James Walker (engineer)

This article is about the Scottish engineer. For similarly-named persons, see James Walker (disambiguation).

James Walker
Born	September 14 1781 Falkirk, Scotland
Died	October 8, 1862(1862-10-08) (aged 81)
Nationality	Scottish
Occupation	Engineer
Engineering career
Discipline	civil engineering
Institutions	Institution of Civil Engineers (president)

James Walker, FRS, (September 14, 1781-October 8, 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. He was also chief engineer of Trinity House, hence his considerable involvement with coastal engineering and lighthouses.

Projects included:

• Greenland Dock, London (c.1808 - c.1862)
• The Regent's Bridge (today Vauxhall Bridge), London (1816, since demolished)
• 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)
• 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).

A memorial to Walker was commissioned by the Institution of Civil Engineers to stand at Greenland Dock and was unveiled in 1990.