's home as household member. Her name reads "Tempty" Montgomery, age 23 years, which I believe is simply an error, because mistakes are common on handwritten Census forms. Also, her age would have been closer to 18. According to my research, William Clay Walker is reported to be the father of "Betty's" 3 children: Eliza, James, and John Allen, all of which were given her surname, Montgomery. I don't have any birth records to verify this, only other family tree records of other members that also list William Clay Walker, William C. Walker, or Captain Walker as the father of "Betty" Montgomery's children. I do, however, have the 1850 Census record with "Tempty" Montgomery listed as a household member, thus possibly establishing a tangible connection between "Betty" and Colonel Walker, and proving my theory. My research is ongoing and I welcome any input. Should my findings prove to be correct, I am the great-great granddaughter of Colonel William Clay Walker.
gkmontgomery1 Correction: After submitting this story, I came to realize that I had missed a fairly obvious piece of the puzzle. "Betty" Montgomery was NOT the live-in nanny or servant for Colonel Walker but rather the younger sister of Temperance Montgomery, also known as "Tempy" who was listed as "Tempty" on the 1850 Census. I was aware of Betty's sister Temperance, yet I failed to make the connection. Also, Tempy was born 1n 1827, making her 23 years old in 1850, as reported on the Census. So, I am assuming that either Colonel Walker knew Betty Montgomery because of her older sister, and/or maybe that he was a family friend or neighbor. He was well-known in the Cherokee region and the Montgomery family were local farmers. Their actual ties may never be known. |