WALKER, Sir ANDREW BARCLAY (1824–1893), benefactor of Liverpool, second son of Peter Walker (d. 1879) and his wife Mary, eldest daughter of Arthur Carlaw of Ayr, was born at Ayr on 15 Dec. 1824. He was educated at Ayr Academy and at the Liverpool Institute. His father was a brewer at Liverpool and afterwards at Warrington, and in due time was joined in the business by his son, who acquired great wealth. Andrew entered the Liverpool town council in 1867, served the office of mayor in 1873–4, in 1875–6, and in 1876–7, and was high sheriff of Lancashire in 1886. He built the Walker art gallery at a cost of upwards of 40,000l., and presented it to the town. It was opened in 1877. He also provided, at the cost of 20,000l., the engineering laboratories in connection with the Liverpool University College, and spent other large sums in charity and in fostering art and literature. To the village of Gateacre, near Liverpool, he gave a village green and an institute, library, and reading-room. In recognition of his public services he was knighted on 12 Dec. 1877, and created baronet on 12 Feb. 1886. Liverpool made him her first honorary freeman in January 1890, and in December the same year he was presented with his portrait by Mr. W. Q. Orchardson, R.A.
He died at his residence, Gateacre Grange, on 27 Feb. 1893. He was twice married: first, in 1853, to Eliza, daughter of John Reid; and, secondly, to Maude, daughter of Charles Houghton Okeover of Okeover, Staffordshire. She survived him. By his first wife he had six sons and two daughters, and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son, Peter Carlaw.
[Manchester Guardian, 28 Feb. 1893; Illustrated London News, 4 March 1893, with portrait (an earlier portrait is given in the same journal, 20 Dec. 1873); Biograph, iv. 461; Burke's Peerage and Baronetage.]
WALKER, ANTHONY (1726–1765), draughtsman and engraver, was born at Thirsk in Yorkshire in 1726, the son of a tailor. Coming to London, he studied drawing at the St. Martin's Lane academy, and was instructed in engraving by John Tinney [q. v.] He was a clever artist, and became well known by his small book-illustrations, which were neatly executed from his own designs. He also engraved for Boydell some large single plates, of which the best are ‘The Angel departing from Tobit and his Family,’ after Rembrandt; ‘The Country Attorney and his Clients,’ from a picture attributed to Holbein; ‘Dentatus refusing the Presents of the Samnites,’ after P. da Cortona; and ‘Law’ and ‘Medicine,’ a pair, after A. van Ostade. These were exhibited with the Incorporated Society of Artists in 1763–5. Walker engraved the figures in Woollett's celebrated plate of ‘Niobe.’ He died at Kensington on 9 May 1765, and was buried in the parish churchyard.
William Walker (1729–1793), brother of Anthony, was born at Thirsk in November 1729, and apprenticed to a dyer. Subsequently he followed his brother to London, and was taught engraving by him. He excelled in his book-illustrations, which are very numerous, and was employed upon Sandby's ‘Views in England and Wales,’ Throsby's ‘Views in Leicestershire,’ and Harrison's ‘Classics.’ For Boydell he executed a few large plates which were less successful. These include ‘Sir Balthasar Gerbier and his Family,’ after Van Dyck, 1766; ‘Diana and Calisto,’ after Le Moine, 1767; ‘The Power of Beauty,’ after P. Lauri, 1767; and ‘Lions at Play,’ after Rubens, 1769. Walker devised the practice of re-biting, of which Woollett made great use. He died in Rosoman Street, Clerkenwell. on 18 Feb. 1793.
John Walker (fl. 1800), son of William, became a landscape-engraver, and assisted his father on many of his plates. He is known as the projector and editor of the ‘Copper Plate Magazine, or Monthly Cabinet of Picturesque Prints, consisting of Views in Great Britain and Ireland,’ 1792–1802, most of the plates in which were executed by himself. A selection from the earlier volumes of this work was issued in a different form by Walker in 1799, with the title ‘The Itinerant.’
[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Dodd's manuscript Hist. of English Engravers in British Museum (Addit. MS. 33407); Gent. Mag. 1793, i. 279.]
WALKER, Sir BALDWIN WAKE (1802–1876), admiral, son of John Walker of Whitehaven (d. 1822), by Frances, daughter of Captain Drury Wake of the 17th dragoons, and niece of Sir William Wake, eighth baronet, was born on 6 Jan. 1802. He entered the navy in July 1812, was made a lieutenant on 6 April 1820, and served for two years on the Jamaica station, then for three years on the coast of South America and the west coast of Africa. In 1827 he went out to the Mediterranean in the Rattlesnake, and in 1828 was first lieutenant of the Etna bomb at the reduction of Kastro Morea [see Lushington, Sir Stephen]. For this service he received the cross of the Legion of Honour and of the Redeemer of Greece. He continued in the Mediterranean,
