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Original Articles

James Walker (1781–1862): Civil Engineer

Denis SMITHPresidential Address delivered at the Institution of Civil Engineers, London on 12 November 1997
Pages 23-55 | Published online: 01 Feb 2014

NOTES AND REFERENCES

  • Samuel Smiles, Lives of the Engineers, (London, John Murray, 1862), vol. 3, p.257.
  • ICE Muniments, 4to. Labelled on front cover "Mr. Walker", presented to ICE by P. H. G. Lewison, 1962.
  • Ibid. p. 3.
  • ICE Muniments 62 (093), mss. Diary, inscribed James Cooper April 30th. 1833, first entry September 17th. 1833. This a proper diary with day-by-day entries both before and after he entered Walker's office on 30 June 1835. Lat entry is 14 July 1839.
  • ICE, Walker Diary, p.5.
  • Ibid. p. 44.
  • Ibid. p. 59.
  • Ibid. p. 61.
  • Ibid. p. 63.
  • Ibid. p. 42.
  • Ibid. p. 67.
  • Ibid. p. 19.
  • Ibid. p. 87.
  • ICE Walker Diary, p.20.
  • Ibid. p. 76.
  • Proc.ICE, 84, 1885–6, p.446, Obituary of Thomas Macdougall Smith. Alfred Burges had a son William (1827–1881) who attended lectures in civil engineering at Kings College, London, but went on to a successful career as an architect.
  • ICE Walker Diary p.4.
  • ICE James Cooper's Diary. and is an excellent source of both the technical and social detail of life in the office and beyond.
  • ICE Tait Room: Select Committee on Dover Harbour, pp. 48–58, James Walker examined by Sir Edward Knatchbull, Q. 709, 16 May 1836.
  • Walker's Diary, p.149.
  • Cooper's Diary, 20 February 1836.
  • Proc. ICE, 84, 1885–6, p.439, Obituary of William Bayley Bray. This obituary contains the following list of those who had worked in Walker's office: J. W. Bazalgette (1819–91), G.P. Bidder (1806–78), M. A. Borthwick (1810–56), W.B. Bray (1811–85), J. Cooper (1817–62), G.S. Dalrymple (1816–51), T. Diane, E. Druce, A. Drysdale, J. B. Hartley (1814–69), J. Hawkshaw (1811–91), C.M. Herbert, D.P. Hewitt, W.H. Holland, J.R. McClean (1813–73), J.M. M'Connochie, Major Newsome R.E., T. Ormiston, W. Parkes, F. Pollock, J.B. Redman, T.M. Smith (1826–1886), R. Townshend. J. Scott Tucker. (This is the list as published [But with dates added] and is by no means a complete record of Walker's assistants).
  • As Ref; 3.3.
  • Proc.ICE, 22, 11 November 1862, J. R. McLean, as Vice-President, speaking of Walker soon after his death.
  • Proc.ICE, 1, Presidential Address, 2 February 1841, p.24.
  • The Surveyor; Engineer, and Architect, No.XVI, 1 May, 1841, p.73. Their Editorial on Walker's Presidential Address occupied three and a half pages.
  • Proc.ICE, 2, 1842, p.23, Walker's Presidential Address, 18 January 1842.
  • Proc.ICE, 3, pp. 27–8, Presidential Address, 16 January 1844.
  • ICE Walker Diary, p.129.
  • See: The Civils: The story of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Garth Watson, London, Thomas Telford, 1988.
  • The Surveyor; Engineer and Architect, No.XIII, 1 February 1841, p.15.
  • Geo. III, c. 101, 122 June 18021 "An Act for making and maintaining, and for watching, lighting, and watering a Road from the West India Docks, in the Isle of Dogs, to communicate with a street called Church Lane, Whitehapel; and for making and maintaining a Branch therefrom, to communicate with Queen Street, in the parish of Saint Anne, all in the County of Middlesex. . ."
