A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Walker, Bethune James
WALKER. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 12; h-p., 35.)
Bethune James Walker entered the Navy, 1 Jan. 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Stag 36; in which frigate and in the Jason 36 and London 98 he continued employed in the Channel under the command of Capts. Joseph Sydney Yorke, Hon. John Murray, and Geo. Murray, until May, 1802 – a great part of the time as Midshipman. From the latter date he did not again go afloat until 27 Jan. 1811. He then joined, in the capacity of Master’s Mate, the Ardent 64, Capt. Robt. Honyman, in the Baltic; and next, in Jan. 1812 and Dec. 1813, the Bulwark and Venerable 74’s, flag-ships of Rear-Admiral Philip Chas. Durham – the former stationed off Rochefort. During his passage, in the Venerable, to the West Indies, Mr. Walker assisted at the capture, 16 and 20 Jan. 1814, of the Alcmène and Iphigénie French frigates, of 44 guns each. At the taking of the Alcmène he distinguished himself among the boarders – that ship offering much resistance before her colours could be hauled down.[1] On 1 Sept. following he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Ister 36, Capt. John Cramer (now Coghill); he was officially promoted 24 April, 1815; and he was subsequently appointed 25 Sept. in the latter year, to the Eridanus 36, Capt. Wm. Paterson, stationed in the Channel, where he served until June, 1817 – 21 May, 1827, to the Astrea Falmouth packet, Capt. Wm. King – and 3 Dec. 1828, to the command of the Kingfisher brig, also employed as a packet on the Falmouth station. Since 1830, in the course of which year he left the vessel last mentioned, he has been on half-pay.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 440.