Rev Robert Francis Walker MA
Curate of Purleigh and Christian Author
Robert Francis Walker was born at Oxford
on 15 January 1789.
At the age of 11 years he was sent to
Magdelan College School where he became a chorister.
During a visit by Admiral Lord
Nelson to the School he sang in the choir and Nelson was so taken by
his voice that Nelson gave him half a guinea in commendation of his
singing. The following day Nelson saw young Robert sketching and
again commended him.
He moved on to New College
where he obtained a BA in December 1811 and in the following year
was ordained as Chaplain to New College.
Walker continued to study and
in 1813 he was awarded an MA and was accepted for priests orders.
In 1815 he became curate of
Taplow in Buckinghamshire and then moved to Henley on Thames before
accepting the post of Curate at Purleigh in 1819.
The Rector at the time was Rev
E Copleston who resided at Oxford and was later to become the Bishop
of Llandaff was not resident in the parish most of the time and the
position gave young Robert the opportunity that he sought.
He was to remain at Purleigh
for 30 years until illness prevented his work from continuing.
Walker was deeply religious
and very conscientious as to his duties as identified in his quote
below
Every
hour comes laden with duty and then flies to heaven to register how
spent
It
behoves every servant of God generally and particularly every
minister of Jesus Christ to make a right use of the precious time
allotted him within the space of this short and uncertain life.
In 1824 his wife died leaving him to
continue his Ministry and bring up his son John and the other young
children.
By 1830 he had remarried to once again
bring the female touch into family life.
Sadly 1933 brought pain into
the life of Rev Walker with the death of
John aged 14 yrs on 6 May 1833 and his step brother Albert shortly
afterwards when he was only a few months old.
A chance meeting with some
German students who were preparing for missionary work encouraged
Rev Walker to develop an interest in missionaries and the German
Language.
He then began to read
Christian writing written in German and enjoyed the works so much
that he translated many into English.
Robert Francis Walker died on 31 January
1854 and was
buried before a large congregation of Parishioners and Clerical brethren in
the Churchyard at Purleigh .
A
sketch of Purleigh Church by Rev Walker
Books written or
translated by Rev Walker
1835 - Sermons by the Rev
Lewis Hofacker
1836 - Elijah the Tishbite by
the Rev F W Krummacher
1837 - A Memoir of the life
and writings of the Rev John Albert Bengel
1837 - A brief history of the
Church of Christ by the Rev C G Barth
1838 - A glimpse of the
Kingdom of Grace : Eight sermons, by the same
1840 - A general history by Dr
Barth
1843 - A memoir of the Rev H E
Rauschenbursch
1844 - Christian missions by
the Rev C T Blumhardt
Undated
Poor Henry; A tale by Rev C G
Barth
The coming of the Lord by the
Rev S C Kapff
Jehovah Zidenu, “The Lord our
righteousness" by the Rev F Sander
Most of the material for the
information on Rev Walker was taken from a Memoir of the Rev Robert
Francis Walker MA written by the Rev Thomas Pyne MA Incumbent of
Hook, Surrey on the death of Rev Walker in 1854.
The preface by the author is
an insight into why Rev Walker was such an important figure in the
life of Purleigh.
To the
Parishioners of Purleigh, Essex.
This
record of a pastor justly endeared to them by his holy and lovely
character, and by his abundant labours amon g them during many years
in the ministry of the gospel is with the highest sentiments of
christian consideration and goodwill, inscribed.