  • Ibid. p.1706. By June 1802 the warehouses were so nearly complete that 'West India produce may prob-ably be accommodated therein in the course of the present Year'
  • ICE Walker Diary, p. 67.
  • This group comprised the Directors E. and W. India Dock Companies, Mr. Brogden, Sir Edward Banks, and others.
  • ICE Tract 4to., 71 (5) Report to William Astell, Esqr, M.P. on the nature and supposed advantages of the Commercial Road Stone or Tramway to the East India Company, Limehouse, 8 December 1830.
  • Geo. 4, c.CXII (1828).
  • ICE Tract 4to. 71 (4), Report to Charles H. Turner, Esq. Chairman and the Trustees of the Commercial Road, Limehouse, 12 March 1829.
  • See ref. 36.
  • There is a somewhat cryptic note in Walker's Diary on p.375 saying: 'Barking Road: his was from the East India Road or Docks to Barking in Essex-with a bridge, iron columns & wooden arches over the River Lea.'
  • Mus. in Docklands, PLA Coll., Box 558 Minutes: Commercial Dock Company September 1807-September 1812. p.186.
  • Ibid. p.199,7 December 1810.
  • Ibid. p.203,28 December 1810.
  • Ibid. p.205,3 January 1811.
  • Ibid. Box 573, Minutes January 1861-December 1864, p.105: 'Mr. Burges reported death of Mr. Walker and introduced a new partner Mr. Beardmore.'
  • Ibid. p.406,2 December 1864.
  • Geo.4, c.CXLII (1809).
  • For a description of Rennie's bridge see The Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, London, Spon, p.6.
  • See Philip Riden, The Butterley Company 1790–1830, Derbyshire Record Society, vol.XVI, 1990, p.141. Riden suggests that the iron design plan was "drawn up by Sir Samuel Bentham in 1812."
  • Ibid.
  • Vestry House Museum, Walthamstow; Ref: W36/Lea/3[Green Minute Book] Min. of Proc. of the Trustees of Lea Bridge and Road ( beginning 22 June 1807), 10 May 1819.
  • Ibid. 22 November 1819.
  • Ibid. 24 January 1820. The Tenders submitted were:
  • Ibid. Ledger Book, p.61.
  • Walker's partner, Alfred Burges, produced a scholarly monograph on the original structure, See: Archaeologia, Society of Antiquaries of London, vol.XXVII, 1838, pp. 77–95: Account of the Old Bridge at Strafford-le-Bow in Essex, Read 12 and 19 May 1836.
  • ICE Tract 8vo. vol.1 (3): Report To George Dacre Esqr Clerk to the Trustees of the Middlesex & Essex Turnpike Roads, Limehouse, 5 January 1828.
  • & 5 Will 4, c. LXXXIX (1834): Bow and Channelsea Bridges.
  • For a description of the work See: Proc.ICE, von, pp. 77–8: An account of the New Stone Bridge, over the River Lea at Strafford-le-Bow, by John Baldry Redman, Grad. ICE, 18 June 1839.
  • ICE Tract 4to., vol.81 (11): Report on Westminster Bridge made by order the Commissioners, 28 February 1837, p.3.
  • Ibid. p. 11.
  • For an account of Walker's works See: R. J. B. Walker, Old Westminster Bridge: The Bridge of Fools, Newton Abbot, David & Charles, 1979, pp.272–6.
  • Parl.Pap., 1844, VI, Reports Committees (2): W. & B. Reports 1843 are p.789: 22 August; p.791: 6 November; p.792: 28 November; and p.792: 30 November.
  • Parl.Pap., 1846, XV, Reports Committees (11), p.426: Walker examined 19 May 1846, answer to Q. 1343.
  • For an account of the work see: Proc. ICE, vol.2, ( 1840), pp.18–19: A Description of the Coffre Dam at the. . . Houses of Parliament. See also the author's chapter X in The Houses of Parliament, Ed. M.H. Port, Yale University Press, 1976.
