Thomas Walker of Flookersbrook [1782-1857]
and Catharine Lightfoot [1784-1832]

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Noted at the bottom of the original of this portrait: "The Vandyke Studio, 157, Smithdown Road, Liverpool, (Wavertree). The photographer, and possibly the Proprietor/Owner, was Mr Christie. The premises were in a block of shops with flats above opposite Toxteth Park cemetery between Webster Road and Cranborne Road. Mr Christie died in the 1960's and had been retired for many years." The writer was unsure when the studio ceased to operate.

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Thomas Walker, father of Elizabeth Catherine Walker Pickering. [Webmaster note] Thomas Walker of Flookersbrook, Chester is my 3x Great Grandfather. I am a descendant of his daughter, Elizabeth Walker Pickering. Thanks to third cousin, Janet Leece for portrait of Thomas Walker.

1.1  Thomas Walker of Flookersbrook, 1782-1857
       b: 20 Dec 1782
       c: 19 Jan 1783, St. John the Baptist, Chester
       m: 18 Jul 1805 (age 22)
       o: Tanner, St Peter [view document]
       o: 1857 (at death), Gentleman
       lived: 1805, St. Oswald Parish, St Peter
       lived: 1857 (at death) Gresford St., Gresford Parish
       d: 1 Dec. 1857, Rose Cottage, Gwersyllt, near Wrexham, North Wales (age 74)
       b: 7 Dec. 1857 Overleigh Cemetery, Chester
       grave ref: OLD02/1424 / #P1424
          Cause of death: bronchitis, ascites (dropsy) and exhaustion

      Father: George Walker, Brewer
      Mother: Margaret Salmon


     m1: Catharine Lightfoot (sometimes spelt with a "K")        
     c: 7 Dec 1784, St. Oswald's Parish, Chester
     m: 16 Jul 1805, of Flookersbrook at St. Oswald's Parish, Chester (age 20)
     d: 8 Dec 1840, Forest Street, Chester (age 56)
     b: 15 Dec 1840, St. Oswald's Parish, Chester

               Father: John Lightfoot
               Mother: Mary Artingstall, widow (of John Artingstall)            

     m2: Ann Holmes, Rossett, Denbighshire, 26 Aug 1850,
     Parish Church of Gresford, Denbighshire

          Children of Thomas Walker and Catherine Lightfoot
               John Lightfoot Walker, b:1806 d:1817, Chester
               Katharine Mary Walker, b: 1810, d:1840, Chester
               Thomas Walker, b: 1812, d: 1816, Chester
               Alice Walker, b: 1815, d: 1852, Chester
               Charles Walker, b: 1817, d: 1853, Chester
               Elizabeth Catherine Walker, b:1819, d: 1895, Chester m: Charles William H Pickering
               Thomas Walker, b:1821, d: 1871, Chester
               John Walker, b: 1822, d: 1845, Chester
               William Walker, b: 1824, d:1850, Flookersbrook, Newton
               Anne Walker, b: 1826, d: 1814
               Emma Walker, b: 1828, d: 1855, Flookersbrook
               Alfred Walker, b: 1829, d: 1831, Flookersbrook

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•   Flookersbrook: Our Walker and Lightfoot Family Connections
•   Overleigh Graves

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DANIEL CLOWES (1774-1829) THOMAS WALKER AT FLOOKERSBROOK, CHESTER signed, oil on canvas, 62.5 x 84.5cm. Provenance: Commissioned by Thomas Walker. Thence by descent to the present owner. Possibly dating from c. 1805, after Walker's marriage to Catherine Lightfoot, this handsome picture depicts Walker on a horse which he was reputed to have bought from the Shah of Persia. Walker owned the Lion Brewery in Chester and was also a tanner; his yards can be seen in the background. Exhibited: Chester, Grosvenor Museum, 1985, `The Clowes Family of Chester Sporting Artists.' Illustrated and discussed in the catalogue, this is designated as D.47 in the catalogue raisonné.

Auctioned painting on May 25, 2000, UK. According to Blouin Art Sales Index, the painting was Lot 507, Lawrences Auctioneers Ltd., Crewkerne. The painting was being sold for $18,415 USD.

It is described as a signed, oil on canvas, measuring 33 inches high.
Source: Artfact.com

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Birth of Thomas (1782), son to George Walker, Brewer and Margaret, his wife.
Source: Chester Parish Records

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Baptism of Thomas and Catherine Mary, children of Thomas and Catharine Walker, Flookersbrook. Occupation: Tanner. Source:Diocese of Chester parish registers of baptisms.

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Chester Directory of 1818:
           • Malsters and Dealers in Malt: Lightfoot and Walker, Flookersbrook
           • Liquor Merchants: George Walker, Upper Bridge-street

Source: Commercial Directory for 1818-19-20, Chester

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1841 CENSUS - St John The Baptist, Foregate Street
Note: all of the ages on this census are inaccurate. Actual birth year and ages are in [brackets]

Thomas Walker, head, age 55 [b: 1782, age 59], Brewer
Alice Walker, dau., age 20 [b: 1815, age 26]
Charles Walker, son, age 20 [b:1817, age 24]
William Walker, son, age 15 [b:1824, age 17]
Ann Walker, dau., age 15 [b:1826, age 15]
Emma Walker, dau., age 15 [b: 1828, age 13]
        also in household:
James Broadbent, future son-in-law, age 25, [married Alice Walker], Printer
Elizabeth Harrison, age 40, Independent
Ann Hughes, age 40, F.L. [b: 1796, age 45]
Eliza Thelwell, age 30
Robert Ellis, age 20

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**Research note from Janet Leece, Jan 2013:
"I have the marriage certificate of a Thomas Walker and Ann Holmes and he is recorded as a gentleman of "full" age.  I cannot say for certain that this is the correct Thomas Walker without his age being recorded.  My reasons for thinking it is correct is because he died at Rose Cottage, Gwersyllt, near Wrexham, which is in the same area and his death certificate records that he was 75 years old, which would tally with our Thomas Walker.  It also records that he was a proprietor of houses."