Research commissioned by the family of Hutchins Thomas Williams in the late nineteenth century, and carried out by the noted English genealogist, Charles Worthy, revealed that Thomas Williams of the Bank of Ireland, and his wife, Mary Anne Quine, had three sons - Richard Williams of Drumcondra Castle and 38 Dame St, Charles Wye Williams who founded the Dublin Steam Packet Company, and a third son who didn't survive childhood, Walker Williams.
The name 'Walker' stirred my interest, since children carrying family names like this have generally been named after someone with associations to the parents, therefore Thomas Williams must have had some sort of a relationship with a family named 'Walker', either through marriage or through business.
I came upon the name of Thomas Walker and decided to do a post about this individual, seeing as he seems to be the most likely candidate; it's important to note that I have no proof whatsoever for this - I'm merely collating the facts about the man here, and, as usual, I'll add information to this as I find it.
From 'Notes and Queries - A Medium of Intercommunication for Literary Men, Feb. 2nd 1858':
'£10,000 Reward For A Will. "Whereas the late Thomas Walker, Esq., of Belgriffin Park, in the county of Dublin, but formerly of Dame Street, died on the 26th day of March 1817, and having during his illness declared...that he had made his will...And whereas there is reason to believe that...a considerable sum of money has been bequeathed to charitable purposes, and that said will, with other testamentary papers, were deposited with some person who, from the importance of the trust, have withheld same, for the purpose of receiving such liberal remuneration...(the testator dying worth upwards of 250,000l.)....
....Notice is hereby given, that any person or persons with whom said will and testamentary papers may have been deposited, and who will make a communication,...so that said will may be brought forward, such person or persons will become entitled to the reward of 10,000l., which such sum shall be deposited in the hands of any three respectable persons (the Secretary of the Bank of Ireland being one) ...to be held in trust and paid over the moment said will is proved...
....Communications to be made...to any three of the following persons: - The Right Hon. John Radcliffe, or his register, John Hawkins, Esq.; Thomas Williams, Esq., Bank of Ireland; Thomas Kemmis, Esq., Law Agent to Commissioners of First Fruits, Kildare Street; Wm. James McCausland, Esq., Secretary to Comissioners of Charitable Donations, 88, Merrion Street, Dublin; or if the said will and papers are in the possession of any person or persons in Great Britain, information may be made to the Right Hon. Sir John Nichols, the Right Hon. Sir Wm. Scott, or their Register, Charles Moore, Esq. Prerogative Office, London.
"Further Reward of £1000 More....And whereas it appears by the testamentary paper...(which had been lodged in the Prerogative Court, and which instructions have been proved by several of the most respectable witnesses to be the handwriting of the deceased), that he has bequeathed a sum of money to my family, I do hereby offer a reward of one thousand pounds...which sum shall be paid to the person who shall deliver said will to any of the above named, or to any person who will give such information as to secure its production, on application to George Webb, Stock Broker, London; or at my office, 17 Dame Street, Dublin. Robert Webb."
....To the above the following...may be appended. It appeared in the Chester journals of 1819:
"Extraordinary Discovery of a Will. About four years ago, a man possessed of very considerable property, died, bequeathing his effects to his daughter, in excluson to his son and wife; his will, it seems, fell into the hands of his wife, with whom the son was a favourite, and to prevent its being carried into effect, she buried it ...in the coffin with the husbnd. A few weeks ago, being on her death-bed, she confessed the particulars to a friend, enjoining her not to disclose the fact till after her death; the widow is now dead, and application is making at Doctors' Commons to take up the coffin of the deceased man." '
Thomas Walker was a prominent businessman, with involvement in the Lottery and the publisher of 'Walkers Hibernian Magazine'; he had his offices at Cicero's Head, 79 Dame Street. On March 28th 1788, a list of shareholders of the Bank of Ireland showed that he was the major investor, holding £21,800 worth of stock, outdoing even the Latouche and Guinness families. This major involement with the Bank of Ireland, would have, of course, brought him into close contact with its Secretary, Thomas Williams, whose son, Richard Williams, was notary to the bank from his offices at 38 Dame Street. It is believed that he had two sons, Joseph and Henry Walker, who were also associated with 79 Dame Street.
Notes on the Webb family, who believed that Thomas Walker had left them money:
Robert Webb of 17 Dame Street ran one of many lotteries in existence in Dublin at that time, and was also a member of the Dublin Stock Exchange. He had been born to George Webb (of Cambridge and, then, Maryborough, Queen's County) and Jane Boards in 1765; he married Sarah Yarner Hill of Bray, Co. Wicklow, and died in 1823.
His son, George Webb, was noted in an 1814 London Directory as 'Stockbroker, State Lottery and Irish Money Exchange Office' at 17 Ludgate Street, London. George Webb was married to Isabella Bish, the sister of the MP Thomas Bish. She died in Charing Cross at the home of the Bish Family in 1813, following an accident when the Oxford stage coach overturned near Stoken Church.
George's uncle, Thomas Webb, (brother of Robert Webb of Dame Street), had been born in 1757 and married Abigail Manders, the daughter of Robert Manders of Borris-in-Ossory, Queen's County. A son was Isaac Manders Webb. (Members of the Manders family worked for the Dublin Steam Packet Company; is this the same Manders family, I wonder?)
Another of Robert Webb's brothers was Arthur Webb (1763 - 1790) who was killed by a Robert Jones during a duel in Calcutta, whilst abroad on the services of the East India Company. He was married to Mary Lloyd, who was a granddaughter of Miss Plunkett who was a niece of Judge William Whitshed. William Whitshed was married to a member of the family of Mark Quin, Mayor of Dublin. The wife of Thomas Williams of the Bank of Ireland was also married to a member of this family, his wife being Mary Anne Quine, although this is probably pure coincidence.