Frederick Walker

Frederick Walker (Artist).

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It is very surprising sometimes when a small piece of information leads to a very good historical account of Cookham and its past. Such an account is that in Frederick Walker.

Fred Walker was the son of a Jewelry Designer. Born in Marylebone, London on the 24th of May 1840. As a young boy, he use to pay frequent visits to the British Museum, to draw the various objects on view. Like most boys he had a short formal education and by the age of sixteen he was placed in the office of one Mr. Baker an architect. After eighteen months, he left that position and returned back to the British Museum to continue drawing the Elgin Marbles. At the same time he attended Leigh’s life school in Newman Street. In March 1858 he was admitted as a student of The Royal Academy, but he left the Academy schools before he reached life classes as he was anxious to start earning money. To this end he started drawing on wood for wood carvers two or three days a week in the studio of a Mr. J. W. Whymper, under whose guidance he soon mastered the art of drawing on wood.

When he actually moved into Cookham and the house “East Flint” is not known at the moment. More on this artist will be entered here as soon the research is complete.