Matilda is the daughter of Mr. Thomas Arnold and Mary Frasier Arnold. The family owned a plantation in Maryland and utilized slave labor. Mr. Arnold needed someone to help him supervise the slaves and hired Henson Walker of Prince George's Couny Maryland for that purpose. In 1803, Mr. Arnold passed away and Henson was made overseer of the slaves at a very young age. There remained in the Arnold family, Mary, (the mother), and two daughters, Matilda, age 4 and Cassandra age 2 at the time of Mr. Arnold's death. As he became better acquainted with the family his friendship ripened into love and Henson and Mary Frasier Arnold (Matilda's mother) were married in 1809. Two babies were born to Mary and Henson, Perry Gilpin born Jan 15, 1810 and Mary Ann born Aug. 20, 1811. In 1812, Mary Frasier Arnold Walker sickened and died leaving the two babies and two step-daughters in the care of Henson. Henson married Matilda (the older of the foster daughters) Feb. 17, 1815, disposed of his holdings and migrated north with the family. They continued the journey until they reached New York State. There must have been other families who traveled with them as history keeps their family names together. They settled first near Clifton Springs in Ontario County, New York. There were mineral springs there, later turned into a health spa. Henson and Matilda's first child, John E. was born there. After about 3 years time they moved to Manchester, 3 miles west of the springs. They took up land and made a home and remained there unto 1835. By that time, there were 11 children including the two born in Maryland. The country which was quite wooded had to be cleared for planting. The family worked the land. The older boys often went back to Clifton Springs to swim and also did lots of fishing and hunting. In 1835, the family gathered and started west. Some of the other New York families moved with them. Their oldest son, Perry Gilpin, remained on the farm planning later to follow, but never did. ( He spent his entire life there and never married.) Their daughter, Emmeline, died at age 3 and was buried there in Manchester. Henson Sr and his family settled in Oceola Township, section 29, Livingston County, Michigan. They built a log home, 15 x 15 feet, with a dirt floor and oil paper windows and a stick chimney. That house served them for one year. The next year they built a larger house of better quality of peeled logs. This home was improved on and added to and ultimately replaced with a frame home in which the family lived until after Hensons death in 1853. Under Henson's guidance a schoolhouse and church were built. As their sons matured, they took up large tracts of land, improved them, and became influential worthy citizens in their communities. Today the old home still stands in Oceola Township on a little hill overlooking the surrounding land. At the bottom of the hill is a small spring. (as of 1958).
Just a few miles away are the homes of their children who came to Michigan.
In politics they were republicans and in religion they were mostly methodists. Henson and Matilda were buried at the Old Riddle Cemetary which Henson helped start. A granite slab about 2 1/2 feet with a cylindrical shaft on top marks their resting place.