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Please note as a direct descendant and researcher of the Wallin/Wallen family, DNA has proven we are all from the same line. Census takers guessed at spelling as did many of the actual persons. These guys being back woodsmen, rarely could read and write. Hence they even guessed at the spelling of their surname
The text currently gives "In 1761, Elisha Walden (sometimes spelled "Wallen")..." The surname is usually given as "Wallen". Common alternatives include "Wallin" and "Walling". Elisha is identified in Redd's Narratives as "Wallen". Emory Hamilton, a well known writer on the history of Southwest Virginia, quotes Redd as saying:
Redd says that when he knew Wallen on Smith's River in Pittsylvania County in 1774, he was then some forty years old and had been a long hunter for many years before. That he usually hunted on a range of mountains lying on the east of Powell's Valley and from Wallen the mountain took its name. Wallen described the ridge and surrounding country on which he hunted as abounding in almost every known specie of game. The animals and birds had been intruded on so seldom that they did not fear his presence, but rather regarded him as a benefactor, but soon learned to flee from his presence.
See Robinson Cousin Homestead for a transcription of Hamilton's 1970 article on the Long Hunters.
Most genealogists give the surname as "Wallen", but there seems to be a concensus that his father gave his surname as "Walling". "Wallin" is a rare variant in primary documentation/records for SW VA. I have encountered "Walden" only in Summers, 1903, but even there the name is corrected in the errata to "Wallen". Some transcriptions of Redd's Narrative also use the Walden spelling, but I've not seen the original on which that is based. Bill 15:33, 28 July 2008 (UTC)
The sources you are citing are at best secondary and probably tertiary in nature. (e.g., Ramsey, Goodspeed.) Similar sources for southwest Virginia use the "Wallen" spelling (e.g, Addington, Hamilton, etc.), and have the advantage that the authors were tightly focused on the history of Southwest Virginia. Primary records for Southwest Virginia, contemporary with Elijah's activities in that area, (Courtrecords, land records, etc) for Southwest Virginia consistently use the "Wallen", "Walling" and "Wallin" variants for members of this family, include at least one such record for Elijah, and never use "Walden". Why would you reject primary sources in favor of secondary sources? Can you show a primary record that gives his name as "Walden" apart from Redd's Narrative? Bill 23:17, 30 July 2008 (UTC)
Geo. FRANCISCO | Wm. FORGESON |
Bartlett SIMS | Robert PRICE |
Jno McBROOM | Thos FORGESON |
Elisha WALLIN * | Jacob GRAFT |
Jno MONTOGOMERY | Jno AYLIOT(?) (ELLIOT) |
Wait STUBELFIELD | Mark CHAMBERS |
Thos BUCKNELL | Thos HUTCHINGS |
Jno JOHNSTON | Jas HILLAN |
Wm COOPER | Issac GREEN |
Jno CRAIG | John LEE |
Jno YEATES | Jos ROGERS (married Mary Amis) |
Peter LAWSON * | Peter COCKE |
Richd GRANTHAM | Jas WILLIAMSON |
Stephen COCKE | James WALLIN* |
Alexr DONELSON | Wm ROSEBERRY |
Larkin WEBB | Jno SIMS 50 |
Jno FRANCISCO | Hugh COOK |
Wm COX | Georg EVANS |
Thos MOSS | Henry JOHNS |
Jno GILLAM | Wm. REYNOLDS |
Richd JOHNSTON | Stephen RICHARDS |
Thos LAIN | John BOND |
Elijah CHISHAM | Francis DAUGHERTY |
Joel MORRISON | Jordin ROACH |
Fredrick MAYES | Jos SNYDER |
Danl MARTIN | Hardey WILLIAMS |
Gideon SMITH | Miscayss(?) BUNCH |
Jno SAUNDERS 30 | Cornl CARMACK |
Thos ANDREW | Joel WATERSON |
Benjm LOONEY | Jos PERVIN |
I do not know where the original of this is located, but assume its an accurate transcription.
Bill 00:55, 31 July 2008 (UTC)
This is all very interesting. However, as it happens, Wikipedia prefers secondary sources. See
WP:PRIMARY for the official policy.