  • ICE Cooper's Diary, 26 July 1837.
  • ICE Tait: Report of the Select Committee to consider the Petition of the Corporation of London relative to the Embankment of the River Thames, 29 July 1840. p.10: Walker examined 1 June 1840, Q.84.
  • See ICE Tract, folio 49, (14): Walker's detailed Specification of the Repairs to BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE, 1833.
  • Parl. Pap. Select Committee on the Thames Tunnel, James Walker in giving evidence on 7 July 1837 said he was first consulted on 31 May 1836.
  • Parl. Pap. 1837–8 (548) XXXVI, Accounts and Papers (1), p.557. Walker's Report to Treasury, December 1837.
  • Ibid. p. 560.
  • ICE Cooper's Diary, 16 August 1837.
  • Ibid. 24 August 1837.
  • For an account of Walker's involvement see: R. H. G. Thomas; London's First Railway-The London & Greenwich, (London, Batsford, 1972), p.37.
  • Quoted in George Stephenson: The Engineers & His Letters, W. O. Skeat, London, I.Mech.E., 1973, p.76
  • ICE Tract 8vo, 1 (2) Walker's Report To the Directors of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, 18 November 1828.
  • ICE Tract 8vo. 1 (2) Walker's Report To the Directors of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, 7 March 1829, p.35.
  • Ibid.
  • Ibid.
  • ICE Tract 8vo, 228 (5) Walker's Report to the Committee of the proposed railway from Leeds to Selby, Limehouse, London, 18 July 1829, p.1.
  • Ibid. p. 16.
  • Ibid. p. 19.
  • Ibid. p.24. The Contractors for this line were Messrs. Jackson & Bean.
  • Geo.4, c.59 [29 May 1830].
  • Patent Office: Report of the Directors at their First General Meeting on Wednesday the 31st. August 1836; With an Appendix, Hull, 1836, pp.30 with folding map and section. [Ottley 7086].
  • ICE Cooper's Diary, 23 December 1835.
  • Ibid. 5 January 1836.
  • Ibid.
  • ICE Tract 8vo., 228 (13) Report of the Directors of the Hull and Selby Railway, 1836, p.9.
  • Act: 6 & 7 Will.4, c.103, 1836.
  • Act: 6 & 7 Will.4, c.106, 1836.
  • ICE Cooper's Diary, 25 April 1838.
  • PRO: Rail 165//1: DJR., Minutes of meetings of Directors and Shareholders. For a description of the work see: Proc.ICE, vol.2, 1842–3, pp.97–99: David Bremner, Account of the Victoria Bridge, erected over the River Wear, on the line of the Durham Junction Railway, Assoc. ICE.
  • Quoted in George Stephenson: The Engineer & His Letters, W. O. Skeat, London, I.Mech.E., 1973, p.172.
  • Proc. ICE, vol.106, 1890–91, part 4, p.321; Hawkshaw obit.
  • Cooper's Diary: 6 February 1836 ( and continued until the 10 February).
  • ICE Tract folio, 12 (11a), Communication with Ireland, Report of James Walker, 23 Gr. Geo. St., 6 October 1843, pp. 6,&7.
  • Report to the Commissioners of Railways, by Mr Walker and Captain Simmons, R. E., on the fatal acci-dent on the 24th. May 1847, by the falling of the Bridge over the River Dee, on the Chester and Holyhead Railway. Great George-Street, 15 June 1847. ( ICE Lib. Gallery vol.40)
  • It was not, for example, until 1885, after Walker's death, that Osborne Reynolds (1842–1912) introduced tidal modelling.
  • ICE Tract 4to. 34 (32) Report by Walker & Burges on Improving the Port and Harbour of Belfast, London, 10 July 1830, p.8.
  • Ibid. p. 18.
