Walker family of Fern Hill
Thomas Walker married Elizabeth Rachel Cornwall
born circa 1844 30 May 1878 born circa 1856
Co Galway Roscommon Co Galway
died 19 Dec 1919
Galway
Thomas Walker born circa 1844 son of Ralph Walker and Annie Rigby was a farmer in
Clooncannon, Co Galway. He married Elizabeth Rachel Cornwall on 30 May 1878 at
Mount Talbot, Co Roscommon. Eliza was the daughter of Matthew Cornwall, a farmer.
They lived at Clooncannon where Thomas’ father died in 1870 aged 85. Thomas’ older
unmarried sister Anne continued to live with the family. They had six children of
whom five survived in 1911. Thomas died 19 Dec 1919 at Clooncannon.
1 Ralph Walker born 10 Apr 1879 at Clooncannon in Co Galway farmed in
Roscommon in 1911. He identified as Church of Christ “as Revealed in His
Word and taught by His Spirit”. He married Frances M E Godkin on 17 Jun 1913.
Frances was the daughter of James Godkin a shopkeeper of Ballyforan. Ralph
died 27 Feb 1945 at Roscommon County Hospital.
2 Thomas Walker born 9 Apr 1880 at Clooncannon.
3 Daughter Walker born 1881 at Clooncannon lived just 12 hours.
4 Hester Ann (Hettie) Walker born 28 Dec 1882 at Clooncannon, Co Galway. She
was living in Roscommon with her brother Ralph in 1911. She identified as
Church of Christ “as Revealed in His Word and taught by His Spirit” and was an
Evangelical preacher. She was residential secretary of the Bethany Home in
Rathgar from 1924 to 1955 (an entity created by the merging of the Dublin Prison
Gate Mission and the Dublin Midnight Mission of Blackall Place). The Bethany
Home was operated by a fundamentalist evangelical group. It operated mostly
on a bank overdraft and when Dublin Corporation acquired their house in
Rutland Square under a compulsory purchase, they were forced to find new
premises on short notice. Niall Meehan reports that the owner of the new
premises demanded 3K on a property valued at 2K. Joseph Walker Hettie’s
brother was paid 2750 for his property on Orwell Road and resigned from the
Bethany management committee. It is believed that over 200 children died in
the Bethany Home between 1922 and 1949 and around 50 children were
adopted outside the State. However, research conducted into Mount Jerome
records in 2010 shows over 270 children from Bethany were interred there
which would mean a 65% mortality rate. Hettie died unmarried on
13 May 1855 at the Bethany Home.
5 Joseph Walker born circa 1884 in Galway attended Galway Grammar School. He
was a dentist and a member of the RCSI. He married Mary Louisa Robinson on
16 Jun 1908 at the Methodist Church, Charleston Road, Ranelagh. Mary Louisa
was the daughter of Philip B Robinson, a merchant of Belmont Palmerston Road,
Rathmines. Joseph was chairman of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. He was
the owner and chairman of Walkers Ltd, a pram making facility in Liffey Street. In
the 1930’s he purchased Messrs R Marks Ltd, Bicycle and Gramophone Records
factors. In 1934 Joseph purchased Fern Hill and he and his wife set about
transforming the gardens into a more relaxed style. Their son Ralph also took a
keen interest in the planning. Joseph was on Bethany’s management committee
and in 1935 his sold his house in Orwell Road to them and then resigned from
the managing committee. He died 19 Aug 1953 at Fernhill and Mary Louisa died
22 Dec 1953, both are buried at Kilternan.
1 Norman Cornwall Walker born 2 Jun 1909 at 35 Harcourt Street. In
1945 he purchased 250 acres of land at Annacrevy beside the
Powercourt Demesne. He kept Cattle and sheep and later in life wild
ponies. He married Catherine Kingston on 30 Jun 1948 at St Anne’s
Church, Shankill. Catherine was the daughter of Samuel Kingston. They
continued to live at Annacrevy, Enniskerry and Norman was chairman of
the Powerscourt Ploughing championships and a peace commissioner.
After Norman’s Death in a car accident a dispute arose re a right of way
across the property and his son was involved in a lengthy litigation; the
findings of which were that the property did not have a public right of way.
2 Desmond Greer Walker born 11 Mar 1911 at Belmont, Palmerston Road.
He was resident at 35 Harcourt Street in 1934 and living at Portland Place
in London and married Geraldine Elizabeth Johnson on 11 Jun 1938 at St
Peter’s Church, Burnham, Buckinghamshire. Geraldine was the daughter
of the Rev Manasseh Johnson of Farway, Devon. Desmond was a dental
surgeon and consultant at the Middlesex Hospital in London.
