George Walker (soldier)

Sir George Walker (c.1618 – 1 July 1690 Old Style) was an English soldier and Anglican priest, known as the Defender of Londonderry. He was joint Governor of Londonderry during the Siege in 1689. He was killed at the Battle of the Boyne while going to the aid of the wounded Duke of Schomberg.

Family
George Walker II (1645-1690) was born in Wighill, Yorkshire, England, the son of George Walker (1600-1677), rector of Kilmore and Chancellor of Armagh, and Ursula Stanhope (1617-1654), daughter of Sir John Stanhope of Melwood. Walker was educated at Glasgow University. He married Isabella Barclay (1644-1705), by whom he had several sons and daughters. (Robert 1650; John Alexander 1655-1734; George III 1669-1699; James 1670-1700; John 1671-1726; Gervase 1672-1693; Robert 1674-1705; Thomas 1677-1712; Mary 1679; Charity 1681-1728; Elizabeth 1683. There are many descendants of George Walker living in Ireland, Great Britain, the United States, and Canada.

Siege of Londonderry
A Doctor of Divinity, Walker was joint Governor of Londonderry along with Robert Lundy during the Siege of Londonderry in 1689 and received the thanks of the House of Commons for his work. The Walker Plinth on the Walls of Londonderry which was completed in 1828, remains in his memory; although the associated column that sat on top was destroyed in an ira terrorist bomb attack in 1972.

He was killed at the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690 (12 July New Style), whilst going to the aid of Frederick Schomberg, 1st Duke of Schomberg, Commander-in-Chief of all Williamite forces in Ireland, who was wounded during the crossing of the river in the early part of the battle. He was originally buried at the battlefield but at the insistence of his widow, his body was later exhumed and buried inside the church at Castlecaufield, County Tyrone. His body was later rediscovered and re-interred next to that of his wife but not before a cast was taken of his skull.