  • Proc. ICE, vol.7, p.186, 14 March 1848, Walker in discussion of; W. J. M. Rankine, 'Account of the Effect of the Storm of the 6th. of December, 1847, on four Sea Walls. on the coast near Edinburgh; as illustrating the principles of Sea Defences'.
  • ICE Tract. 4to. 34 (30): Report of James Walker. . . on Dymchurch Wall in the County of Kent; from Surveys made in June and July 1837. Addressed to the Lords Bailiff and Jurats of Romney Marsh at their meeting at Dymchurch, on 22 July 1837. Dymchurch, 22 July, 1837. p.3.
  • Ibid. p. 6.
  • Ibid.
  • Ibid.
  • ICE Tract, 8vo. 321 (21) St. Helier Jersey, Report of James Walker on the Improvement and Enlargement of the Harbour to Accompany Design. 10 March, 1838, p.11.
  • ICE Cooper's Diary, 29 March 1838.
  • Proc. ICE, vol. p.615: Obit. Thomas Rhodes. The Contractors for these works were Jackson & Bean.
  • ICE archives Letters from Duke of Wellington to James Walker: Letter dated: "Walmer Castle Nov. 8th. 1834". and Select Committee on Dover Harbour, Walker examined, 16 May 1836.
  • Parl.Pap. 1840 (368) XXVIII, Report of the Commissioners appointed to Survey the Harbours of the South-Eastern Coast, 30 May 1840, p.383.
  • Ibid. p. 384.
  • Ibid. The sites were Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Deal, Sandwich, Dover, and Folkestone.
  • Ibid. p. 393.
  • Parl.Pap. 1845 (611), XVI, Report of the Commissioners upon the subject of Harbours of Refuge. 6 March 1845, p.3.
  • Parl. Pap. 1847–48 (476), LX, Accounts and Papers (22) Reports and Plans for a Proposed Harbour in Dover Bay. p.119, Report by James Walker to the Hon. Secretary to the Admiralty, 19 June 1845.
  • For an account of the Works see R. A. Otter, The Builder, 1859, p.297. and Civil Engineering Heritage: Southern England, ( Thomas Telford Ltd. 1994), p.247.
  • ICE Tract folio 12 (11a), Communication with Ireland, Report of James Walker, 6 October 1843, p.2.
  • Ibid. p. 3.
  • Ibid.
  • Earl of Lovelace. p.398: 'Harbours of Refuge', Proc. ICE, vol.7, p.366: 20 June 1848, J. W. in discussion.
  • ICE Tract 8vo. 102 (12): River Tyne Improvement. Piers at Entrance, Mr. Walker's Report and Plan, 15 November 1853, p.3.
  • Ibid. p.10. The reports referred to were those of "Mr. Rennie, Mr. Rendel, Mr. Brooks, Capt. Washington R.N., Capr. Vetch R.E., Capt. Purdo, Mr. Calver, Mr. Thomas John Taylor, and Mr. Henry Turner."
  • Ibid. p. 15.
  • Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Present State of the River Tyne, HMSO, 1855, p.380.
  • Garth Watson, The Smeatonians, (London, Thomas Telford, 1989), p.64.
  • ICE Tract 8vo. 102 (13): Isle of Man Harbours, Report of James Walker, 26 January 1856, p.1.
  • ICE Tract 8vo, 102 (11): Kurrachee Harbour in Scinde, Report of James Walker, 8 September 1856, p.4.
  • Ibid. p. 24.
  • Proc. ICE, vol.104, p.319: Obit. Captain George Charles Parker (1836–1890).
  • Guildhall Lib., ms.30010, Trinity House By Minutes, vol.24, p.102 19 December 1822.
  • Select Committee on Lighthouses 1845: Minutes of Evidence, p.200, J. W. examined 5 June, Q.3174.
