Biography:James Walker
James Walker
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| Given name: | James |
| Middle name: | |
| Family name: | Walker |
| Place of birth: | |
| Place of death: | |
| Year of birth: | 1760 |
| Year of death: | 1840 |
| Profile: | Composer, Musician |
| Source of information: | |
Biographical notes
JAMES WALKER (1760-1840) was a professional musician and teacher of music and dance n Dysart, Fife, who published two collections of music. John Glen gives this sketch of him:
Walker resided in the Royal Burgh of Dysart, of which he was a native. His profession, so far as we have been able to learn, was that of musician and teacher of music. He as greatly patronized by the gentry and upper classes of the district of Fife for his services at their dancing parties, balls, &c. We are indebted to his great-grandson for the following story, which he said he heard from an old gentleman over seventy years of age, whose son now (1894) stands high in the musical profession in Edinburgh. The narrative is given in the gentleman’s words:--"Auld Jeems Walker—( will never forget that man. My father always invited the band to the big house after the ball was over to perform there. One named Rattray, from Cupar, was playing firsts, and your ancestor seconds, when suddenly Rattray’s first string snapped, and I expected a collapse, but to my astonishment, the old man (whom I though in my ignorance to be asleep, and not able to sustain the music) was immediately alive to the occasion, and carried through the piece to its close, after which he was greatly complimented by the audience.” Walker’s great-grandson has in his possession the Burgess and Freeman’s Ticket of the Royal Burgh of Dysart, granted to James Walker, shoemaker, 1784, the father of the musician, who was born in 1771.
Walker published two Collections of Reels, &c. The first he dedicated to the Right Worshipful Master Sir James Erskine St. Clair of Sinclair, Bart., and the Worthy Brethren of the Freemasons’ Lodge in Dysart, and the second to Lady St. Clair Erskine of Sinclair. Neither was advertised so far as known, but for the earlier one there were subscriptions received for 200 copies. His collections are exceedingly rare, and contain several good tunes, which are comparatively unknown. He had a son, also named James, who was a musician, dancing master and pianoforte tuner, but he predeceased his father, whose death occurred in April 1840, and who was buried on the tenth of that month in the West Burial Ground, Dysart. The eldest sons of Walker’s descendants have all been named James, down the his great-great-grandson, who is at present fourteen years of age.