3 Ralph Joseph Walker born 13 Feb 1913 at Torquay Cottage, Foxrock. A
solicitor and later senior partner in Hayes & sons wrote in informal
adoption agreements for the Bethany Home. He married Sally Penrose
Scott on 10 April 1939 at Bandon Parish Church. Sally was the only
daughter of William Stawell Scott, a civil engineer and his wife Annie Crooke.
Ralph was chairman of The Irish Times from 1959 until 1973. The Walker
family continued to extend and change the garden. Ralph with his brother
Philip purchased the Rossdohan island Estate in 1955. Plants and ferns
from there were transplanted to Fernhill. Sally continued to live there
after the death of her husband and opened the gardens to the public on a
regular basis.
4 Philip Robinson Walker born 16 Nov 1915 at Templeogue Lodge. He married
Ruth Loudon Nicholson in 1948. Ruth was the daughter of the late Arthur J
Nicholson of Ardglas, Dundrum. Philip was an accountant and on the
management committee for the Old Men’s Home on Northbrook Road. He
was also chairman of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Hume Street
Hospital. They had a family and lived at Cabinteely. He was joint managing
director of Walkers Limited and their associated companies and were
distributors of ‘Baby cars’, bicycles, fridges and many other electrical products.
6 Henry Matthew (Harry) Walker born 11 May 1886 at Clooncannon in Co Galway
working on the family farm in 1911. He married Ethel Marshall Bourns on
27 Feb 1912 at St Peter’s Church, Dublin. Ethel was the third daughter of John
Bourns of Ballygar, Galway. He farmed at Kircubbin in Co Down and when he
retired from farming he became an auctioneer and cattle dealer at Donaghadee
Road, Bangor. He was a committee member of the Bangor Worldwide Missionary
Convention. Harry died in February 1959.
1 Edgar Walker born circa 1913.
2 Henry Cecil Walker born 17 June 1916 in Roscommon.
3 Irene Ethel Walker born 11 April 1919 in Roscommon.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - 2018 updated June 2024
Return to Fern Hill page
Thomas Walker married Elizabeth Rachel Cornwall
born circa 1844 30 May 1878 born circa 1856
Co Galway Roscommon Co Galway
died 19 Dec 1919
Galway
Thomas Walker born circa 1844 son of Ralph Walker and Annie Rigby was a farmer in
Clooncannon, Co Galway. He married Elizabeth Rachel Cornwall on 30 May 1878 at
Mount Talbot, Co Roscommon. Eliza was the daughter of Matthew Cornwall, a farmer.
They lived at Clooncannon where Thomas’ father died in 1870 aged 85. Thomas’ older
unmarried sister Anne continued to live with the family. They had six children of
whom five survived in 1911. Thomas died 19 Dec 1919 at Clooncannon.
1 Ralph Walker born 10 Apr 1879 at Clooncannon in Co Galway farmed in
Roscommon in 1911. He identified as Church of Christ “as Revealed in His
Word and taught by His Spirit”. He married Frances M E Godkin on 17 Jun 1913.
Frances was the daughter of James Godkin a shopkeeper of Ballyforan. Ralph
died 27 Feb 1945 at Roscommon County Hospital.
