Admiral Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, 1st Baronet | |
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Walker in Turkish service, 1840.
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Born | 6 January 1802 Port-e-Vullen, near Ramsey, Isle of Man |
Died |
12 February 1876 (aged 74) Diss, Norfolk |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1812 to 1876 |
Rank | Royal Navy Admiral |
Commands held |
HMS Vanguard 1836–1838 HMS Queen 1845–1846 HMS Constance 1846–1847 Cape of Good Hope Station 1861–1865 Nore Command 1866–1869 |
Battles/wars |
Morea expedition, 1828 Bombardment of Acre, 1840 |
Awards |
KCB Order of the Iron Crown Order of St. Anna Order of the Red Eagle |
Other work | Surveyor of the Navy, 1848–1861 |
Admiral Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, 1st Baronet KCB CMG (6 January 1802 – 12 February 1876) was Surveyor of the Navy from 1848 to 1861. and was responsible for the Royal Navy's warship construction programme during the 1850s naval arms race and at the time of the introduction of the Ironclad warship; it was his decision to build HMS Warrior. He was created 1st Baronet Wake Walker, of Oakley House in 1856.
Baldwin Wake Walker was the eldest son of John Walker of Whitehaven and Frances, daughter of Captain Drury Wake.
Walker entered the Royal Navy in 1812, and was made a Lieutenant in April, 1820. He served 2 years on the Jamaica station, then for 3 years on the coast of South America and the west coast of Africa.
In 1827 he entered service in the Mediterranean aboard HMS Rattlesnake and was first lieutenant of the bomb vessel HMS Aetna at the attack on Morea Castle during the Morea expedition. For this service he received the crosses of the Légion d'honneur and of the Greek Order of the Redeemer.
He saw further service in the Mediterranean aboard the ships HMS Asia, HMS Britannia and HMS Barham, being promoted to Commander in 1834. In that rank he served in HMS Vanguard from 1836 – 1838.