James Walker (engineer)
| James Walker | |
|---|---|
 James Walker |
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| Born | 14 September 1781 Falkirk, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Died | 8 October 1862 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Citizenship | Great Britain |
| Work | |
| Engineering discipline | civil engineering |
| Institution memberships | Institution of Civil Engineers (president), Fellow of the Royal Society |
James Walker, FRS, (14 September 1781 – 8 October 1862) was an influential Scottish civil engineer of the first half of the 19th century.
Walker was born in Falkirk and was apprenticed to his uncle Ralph Walker in approximately 1800, with whom he gained experience working on the design and construction of the West India and East India Docks in London. Also in London, he worked on the Surrey Commercial Docks from about 1810 onwards, remaining as engineer to the Surrey Commercial Dock Company until his death in 1862.
An associate of Thomas Telford, he succeeded him as President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, serving from 1834 to 1845.[1] He was also chief engineer of Trinity House, hence his considerable involvement with coastal engineering and lighthouses.
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[edit] Projects and other work
James Walker worked on various engineering projects, including:
- Greenland Dock, London (c.1808 – c.1862)
- The Regent's Bridge (today Vauxhall Bridge), London (1816, since demolished)
- Survey for the Leeds and Selby Railway (1829)[2]
- Start Point lighthouse, Devon (1836)
- Advice on alignment of Hereford and Gloucester Canal (1838)
- Improvements to Aberdeen Harbour (1838)
- Wolf Rock beacon and lighthouse (1840–1862)
- Gunfleet Lighthouse, off Frinton-on-Sea, Essex (1850)
- Bishop Rock lighthouse (1858)
- Needles Lighthouse
- Completion of the Caledonian Canal (1838–1848)
- Alderney breakwater, Channel Islands (1847)
- St Catherine’s Harbour, Jersey, Channel Islands (1847–1856)
- Improvements to navigation in the River Tyne (1853–1861)
Walker was also involved in the design of a dock harbour in Hamburg (1845, with William Lindley and Heinrich Hübbe). He was also involved in the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, preparing a report on the merits of stationary and locomotive engines along with other notable engineers of the day.[3]
[edit] Memorial
A memorial to Walker was commissioned by the Institution of Civil Engineers to stand at Greenland Dock and was unveiled in 1990.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Watson, Garth (1988). The Civils. London: Thomas Telford Ltd. p. 251. ISBN 0-727-70392-7
- ^ The North Eastern Railway; its rise and development, William Weaver Tomlinson, 1915, p. 203, online version via www.archive.org
- ^ Report to the directors of the Liverpool and Manchester railway: on the comparative merits of locomotive and fixed engines, as a moving power, James Walker, Robert Stephenson, Joseph Locke, Henry Booth, 1831, google books
- ^ Smith, Denis (2001). Civil Engineering Heritage. London: Thomas Telford Ltd. p. 103. ISBN 0727728768. http://books.google.com/?id=4TA262F55asC&printsec=frontcover.
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[edit] Obituaries
- Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Volume 12, Royal Society (Great Britain), 1863 , "Obituary Notices of Fellows Deceased", p. lxiv-lxvi, google books link
| Professional and academic associations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Telford |
President of the Institution of Civil Engineers January 1835 – January 1845 |
Succeeded by John Rennie |