  • Ibid. p.204, Q. 3214. The headings of the Accounts, published as Appendix No.5 are: 1) Time per Mr. Walker, 2) Time per Mr. Burges, 3) Clerk's Time, 4) Travelling Expenses &c. Messrs. Walker and Burges, and Clerks, 5) Surveys. Plans, and Specifications for Works, 6) Commission on Work Done on Amounts certified, 7) Time per Clerk of Works, 8) Travelling Expenses per Clerk of Works, 9) Bills for Labour, and Materials furnished, 10) Models, 11) Amount of Charge to each Light, &c.
  • Guildhall Lib., ms.30004, Court Minutes of Elder Brethren, Trinity House, Vol.18, p.89, 6 October 1825.
  • Select Committee on Lighthouses 1845, p.201, 5 June, Q. 3186.
  • Ibid. p.203, Q. 3204.
  • Ibid. Q. 3209 and Q. 3210.
  • Trinity House Obit. of J. W.
  • Court Minutes, vol.18, p.275, 7 February 1828.
  • Ibid. p.288,3 April 1828.
  • Alexander Mitchell, 'On Submarine Foundations; particularly the Screw Pile and Moorings, Proc. ICE, vol.7, p. 108: 22 February 1848, p.136: J. W. in discussion.
  • ICE Cooper's Diary, 24 May 1838.
  • Ibid. 26 June 1839. Walker also built two other skeletal iron lighthouses in the Thames estuary, namely the Gunfleet, and the Chapman, with Walker as engineer for the iron superstructure and Alexander Mitchell as screw pile contractor.
  • See Ref. 140.
  • ICE Cooper's Diary, 13 December 1838.
  • Ibid. 21 May 1839.
  • Ibid. 23 May 1839.
  • ICE Walker Diary, p.327.
  • D. B. Hague & R. Christie, Lighthouses: Their Architecture, History, and Archaeology, (Gomer Press, 1975), p.215.
  • By Minutes, vol.43. p. 101, 28 August 1860.
  • Ibid. p.571,27 May 1862.
  • Ibid.
  • Court Minutes, vol.28, p. 294, 3 June 1862.
  • By Minutes, vol.44, p.28, 12 August 1862.
  • Court Minutes, vol.28, p.330, 7 October 1862.
  • By Minutes, vol.44, p.84, 14 October 1862.
  • The term "Practical Engineer" appears for the first time in the Minutes in connection with the designation of Walker's successor.
  • By Minutes, vol.44, p.145, 30 December 1862.
  • ICE Walker's Diary, p.323.
  • See Charles Hadfield & A. W. Skempton, William Jessop, Engineer, (Newton Abbot, David & Charles, 1979).
  • ICE Tract 8vo., 12 (12) Eau Brink Cut, Report by James Walker and William Chadwell Mylne, 21 May 1825, p.23.
  • Ibid. p. 7.
  • Ibid. p. 24.
  • ICE Tract 8vo. 232 (16), River Welleand Ouffall, 7 November 1835.
  • Richard Boxall Grantham, On 'Arterial Drainage and Outalls', Proc.ICE, vol.19, 1859–60, p.53: 29 November 1859, p.72.
  • ICE Tract 4to. 52, Report on the drainage of the middle level part of the great Level of the Fens, called the bedford Level. . .
  • John Hawkshaw, 'Account of the Cofferdam, the Syphons, and other works, constructed in consequence of the failure of the St. Germains' Sluice in the Middle Level Drainage', Proc.ICE, vol.22, 1862–3, p.497. 21 April 1863, p.498.
  • ICE Tract, 8vo. 232 (11) Report made the 19th., January, 1826 to the Corporation of Great Yarmouth on the Plan for making A Ship Navigation from the sea at Lowestoft to Norwich, p.3.
  • Ibid. p. 16.
  • ICE Tract, 8vo. 71 (5) Reports to the Commissioners of the Haven of Great Yarmouth respecting the Proposed Lock upon the River Wensum at Norwich. by Messrs. Walker and Burges and Mr. George Edwards, 26 December 1836. p.4.
