Luman Walter
Encyclopedia
Luman Walter is known for his connection with the family of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
.
Little is known of Walter's life. He was born in Winchester
, Litchfield County
, Connecticut
to John Walter and Sarah Walter Gleason around 1789. Sometime between 1798 and 1800, the John Walter family relocated to Burke
, Vermont
, a town founded by Luman's uncle. Luman reportedly received his higher education in Europe
. He is alleged to have there mastered the arts of animal magnetism
and Mesmerism, which may indicate that he had some connection with the disciples of Franz Anton Mesmer at the Sorbonne
. His interest in alternative medicine
may be related to the popularity of Perkinsism during his childhood.
Luman Walter returned to the United States
by 1818, and began acting the part of a physician
and occult
expert. In that year, the deputy sherriff of Boscawen
, New Hampshire
, one James Giddings, offered a reward for the arrest of a "Transient person, calling himself Laman Walter, [who] has for several days past been imposing himself upon the credulity of the people in this vicinity by a pretended knowledge of magic, palmistry and conjuration...." Since Laman is not uncommon as a spelling variation for Luman, this person is likely Luman Walter. Luman was arrested for "juggling" that August in Hopkinton
, New Hampshire
, but escaped from jail.
In November 1819 he married Harriet Howard in Vermont. By 1822, Walter had apparently taken up residence in Gorham
, Ontario County
, New York
, moving several years later to Sodus Township, New York
. In 1822 and 1823, Luman Walter served as a seer for a treasure dig on the property of Abner Cole
in Palmyra
, Wayne County, New York
. Joseph Smith, Sr.
, Alvin Smith, and Joseph Smith, Jr. reportedly participated in this dig. Walter possessed a magical book and a seerstone, which he used to locate buried treasure
. Walter is said to have conducted three unsuccessful digs on the hill Cumorah
, but later suggests that only Smith might be able to find the treasure there.
Abner Cole, a newspaper editor by profession, printed a parody of the Book of Mormon
, the Book of Pukei, in his Palmyra paper The Reflector in 1830. This parody described the role of "Walters the Magician" in these treasure digs, who "sacrificed a Cock for the purpose of propitiating the prince of spirits .... And he took his book, and his rusty sword, and his magic stone, and his stuffed Toad, and all his implements of witchcraft and retired to the mountains near Great Sodus Bay
". Cole also surmised that Joseph Smith Jr. worked under the inspiration of "Walters the Magician."
Mormon
historian D. Michael Quinn
has argued that Walter crafted the magical parchments owned by the Smith family, and that the young Joseph Smith, Jr. looked to Walter as an occult mentor. Walter was also one of the early members of Joseph Smith's Church of Christ, but he did not follow the group when they relocated to Ohio. Luman purchased property in Gorham
, Ontario County
, New York
in 1834. He appears on the census rolls there in 1840. Walter died on the 2nd of June 1860.
Walter's second cousin, George Walter, did remain a Mormon. One Dorothy Walter is listed on the rolls of the first Relief Society
. Her husband, Benjamin Hoyt, was ordered by his bishop to cease using a divining rod, calling other people wizards and witches, and "burning boards" to heal the bewitched. This decision was upheld by the Church's High Council
with Hyrum Smith
presiding.
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
.
Little is known of Walter's life. He was born in Winchester
Winchester, Connecticut
Winchester is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,664 at the 2000 census. The Incorporated City of Winsted is located in Winchester.-Geography:...
, Litchfield County
Litchfield County, Connecticut
Litchfield County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut but is geographically the state's largest county. As of 2010 the population was 189,927...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
to John Walter and Sarah Walter Gleason around 1789. Sometime between 1798 and 1800, the John Walter family relocated to Burke
Burke, Vermont
Burke is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,571 at the 2000 census. The town contains the villages of East Burke, West Burke and Burke Hollow.-Geography:...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, a town founded by Luman's uncle. Luman reportedly received his higher education in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He is alleged to have there mastered the arts of animal magnetism
Animal magnetism
Animal magnetism , in modern usage, refers to a person's sexual attractiveness or raw charisma. As postulated by Franz Mesmer in the 18th century, the term referred to a supposed magnetic fluid or ethereal medium believed to reside in the bodies of animate beings...
and Mesmerism, which may indicate that he had some connection with the disciples of Franz Anton Mesmer at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
. His interest in alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
may be related to the popularity of Perkinsism during his childhood.
