Henderson Walker (1659-1704) was the
Acting
Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Acting involves a broad r ...
Deputy Governor of North Carolina from 1699 to 1704. He is better known for his contribution in the founding of the
Church of England in the
Albemarle Sound region.
Early years
Henderson Walker was born in 1659
[North Carolina History Project](_blank)
Retrieved July 03, 2012, 22:23 pm.[Walker, Henderson , NCpedia](_blank)
Retrieved July 03, 2012, 22:23 pm. and died in 1704.
Retrieved July 03, 2012, 23:34 pm. He arrived in
Albemarle County around 1682. There he owned land, and raised livestock for selling.
Henderson was a clerk of the county courts,
and later was appointed to many other public offices. He served at different times as
attorney general
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
(from October 1695
), judge of the supreme court, and
President of the Council, making many judicial reforms.
He was also a judge of the
General Court,
Court of Chancery, and
Admiralty Court
Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries, and offences.
Admiralty courts in the United Kingdom England and Wales
Scotland
The Scottish court's earliest ...
,
assemblyman, and customs collector. He participated in the Colonial Council in 1694, under Governor
Thomas Harvey. In March 1699, he was chosen to serve as boundary commissioner. The purpose of his promotion was to contribute to the resolution of the conflict over the borders of the Virginia colony.
Acting governor of North Carolina
In 1699, after the death of Harvey, Walker was named the Acting Deputy Governor of North Carolina.
However, he never was deputy by the governor at
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
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.
His government led to an era of peace and economic growth in North Carolina.
Thus, many Virginians traveled to North Carolina (and
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
) to achieve economic improvements.
However, the
English Crown
This list of kings and reigning queens of the Kingdom of England begins with Alfred the Great, who initially ruled Wessex, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alfred styled himself King of the Anglo-Sax ...
sought to weaken proprietary colonies, so Walker was often forced to decide whether to help the Lords Proprietors or to support the monarch. He chose the Crown, helping to found the local
Church of England.
He managed to pass the called Vestry Act in 1701, which levied taxes on North Carolinian's;
the tithing tax had two objectives: finance the
Anglican churches
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
and serve as a salary for the ministers.
Parishes and churches were established (although the clergy became very important in policy of the colony, which upset many residents of the colony),
and a public levy was created. He also secured control of the colonial assembly.
Attempting to turn the Anglican religion into the official religion of the colony, he began to create a "church party" in North Carolina,
which caused an ongoing "conflict between churchmen and dissenters".
This conflict promoted a rebellion against him, called
Cary's Rebellion
Cary's Rebellion (also known as the Cary Rebellion) was an uprising against the Deputy Governor of North-Carolina in 1711 led by Thomas Cary, who refused to give up his governorship to Edward Hyde. The rebellion was a part of a long-standing t ...
,
and, later, the so-called Regulator Rebellion.
In 1703 the Meherrin, a Native American people, was accused of attacking the settlers. They were charged with "destroying and burning their stock and timber houses, refusing to pay tribute" and to accept government laws. That year, Henderson Walker resigned from the governor's office, replaced by
Robert Daniel
Robert Williams Daniel, Jr. (March 17, 1936 – February 4, 2012) was an American farmer, businessman, teacher, and politician from Virginia who served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican. He was first elected in ...
. But he continued to being a council's member. He was chosen as its president in 1703, but he only presided over it until 1704. He also served as a member of the court of justice.
Walker died in
Edenton, North Carolina, on 14 April 1704.
Although he was originally buried at his plantation, located near the
Albemarle Sound, he was later reburied in the graveyard at
St. Paul's Church, Edenton.
Personal life
In April 1686 Walker married Deborah Green; they had a daughter named Elizabeth. In February 1694 Walker married Ann Lillington, but they had no children.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Henderson
1659 births
1704 deaths
Burials at St. Paul's Church, Edenton
Deputy governors of North Carolina (1691–1712)