Grace's Guide
British Industrial History
Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,971 pages of information and 233,612 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.
George Walker (1816-1881)
From Graces Guide
George Walker (1816-1881) of Walker and Hall
Mr. George Walker worked for Mr. John Harrison, of Scotland street
Mr. Wright, a young surgeon in Birmingham, invented a process for electro-plating and gilding.
c.1840 Wright told Messrs. Elkington and Co., silversmiths and gilders, about his process and they agreed to patent it, and to allow him a handsome life annuity, and Mrs. Wright after him.
John Harrison took a licence from Elkingtons for using the process in his own establishment in Sheffield. He sent George Walker to Birmingham to be instructed in the art. Walker was, therefore, the first operative electro-plater in Sheffield.
c.1843 After about 18 months employment, Harrison instructed Walker to teach his son, W. W. Harrison, the plating business, which Walker declined to do and left his employement. Walker's brother-in-law, Samuel Coulson, agreed to support him in setting up an electro-plating business. Walker went to Birmingham to obtain a licence to plate covering the whole of Sheffield, except for Mr. Harrison, which he achieved just before Harrison was able to contact Elkington.
1845 Walker and Co was founded[1].
The firm began to gain success and celebrity in the electro-plating business in Sheffield.
1865 January 1st: Walker retired from the partnership of Walker and Hall
He moved to Warwick and eventually died in Southport[2]