FIFESHIKE BIOGRAPHY. WAL Terror bomb ; and in June following assumed the temporary command of the W Trusty, 50. In this vessel he was sent to convey five East Indiamen to a latitude in WAID, Andrew, Lieutenant in the which they might be safely left ; which Eoyal Navy, a native of Anstruther, died having done, he heard on his return of a near London in the year 1804. Having no large fleet of merchantmen which had been issue, he exetuted a trust disposition and for some time lying at Cadiz in want of settlement on the 4th December 1800. by convoy, and under heavy demurrage. Con- which he disponed and conveyed his whole ceiving he could not be more beneficially property, heritable and moveable, real and employed than in protecting the commerce personal, after paying annuitie.s of £203 15s of his country, Captain Walker thought fit to various persons whom he named, and {in contravention of his orders, which were others whom he substituted in their room to return to Spitliead), to take charge of after his death, to twelve trustees for the these vessels, which he conducted in perfect (lurpose of erecting; an academy at An- safety to England. Two memorials of the struther, his birth-place, for the reception, Spanish merchants residing in London accommodation, clothing, and education, as represented to the Admiralty "that the well as maintenance of as many orphan value of the fleet amounted to upwards of a boys and seamen's boys, in indigent million sterling, which but for his active circumstances, giving the preference to exertions would have been left in great orphans, as the whole of his estate would danger, at a most critical time, when the admit of, and appointed the erection of the Spaniards were negotiating a peace with said academy to be set about as soon as France." The Spanish authorities, how- £100 sterling of the foresaid annuities should ever, having resented his having assisted the cease. The testator died in June 1804. merchants in removing theb property, it The amount of trust funds at Whitsunday was deemed right to bring Captain Walker last (1866) was about £7000, and the annui- to a court-martial on his return to Ply- ties still remaining a burden on the funds mouth ; and it being found that he had amount to £90 yearly. acted without orders, he was broke. At the WALKER, James, Rear-Admiral of the same time it was no small consolation to his Red, C.B., and K.T.S.—This brave and feelings to know that the Lords Commis- distinguished officer was the son of James sioners of the Admiralty appreciated the Walker of Inverdivat, in Fife, and of Lady motives by which he had been actuated, and Mary, third and youngest daughter of interested themselves in his favour. About Alexander, Earl of Leven and Melville. eight months after, the Spanish Ambas- He entered the navy about 1776 as midship- sador received orders from his government man in the Southampton, frigate, in which to request that the whole transaction might be served for five years, principally on the be forgotten, and Mr Walker was restored Jamaica station, and in the grand fleet to his rank of commander in March 1797. under Sir Charles Hardy. In August 1780 In the summer of 1797, while the mutiny he had a narrow escape, being sent to assist raged at the Nore, Captain Walker suggested in removing the prisoners from a captured a plan for attacking the Sandwich with the Erivateer which sunk, and it was some time smasher guns invented by his relative efore he was rescued from the waves. In General Melville, and volunteered to 1781 he was promoted to the rank of lieu- conduct the enteipi-ise. It so happened tenant, and appointed to the Princess Royal, that a plan exactly similar had been but almost immediately exchanged into the adopted by the Board of Admiralty Torbay, 74, in which he served under Sir not an hour before, and Captain Walker Samuel Hood in the operations at St was immediately appointed to the com- Christopher's, and the memorable engage- mand of a division of gun boats, fitted ment with the Count De Gra.sse. After the at Woolwich ; but before he arrived at peace of 1783, Lieutenant Walker spent Gravestnd the mutineers had been in- some years in France, Italy, and Germany ; duced to surrender. He was then ordered and in 1788, when a war broke out between to act as Captain of the Garland frigate, and Russia and Turkey, was offered the com- to conduct the trade bound to the Baltic as mand of a Russian ship, but could not far as Elsinoir. On his return from that obtain leave to accept it. He was subse- service, he removed into the Monmouth, quently