As for how Elisha spelled his name, history seems to have decided (rightly or wrongly) that he was "Walden" (although I've also seen the ridge identified as "Wallen Ridge"), as this is the name of the geographic feature that was named for him. I think the current article text that says "Elisha Walden (spelled variously "Wallen", "Wallin", and "Walling")" does a nice job of documenting the ambiguity of the situation. --
Orlady (
talk)
23:47, 30 July 2008 (UTC)
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John Stuart was Daniel Boone’s brother in law. WFinley ( talk) 20:25, 24 May 2024 (UTC)
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Please note as a direct descendant and researcher of the Wallin/Wallen family, DNA has proven we are all from the same line. Census takers guessed at spelling as did many of the actual persons. These guys being back woodsmen, rarely could read and write. Hence they even guessed at the spelling of their surname
The text currently gives "In 1761, Elisha Walden (sometimes spelled "Wallen")..." The surname is usually given as "Wallen". Common alternatives include "Wallin" and "Walling". Elisha is identified in Redd's Narratives as "Wallen". Emory Hamilton, a well known writer on the history of Southwest Virginia, quotes Redd as saying:
Redd says that when he knew Wallen on Smith's River in Pittsylvania County in 1774, he was then some forty years old and had been a long hunter for many years before. That he usually hunted on a range of mountains lying on the east of Powell's Valley and from Wallen the mountain took its name. Wallen described the ridge and surrounding country on which he hunted as abounding in almost every known specie of game. The animals and birds had been intruded on so seldom that they did not fear his presence, but rather regarded him as a benefactor, but soon learned to flee from his presence.
See Robinson Cousin Homestead for a transcription of Hamilton's 1970 article on the Long Hunters.
Most genealogists give the surname as "Wallen", but there seems to be a concensus that his father gave his surname as "Walling". "Wallin" is a rare variant in primary documentation/records for SW VA. I have encountered "Walden" only in Summers, 1903, but even there the name is corrected in the errata to "Wallen". Some transcriptions of Redd's Narrative also use the Walden spelling, but I've not seen the original on which that is based. Bill 15:33, 28 July 2008 (UTC)
The sources you are citing are at best secondary and probably tertiary in nature. (e.g., Ramsey, Goodspeed.) Similar sources for southwest Virginia use the "Wallen" spelling (e.g, Addington, Hamilton, etc.), and have the advantage that the authors were tightly focused on the history of Southwest Virginia. Primary records for Southwest Virginia, contemporary with Elijah's activities in that area, (Courtrecords, land records, etc) for Southwest Virginia consistently use the "Wallen", "Walling" and "Wallin" variants for members of this family, include at least one such record for Elijah, and never use "Walden". Why would you reject primary sources in favor of secondary sources? Can you show a primary record that gives his name as "Walden" apart from Redd's Narrative? Bill 23:17, 30 July 2008 (UTC)
Geo. FRANCISCO | Wm. FORGESON |
Bartlett SIMS | Robert PRICE |
Jno McBROOM | Thos FORGESON |
Elisha WALLIN * | Jacob GRAFT |
Jno MONTOGOMERY | Jno AYLIOT(?) (ELLIOT) |
Wait STUBELFIELD | Mark CHAMBERS |
Thos BUCKNELL | Thos HUTCHINGS |
Jno JOHNSTON | Jas HILLAN |
Wm COOPER | Issac GREEN |
Jno CRAIG | John LEE |
Jno YEATES | Jos ROGERS (married Mary Amis) |
Peter LAWSON * | Peter COCKE |
Richd GRANTHAM | Jas WILLIAMSON |
Stephen COCKE | James WALLIN* |
Alexr DONELSON | Wm ROSEBERRY |
Larkin WEBB | Jno SIMS 50 |
Jno FRANCISCO | Hugh COOK |
Wm COX | Georg EVANS |
Thos MOSS | Henry JOHNS |
Jno GILLAM | Wm. REYNOLDS |
Richd JOHNSTON | Stephen RICHARDS |
Thos LAIN | John BOND |
Elijah CHISHAM | Francis DAUGHERTY |
Joel MORRISON | Jordin ROACH |
Fredrick MAYES | Jos SNYDER |
Danl MARTIN | Hardey WILLIAMS |
Gideon SMITH | Miscayss(?) BUNCH |
Jno SAUNDERS 30 | Cornl CARMACK |
Thos ANDREW | Joel WATERSON |
Benjm LOONEY | Jos PERVIN |
I do not know where the original of this is located, but assume its an accurate transcription.
Bill 00:55, 31 July 2008 (UTC)
This is all very interesting. However, as it happens, Wikipedia prefers secondary sources. See
WP:PRIMARY for the official policy.
As for how Elisha spelled his name, history seems to have decided (rightly or wrongly) that he was "Walden" (although I've also seen the ridge identified as "Wallen Ridge"), as this is the name of the geographic feature that was named for him. I think the current article text that says "Elisha Walden (spelled variously "Wallen", "Wallin", and "Walling")" does a nice job of documenting the ambiguity of the situation. --
Orlady (
talk)
23:47, 30 July 2008 (UTC)
Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just modified one external link on Longhunter. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
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This message was posted before February 2018.
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(last update: 5 June 2024).
Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot ( Report bug) 22:26, 5 January 2018 (UTC)
John Stuart was Daniel Boone’s brother in law. WFinley ( talk) 20:25, 24 May 2024 (UTC)