  • Ibid. p. 5.
  • ICE Tract 8vo. 96 (20), Walker's Report to the Glos. & Berkly. Canal Co., March 1841, p.3.
  • Ibid. p. 4.
  • Ibid. p. 5.
  • Ibid. p. 6.
  • ICE Tract 4to. 40 (10), Walker's Report to the Admiralty: River Severn and the South Wales Railway, 3 June 1845, p.9.
  • Ibid. p. 17.
  • ICE Tract fol. 26 (23), River Dee: Past and Present State, December 1846 ( Published 1849), p.5.
  • Ibid.
  • Ibid. p. 11.
  • Ibid. p. 12.
  • Ibid. p. 16.
  • For an interesting account of the works see: Industry Illustrated: A Memoir of Thomas Jackson (London, 1884. Privately published) [ICE Lib.].
  • James Ralph Walker (1829–1866) was the Grandson of Ralph Walker and, therefore, James Walker's cousin once removed.
  • See: Proc.ICE, vol.19, 1859–60, pp.263–282: James Ralph Walker, MICE, 'Description of the Works on the Netherton Tunnel Branch of the Birmingham Canal, 7 February 1860.
  • ICE Tract 8vo. 232 (14): Damage to Caledonian Canal, James Walker Report to Samuel Smith, Secretary to the Caledonian Canal Commissioners, 10 February 1849, p.3. Here again the Contractors were Messrs. Jackson & Bean. Bean was killed during the works.
  • Ibid. p. 11
  • Ibid.
  • Ibid. pp. 15–16. For a fuller account of these, and Walker's works on the Crinan Canal, see: The Canals of Scotland, Jean Lindsay, Newton Abbot, David & Charles, 1968.
  • 'On the resistance of fluids to bodies passing through them', Jas. Walker, Phil. Trans., 1828, part 1, p.15: Communicated by Davies Gilbert, Esq., M.P., V.P.R.S., Read May 31, 1827.
  • I am grateful to Jim Bowie of the ICE PHEW Panel and Gordon Masterson of Babtie Group Consultants for this information.
  • Illustrated London News, 19 April 1851.
  • Glasgow Saturday Post, 17 December 1853.
  • Royal Society Lib. Walker's Form is signed by James Watt, William Chadwell Mylne, Thomas Telford, John and George Rennie, and others.
  • ICE Walker Diary, p.355. It is interesting to note that the University of London had a Civil Engineer as one of the 54 members of Senate from its inception, and who contributed to its work for 27 years.
  • Proc.ICE, vol., pp.624–5: Obit james Cooper. There were no previous symptoms of illness. On Sunday 2 March, after church, he walked a few miles and returned home fit and well. After lunch he and his father slept, and on being called to tea James Cooper was found to have died in his sleep.
  • ICE Walker Diary, p.76.
  • Walker's wife Janet died in London on 31/12/1823 and was buried in Limehouse. Walker's daughter Margaret also died in London on 17/12/1846, 'on the sixth day after the birth of her first born child' and was buried in St. John's Churchyard, Princes Street, Edinburgh. Subsequently, Janet Walker's remains: 'were by her husband's desire, removed to this place from Limehouse, where they were first interred, on 27 July 1853'. (Quotations from the Edinburgh tombstones).
  • ICE Lib. Professor A. W. Skempton's typescript notes on Alfred Burges.
  • Proc.ICE, vol.22, 1862–63, p.631, Obit. James Walker.
  • Ibid. p. 633.
  • The Engineer, 17 October 1862, p.240: "The Late Mr. Walker, CE."
  • Walker's memorial is alongside those of his wife and daughter, and in the Register of Burials is No.293 (Nat.Lib. Scotland, Edinburgh Room).
  • Sir Alexander Gibb, The Story of Telford, (London, Alexander Maclehose & Co., 1935), p.29.

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