appointed in succession to the 64, employed in the North Sea. In Lord Champion, Winchelsea, Boyne, and Niger. Duncan's memorable battle of the 11th The last was one of the repeating frigates to October 1797, the Monmouth was closely Earl Howe's fleet in the battle of June 1, engaged for an hour and a-half with the 1794 ; and Mr Walker was advanced to the Delft and Alkmaar, ships of the line, and rank of commander for his conduct as compelled them both to surrender. The lieutenant and signal officer on that glorious latter was taken in tow immediately after day. Immediately after this promotion he the action, and, notwithstanding the heavy weut as a volunteer with his late Captain, gale that ensued. Captain Walker did not the Hon. A. K. Legge, and his old mess- quit her until he had the satisfaction of mates of the Niger, in the Latona. At the anchoring her safely in Yarmouth Roads. beginning of 1795 he was appointed to the He was immediately confirmed in the rank 475 WAL FIFESHIEE BIOGEAPHY. WAL of Post-Captain, and the command of the could not approach within one hundred Monmouth, and received the naval gold miles of the scene of action. In 1814 Cap- medal and the thanks of Parliament. tain Walker was selected to accompany the On the 19th December following he assisted Duke of Clarence to Boulogne, for the pur- in depositing in St Paul's the colours cap- pose of bringing to England the Emperor tured in the recent naval victories. Captain of Russia and King of Prussia, Aftar the Walker subsequently commanded in succes- peace, he commanded the Albion, Queen, sion the Veteran, 64, Braakel, 56, Prince and Northumberland, third-rates, the last of George, 98, Prince of the same force, and which he paid off, 10th September 1818, and Isii, 50. The last was one of Lord Nelson's thus closed a continued service of twenty- division in the battle of Copenhagen, 2d one years as Post-Captain. He was nomi- April 1801, and was most warmly engaged nated a Companion of the Bath on the ex- for four hours and a-half with two of the tension of that honourable order in 1815, enemy's heaviest block ships and a battery and advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral of fourteen guns. Its loss in this sanguinary at the coronation of King George the IV., battle amounted to 9 officers and 103 men the promotion on that memorable occasion kiUed and wounded. In the ensuing sum- ending with him. The Rear-Admiral's mer Captain Walker obtained the command death occurred on the 13th July 1831, while of the Tartar frigate, and was ordered to on a visit to his son, commanding the convoy a fleet of merchantmen to the Coast-Guard of Blutchington, near Seaford. Jamaica Station, where he received a com- Rear-Admiral Walker was twice married. mission from the Admiralty, appointing His first wife was a daughter of the Right him to the 'V^anguard, 74. On the renewal Hon. Gieneral Sir John Irvine, K.B. ; his of hostilities in 1803, he was employed in second and widow was a daughter of Arnol- the blockade of St Domingo, and while on dus Jones Skelton, Esq., of Branthwaite that service captured the Creole, 44, having Hall, in Cumberland, first cousin to the on board the JTrenoh General Morgan and Marquis Comwallis, and M.P. for Eye. 530 troops, and the Duquesne, 74—the His eldest son, Melville, is an officer of latter after a chase of twenty-four hours dragoons ; his second, Frederick, a Lieuten- and a running fight of an hour and a-half. ant R.N. ; and his thurd, Thomas, died in Shortly after his return the town of St Marc that rank in 1829. surrendered, after a blockade of fourteen WALKER, The Eight Rev. James, weeks ; as also did the garrison of Cape D.D., Bishop of Edinburgh.—Dr Walker, Francals when the dominion of the French Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, was at an end. Captain Walker returned was bom at Kirkcaldy in the year 1772, and to England, with only 160 men, although after passing through the regular course of nearly that number of French prisoners was a college education in his native country, he embarked on board his ship, —a circumstance entered St John's College, Cambridge, where which rendered the utmost vigilance neces- he graduated B.A. in 1793 and M.A. in sary. He was subsequently appointed to 1796. On his return to Scotland he was the Thaha frigate, and sent to the East ordained to the ministry in 1793 ; and, en- Indies ; and afterwards to the Bedford, 74, gaging at first in literary pursuits, he for one of the squadron sent by Sir W.
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