WALKER, SAYER (1748–1826), physician, was born in London in 1748. After school education he became a presbyterian minister at Enfield, Middlesex, but afterwards studied medicine in London and Edinburgh, graduated M.D. at Aberdeen on 31 Dec. 1791, and became a licentiate of the College of Physicians of London on 25 June 1792. He was in June 1794 elected physician to the city of London Lying-in Hospital, and his chief practice was midwifery. He retired to Clifton, near Bristol, six months before his death on 9 Nov. 1826. He published in 1796 ‘A Treatise on Nervous Diseases,’ and in 1803 ‘Observations on the Constitution of Women.’ His writings contain nothing of permanent value.
[Munk's Coll. of Phys. ii. 423; Gent. Mag. 1826, ii. 470.]
WALKER, SIDNEY (1795-1846), Shakespearean critic. [See Walker, William Sidney.]
WALKER, THOMAS (1698–1744), actor and dramatist, the son of Francis Walker of the parish of St. Anne, Soho, was born in 1698, and educated at a school near his father's house, kept by a Mr. Medow or Midon. About 1714 he joined the company of Shepherd, probably the Shepherd who was at Pinkethman's theatre, Greenwich, in 1710, and was subsequently, together with Walker, at Drury Lane. Barton Booth saw Walker playing Paris in a droll named ‘The Siege of Troy,’ and recommended him to the management of Drury Lane. In November 1715 (probably 6 Nov.) he seems to have played Tyrrel in Cibber's ‘Richard III.’ On 12 Dec. 1715 he was Young Fashion in a revival of the ‘Relapse.’ On 3 Feb. 1716 he was the first Squire Jolly in the ‘Cobbler of Preston,’ an alteration by Charles Johnson of the induction to the ‘Taming of the Shrew.’ On 21 May ‘Cato,’ with an unascertained cast, was given for his benefit. On 17 Dec. he was the first Cardono in Mrs. Centlivre's ‘Cruel Gift.’ He also played during the season Axalla in ‘Tamerlane’ and Portius in ‘Cato.’ Beaupré, in the ‘Little French Lawyer,’ was given next season, and on 6 Dec. 1717 he was the first Charles in Cibber's ‘Nonjuror.’ Pisander in the ‘Bondman,’ Rameses—an original part—in Young's ‘Busiris’ (7 March 1719), and Laertes followed, and he was (11 Nov.) the first Brutus in Dennis's ‘Invader of his Country,’ an alteration of ‘Coriolanus,’ and (17 Feb. 1720) the first Daran in Hughes's ‘Siege of Damascus.’ Cassio and Vernon in the ‘First Part of King Henry IV,’ Alcibiades in ‘Timon of Athens,’ Pharmaces in ‘Mithridates,’ Octavius in ‘Julius Cæsar,’ Aaron in ‘Titus Andronicus,’ are among the parts he played at Drury Lane. On 23 Sept. 1721 he appeared at Lincoln's Inn Fields as Edmund in ‘Lear,’ playing during his first season Carlos in ‘Love makes a Man,’ Polydore in the ‘Orphan,’ Bassanio, Hotspur, Don Sebastian, Oroonoko, Aimwell in the ‘Beaux' Stratagem,’ Young Worthy in ‘Love's Last Shift,’ Bellmour in the ‘Old Bachelor,’ Paris in Massinger's ‘Roman Actor,’ Lorenzo in the ‘Spanish Friar,’ and many other parts in tragedy and comedy. At Lincoln's Inn he remained until 1733, playing, with other parts, Antony in ‘Julius Cæsar,’ Adrastus in ‘Œdipus,’ Constant in the ‘Provoked Wife,’ Leandro in the ‘Spanish Curate,’ Hephestion in ‘Rival Queens,’ Alexander the Great, Captain Plume, King in ‘Hamlet,’ Phocias—an original part—in the ‘Fatal Legacy’ (23 April 1723), Roebuck in Farquhar's ‘Love and a Bottle,’ Massaniello, Lovemore in the ‘Amorous Widow,’ Wellbred in ‘Every Man in his Humour,’ Harcourt in the ‘Country Wife,’ Younger Belford in the ‘Squire of Alsatia,’ Dick in the ‘Confederacy,’ Cromwell in ‘Henry VIII,’ Massinissa in ‘Sophonisba,’ Marsan—an original part—in Southerne's ‘Money the Mistress’ (19 Feb. 1726), Don Lorenzo in the ‘Mistake,’ Pierre in ‘Venice Preserved,’ and Young Valère in the ‘Gamester.’
On 29 Jan. 1728 Walker took his great original part of Captain Macheath in the ‘Beggar's Opera,’ a rôle in which his reputation was established. He was an indifferent musician; but the gaiety and ease of his style, and his bold dissolute bearing, won general recognition. On 10 Feb. 1729 he was the first Xerxes in Madden's ‘Themistocles,’ and on 4 March the first Frederick in Mrs. Haywood's ‘Frederick, Duke of Brunswick.’ Lysippus in a revival of the ‘Maid's Tragedy’ and Juba in ‘Cato’ followed. On 4 Dec. 1730 he was the original Ramble in Fielding's ‘Coffee-house Politician.’ He also played Myrtle in the ‘Conscious Lovers,’ Cosroe in the ‘Prophetess,’ Corvino in ‘Volpone,’ and Lord Wronglove in the ‘Lady's Last