Luman Walter returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by 1818, and began acting the part of a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
expert. In that year, the deputy sherriff of Boscawen
Boscawen, New Hampshire
Boscawen is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,965 at the 2010 census.-History:The native Pennacook tribe called the area Contoocook, meaning "place of the river near pines." On June 6, 1733, Governor Jonathan Belcher granted it to John Coffin and 90...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, one James Giddings, offered a reward for the arrest of a "Transient person, calling himself Laman Walter, [who] has for several days past been imposing himself upon the credulity of the people in this vicinity by a pretended knowledge of magic, palmistry and conjuration...." Since Laman is not uncommon as a spelling variation for Luman, this person is likely Luman Walter. Luman was arrested for "juggling" that August in Hopkinton
Hopkinton, New Hampshire
Hopkinton is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,589 at the 2010 census. It consists of three villages: Hopkinton, West Hopkinton, and Contoocook...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, but escaped from jail.
In November 1819 he married Harriet Howard in Vermont. By 1822, Walter had apparently taken up residence in Gorham
Gorham, New York
Gorham is a town in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 3,776 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Nathaniel Gorham.The Town of Gorham is at the south border of the county, southeast of Canandaigua, NY.- History :...
, Ontario County
Ontario County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, moving several years later to Sodus Township, New York
Sodus (town), New York
Sodus is a town in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 8,949 at the 2000 census. The town takes its name from a native word for the bay in the eastern part of the town: "Assorodus," meaning "silvery water."...
. In 1822 and 1823, Luman Walter served as a seer for a treasure dig on the property of Abner Cole
Abner Cole
Abner Cole , also known by his pen name Obadiah Dogberry, Esq., was a 19th-century American newspaper editor. He is notable as one of the earliest critics of the spiritual claims of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, having commented on the "Golden Bible" before it was...
in Palmyra
Palmyra (village), New York
Palmyra is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 3,490 at the 2000 census. The village, along with the town, is named after Palmyra in present-day Syria.The Village of Palmyra is in the Town of Palmyra...
, Wayne County, New York
Wayne County, New York
Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
. Joseph Smith, Sr.
Joseph Smith, Sr.
Joseph Smith, Sr. was the father of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Joseph Sr. was also one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe was translated by Joseph Jr. from the Golden Plates. In 1833 Joseph Sr...
, Alvin Smith, and Joseph Smith, Jr. reportedly participated in this dig. Walter possessed a magical book and a seerstone, which he used to locate buried treasure
Buried treasure
A buried treasure is an important part of the popular beliefs surrounding pirates and Old West outlaws. According to popular conception, criminals and others often buried their stolen fortunes in remote places, intending to return for them later, often with the use of treasure maps.-Pirate...
. Walter is said to have conducted three unsuccessful digs on the hill Cumorah
Cumorah
Cumorah is a drumlin in Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith, Jr...
, but later suggests that only Smith might be able to find the treasure there.
Abner Cole, a newspaper editor by profession, printed a parody of the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, the Book of Pukei, in his Palmyra paper The Reflector in 1830. This parody described the role of "Walters the Magician" in these treasure digs, who "sacrificed a Cock for the purpose of propitiating the prince of spirits .... And he took his book, and his rusty sword, and his magic stone, and his stuffed Toad, and all his implements of witchcraft and retired to the mountains near Great Sodus Bay
Sodus Bay
Sodus Bay is a bay on the south shore of Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes. Sodus Bay is located in Wayne County, New York, USA. Most of the bay is in the Town of Huron, but the western part is in the Town of Sodus....
". Cole also surmised that Joseph Smith Jr. worked under the inspiration of "Walters the Magician."
Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
historian D. Michael Quinn
D. Michael Quinn
Dennis Michael Quinn is a historian who has focused on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a professor at Brigham Young University from 1976 until his resignation in 1988. At the time, his work concerned church involvement with plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto, in which...
has argued that Walter crafted the magical parchments owned by the Smith family, and that the young Joseph Smith, Jr. looked to Walter as an occult mentor. Walter was also one of the early members of Joseph Smith's Church of Christ, but he did not follow the group when they relocated to Ohio. Luman purchased property in Gorham
Gorham, New York
Gorham is a town in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 3,776 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Nathaniel Gorham.The Town of Gorham is at the south border of the county, southeast of Canandaigua, NY.- History :...
, Ontario County
Ontario County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1834. He appears on the census rolls there in 1840. Walter died on the 2nd of June 1860.
Walter's second cousin, George Walter, did remain a Mormon. One Dorothy Walter is listed on the rolls of the first Relief Society
Relief Society
The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, USA and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories...
. Her husband, Benjamin Hoyt, was ordered by his bishop to cease using a divining rod, calling other people wizards and witches, and "burning boards" to heal the bewitched. This decision was upheld by the Church's High Council
High Council
High Council may refer to:In fiction:* High Council , the leadership of the Alliance in the New Jedi Order series* High Council of the Landsraad, an inner circle of the Landsraad which arbitrated disputes among Houses in the Dune universe* Jedi High Council, an institution from the Star Wars series...
with Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
presiding.