Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Walker, James (1809-1885)
WALKER, Sir JAMES (1809–1885), colonial governor, son of Andrew Walker of Edinburgh, was born at Edinburgh on 9 April 1809, and educated at the High school and at the university in that city. Entering the colonial office as a junior clerk in 1826, he served with credit under several secretaries of state, and on 11 Feb. 1837 he became registrar of British Honduras, whence he was transferred on 18 Feb. 1839 to be treasurer of Trinidad; here he acted as colonial secretary from June 1839 to September 1840. In January 1841 he accompanied, as his secretary, Sir Henry Macleod, special commissioner to British Guiana, for the purpose of settling the difficulties with the legislature over the civil list. He became in 1842 colonial secretary of Barbados. This colony was at that time the seat of the government in chief for the Windward group, and during his service there Walker was sent in September 1856 to act as lieutenant-governor of Grenada, and in 1857 to fill a similar position at St. Vincent. He acted as governor of Barbados and the Windward Islands from 13 March to 25 Dec. 1859, and as lieutenant-governor of Trinidad from 20 April 1860 to 25 March 1862, when he was appointed governor in chief of the Barbados and the Windward Islands. No special event marked his period of government. On 4 Jan. 1869 he was transferred to the Bahamas, which were then going through a time of severe financial depression; he retired on a pension in May 1871, and lived a quiet country life, first at Uplands, near Taunton, and later at Southerton, Ottery St. Mary, Devonshire, where he died on 28 Aug. 1885. He was a careful official rather than an able administrator, became a C.B. in 1860, and K.C.M.G. in 1869.
Walker married, on 15 Oct. 1839, Anne, daughter of George Bland of Trinidad, and had one son and two daughters. His son, Sir Edward Noel-Walker, was lieutenant-governor and colonial secretary of Ceylon.
[Colonial Office List, 1884; Times, 31 Aug. 1885; Dod's Peerage, &c., 1884; Colonial Office Records.]