Stake,’ and was, in the season 1730–1, the first Cassander in Frowde's ‘Philotas,’ Adrastus in Jeffrey's ‘Merope,’ Pylades in Theobald's ‘Orestes,’ and Hypsenor in Tracy's ‘Periander.’
On 10 Feb. 1733, at the new theatre in Covent Garden, Walker was the first Periphas in Gay's ‘Achilles.’ At this house he played Lothario, Banquo, Hector in Dryden's ‘Troilus and Cressida,’ Angelo in ‘Measure for Measure,’ Sempronius in ‘Cato,’ Lord Morelove in ‘Careless Husband,’ Timon, Carlos in the ‘Fatal Marriage,’ the King in the ‘Mourning Bride,’ Ghost in ‘Hamlet,’ Fainall in the ‘Way of the World,’ Colonel Briton, Bajazet, Henry VI in ‘Richard III,’ Young Rakish in the ‘School Boy,’ Falconbridge, Dolabella in ‘All for Love,’ Horatio in ‘Fair Penitent,’ Norfolk in ‘Richard II,’ Marcian in ‘Theodosius,’ Kite in ‘Recruiting Officer,’ and Scandal in ‘Love for Love.’ The last part in which he can be traced at Covent Garden is Ambrosio in ‘Don Quixote,’ which he played on 17 May 1739. In 1739–40 he appears to have been out of an engagement, but he played, 17 May 1740, Macheath for his benefit at Drury Lane. In 1740–41 he was seen in many of his principal parts at Goodman's Fields. But after Garrick's arrival at Goodman's Fields in 1741, Walker's name was taken from the bills and did not reappear until 27 May 1742, when the ‘Beggar's Opera’ and the ‘Virgin Unmasked’ were given for his benefit. He seems to have played in Dublin in 1742 as Kite in the ‘Recruiting Officer,’ with Garrick as Plume.
Walker's first dramatic effort was compressing into one the two parts of D'Urfey's ‘Massaniello.’ This was produced at Lincoln's Inn Fields, 31 July 1724, with Walker as Massaniello. John Leigh [q. v.] wrote concerning this—
Tom Walker his creditors meaning to chouse,
Like an honest, good-natured young fellow,
Resolv'd all the summer to stay in the house
And rehearse by himself Massaniello.
The ‘Quaker's Opera,’ 8vo, 1728, a species of catchpenny imitation by Walker of the ‘Beggar's Opera,’ was acted at Lee and Harper's booth in Bartholomew Fair. Whether Walker played in it is not known. The ‘Fate of Villainy,’ 8vo, 1730, probably an imitation of some older play, was given at Goodman's Fields on 24 Feb. 1730 by Mr. and Mrs. Giffard with little success. It is unequal in merit, some parts being fairly, others poorly, written. In 1744 Walker went to Dublin, taking with him this play, which was acted there under the title of ‘Love and Loyalty.’ The second night was to have been for his benefit. Not being able to furnish security for the expenses of the house, he could not induce the managers to reproduce it. He died three days later, 5 June 1744, his death being accelerated by poverty and disappointment.
Walker was a good, though scarcely a first-class, actor in both comedy and tragedy, his forte being the latter. He played many leading parts in tragedies, most of them now wholly forgotten. His best serious parts were Bajazet, Hotspur, Edmund, and Falconbridge; in comedy he was received with most favour as Worthy in the ‘Recruiting Officer,’ Bellmour in the ‘Old Bachelor,’ and Harcourt in the ‘Country Girl.’ Rich said concerning him that he was the only man who could turn a tune [sing] who could [also] speak. Davies says that his imitation as Massaniello of a well-known vendor of flounders was eminently popular, and that his Edmund in ‘Lear’ was the best he had seen. After his success in Macheath, in consequence of which Gay dubbed him a highwayman, he was much courted by young men of fashion, and gave way to habits of constant intemperance, to which his decline in his profession and premature death were attributed.
Walker had a good face, figure, presence, and voice. His portrait as Macheath, painted by J. Ellys and engraved by Faber, jun., a companion to that of Lavinia Fenton as Polly, is described in the ‘Catalogue of Engraved Portraits’ by Chaloner Smith, who says that four copies are known.
[Works cited; Genest's Account of the English Stage; Biographia Dramatica; Hitchcock's Irish Stage; Chetwood's General History of the Stage; Doran's Annals of the Stage, ed. Lowe; Davies's Dramatic Miscellanies; Betterton's [Curll's] History of the English Stage; Georgian Era.]
WALKER, THOMAS (1784–1836), police magistrate and author, son of Thomas Walker (1749–1817), was born at Barlow Hall, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, near Manchester, on 10 Oct. 1784. His father was a Manchester cotton merchant and the head of the whig or reform party in the town. In 1784 he led the successful opposition to Pitt's fustian tax, and in 1790, when he was borough-reeve, founded the Manchester Constitutional Society. His warehouse was attacked in 1792 by a ‘church and king’ mob, and in that year he was prosecuted for treasonable conspiracy; but the evidence was so plainly perjured that the charge was abandoned. At the trial he was defended by Erskine, and among his friends and correspondents were