2 Thomas Walker born 9 Apr 1880 at Clooncannon.
3 Daughter Walker born 1881 at Clooncannon lived just 12 hours.
4 Hester Ann (Hettie) Walker born 28 Dec 1882 at Clooncannon, Co Galway. She
was living in Roscommon with her brother Ralph in 1911. She identified as
Church of Christ “as Revealed in His Word and taught by His Spirit” and was an
Evangelical preacher. She was residential secretary of the Bethany Home in
Rathgar from 1924 to 1955 (an entity created by the merging of the Dublin Prison
Gate Mission and the Dublin Midnight Mission of Blackall Place). The Bethany
Home was operated by a fundamentalist evangelical group. It operated mostly
on a bank overdraft and when Dublin Corporation acquired their house in
Rutland Square under a compulsory purchase, they were forced to find new
premises on short notice. Niall Meehan reports that the owner of the new
premises demanded 3K on a property valued at 2K. Joseph Walker Hettie’s
brother was paid 2750 for his property on Orwell Road and resigned from the
Bethany management committee. It is believed that over 200 children died in
the Bethany Home between 1922 and 1949 and around 50 children were
adopted outside the State. However, research conducted into Mount Jerome
records in 2010 shows over 270 children from Bethany were interred there
which would mean a 65% mortality rate. Hettie died unmarried on
13 May 1855 at the Bethany Home.
5 Joseph Walker born circa 1884 in Galway attended Galway Grammar School. He
was a dentist and a member of the RCSI. He married Mary Louisa Robinson on
16 Jun 1908 at the Methodist Church, Charleston Road, Ranelagh. Mary Louisa
was the daughter of Philip B Robinson, a merchant of Belmont Palmerston Road,
Rathmines. Joseph was chairman of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. He was
the owner and chairman of Walkers Ltd, a pram making facility in Liffey Street. In
the 1930’s he purchased Messrs R Marks Ltd, Bicycle and Gramophone Records
factors. In 1934 Joseph purchased Fern Hill and he and his wife set about
transforming the gardens into a more relaxed style. Their son Ralph also took a
keen interest in the planning. Joseph was on Bethany’s management committee
and in 1935 his sold his house in Orwell Road to them and then resigned from
the managing committee. He died 19 Aug 1953 at Fernhill and Mary Louisa died
22 Dec 1953, both are buried at Kilternan.
1 Norman Cornwall Walker born 2 Jun 1909 at 35 Harcourt Street. In
1945 he purchased 250 acres of land at Annacrevy beside the
Powercourt Demesne. He kept Cattle and sheep and later in life wild
ponies. He married Catherine Kingston on 30 Jun 1948 at St Anne’s
Church, Shankill. Catherine was the daughter of Samuel Kingston. They
continued to live at Annacrevy, Enniskerry and Norman was chairman of
the Powerscourt Ploughing championships and a peace commissioner.
After Norman’s Death in a car accident a dispute arose re a right of way
across the property and his son was involved in a lengthy litigation; the
findings of which were that the property did not have a public right of way.
2 Desmond Greer Walker born 11 Mar 1911 at Belmont, Palmerston Road.
He was resident at 35 Harcourt Street in 1934 and living at Portland Place
in London and married Geraldine Elizabeth Johnson on 11 Jun 1938 at St
Peter’s Church, Burnham, Buckinghamshire. Geraldine was the daughter
of the Rev Manasseh Johnson of Farway, Devon. Desmond was a dental
surgeon and consultant at the Middlesex Hospital in London.
3 Ralph Joseph Walker born 13 Feb 1913 at Torquay Cottage, Foxrock. A
solicitor and later senior partner in Hayes & sons wrote in informal
adoption agreements for the Bethany Home. He married Sally Penrose
Scott on 10 April 1939 at Bandon Parish Church. Sally was the only
daughter of William Stawell Scott, a civil engineer and his wife Annie Crooke.
Ralph was chairman of The Irish Times from 1959 until 1973. The Walker
family continued to extend and change the garden. Ralph with his brother
Philip purchased the Rossdohan island Estate in 1955. Plants and ferns
from there were transplanted to Fernhill. Sally continued to live there
after the death of her husband and opened the gardens to the public on a
regular basis.
4 Philip Robinson Walker born 16 Nov 1915 at Templeogue Lodge. He married
Ruth Loudon Nicholson in 1948. Ruth was the daughter of the late Arthur J
Nicholson of Ardglas, Dundrum. Philip was an accountant and on the
management committee for the Old Men’s Home on Northbrook Road. He
was also chairman of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Hume Street
Hospital. They had a family and lived at Cabinteely. He was joint managing
director of Walkers Limited and their associated companies and were
distributors of ‘Baby cars’, bicycles, fridges and many other electrical products.
6 Henry Matthew (Harry) Walker born 11 May 1886 at Clooncannon in Co Galway
working on the family farm in 1911. He married Ethel Marshall Bourns on
27 Feb 1912 at St Peter’s Church, Dublin. Ethel was the third daughter of John
Bourns of Ballygar, Galway. He farmed at Kircubbin in Co Down and when he
retired from farming he became an auctioneer and cattle dealer at Donaghadee
Road, Bangor. He was a committee member of the Bangor Worldwide Missionary
Convention. Harry died in February 1959.
1 Edgar Walker born circa 1913.
2 Henry Cecil Walker born 17 June 1916 in Roscommon.
3 Irene Ethel Walker born 11 April 1919 in Roscommon.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - 2018 updated June 2024
Return to Fern Hill page