Dr. John Waller

• General Notes
  • 
    (Some people say John Waller is not the father of Edward Herndon's wife Mary Waller.)
    
    John Waller was apprenticed 23 Jun 1658 to the Barber Surgeons Company; was admitted to Freedom 06 Feb 1665; admitted to St Catherine's College, Cambridge 10 Jun 1664 M. B. 1667; Married at Walton, Bucks, Eng 13 Jan 1669 to Mary Pomfrett of Newport Pagnell, Bucks.
    
    One of the functions of the Barber Surgeons' Company in the 17th century was closely analogous to that of a medical school of today. After nearly seven years training there John Waller was a master surgeon.
    
    Before achieving his freedom (somewhat similiar to saying, before he was admitted to practice) he entered St. Catherine's College, Cambridge, and after three years there he received his degree, which in the record is printed as the M. B. which seems to be erroneous to M.D. degree being probably intended. The Cambridge Alumni directory incorrectly states that the father of this John was John Waller, a clothier of Braintree.
    
    Numerous errors are contained therein as to relationships, Mr. Glencross himself is mentioned therein as calling attention to certain of them. Nearly all the writers on the subject of Waller genealogy have agreed that Colonel John Waller, who was of "Enfield" in King William County, Virginia, and later of "Newport" in Spotsylvania County, was the son of Dr. John Waller, of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England.
    
    They are, moreover, completely justified in making this assumption since the arms on his tombstone are identical with those which Dr. John Waller, of Newport Pagnell, Bore, and his Spotsylvania plantation was doubtless named "Newport" in memory of the place of his birth in England.
    
    Dr John Waller's will was probated in 1723 in the prerogative Court of Canterbury: In it he refers to his eldest daughter Mary, and son John, as being then in Virginia, Dr John's widow Mary (Pomfrett) came to Virginia, for as early as 03 Nov 1724 she made her home with either her son, Colonel John Waller or her daughter, Mary (Waller) Herndon.