Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Walker, Vyell Edward
WALKER, VYELL EDWARD (1837–1906), cricketer, born at Southgate House, Southgate, on 20 April 1837, was fifth of seven sons of Isaac Walker of Southgate, member of the prosperous brewing firm, Taylor, Walker & Co. of Limehouse, by his wife Sarah Sophia Taylor, of Palmer's Green, Middlesex. John Walker, of Amos Grove, Southgate, was his grandfather. An uncle, Henry Walker, twice played for the Gentlemen of England v. Players. All Vyell's brothers John, the eldest (1826-1885), Alfred (1827-1870), Frederick (1829-1880), Arthur Henry (1833-1878), Isaac Donnithorne (1844-1898), and Russell Donnithorne (b. 1842), who alone survives — distinguished themselves in the cricket field. Of these Isaac Donnithorne and Russell Donnithorne proved themselves, like Vyell, cricketers of the first class. From 1868 to 1874 'The "Walker Combination," formed of these three brothers (when V. E. was bowling and fielding his own bowling at short mid-on, with I. D. and R. D., like two terriers watching a rat-hole, in the field), was nearly, if not quite, as fatal as the three Graces very often; . . . there is no instance within the memory of living cricketers when the strategy of the game was better displayed than when three Graces or three Walkers were on the out side' (F. Gale in Lillywhite, 1880).
Educated at Stanmore, where Vyell learned cricket under Mr. A. Woodmass, and at Bayford, Hertfordshire, he was at Harrow school from 1850 to 1854, and played in the cricket matches against both Eton and Winchester in 1853 and 1854. On leaving school he, like his brothers, mainly devoted himself to cricket, although some twenty years later he joined the family brewing firm. In 1856, at nineteen, he appeared at Lord's for the Gentlemen of England against the Players. With three brothers, John, Frederick, and Arthur, he played for the Gentlemen next year, when the match with the Players was first contested at Kennington Oval. He regularly played for the Gentlemen until 1869, captaining the team on ten occasions. By 1859 he was considered the best all-round cricketer in the world. In July of that year he scored 108 for England v. Surrey at the Oval, and took all ten Surrey wickets in the first innings for 74 runs — still an unparalleled feat in first-class cricket. He twice subsequently — in 1864 and 1865 — repeated the exploit of taking all ten wickets in an innings.
Vyell Walker's eldest brother, John, founded in 1858, on his own land, the Southgate club, which became a chief centre of local cricket and a notable scene of activity for Walker and his brothers up to July 1877, when the club ceased to be their private property. There in 1859 John Walker invited the Kent eleven to play a Middlesex eleven which included five members of his family. John Walker and his brothers were mainly responsible for the creation of the Middlesex cricket club, which was definitely formed in 1864, and after many wanderings found a permanent home at Lord's in 1877. Vyell was secretary of the club from 1864 to 1870, joint-captain with his eldest brother, John, 1864-5, and sole captain (1866-72); he was succeeded in the captaincy (1873-84) by his youngest brother, Isaac Donnithorne, he was vice-president (1887-97), treasurer in 1895, president and trustee in 1898. In 1891 he served as president of the Marylebone cricket club.
As a batsman Walker played in an orthodox style; he was a powerful hitter, but had a safe defence. As a slow 'lob' bowler he was second only to William Clarke; he threw the ball higher than was customary, rendering its flight more deceptive; in the field he was exceptionally quick, especially in backing up his own crafty bowling. As a captain he had the gift of getting the best out of his men; his captaincy permanently raised Middlesex cricket to a foremost position.
On his brother Frederick's death in 1889 Walker succeeded to the family mansion and estate of Arnos Grove, Southgate, and in 1890 he presented to the new Southgate local board fifteen acres of land (valued at 5000l.) for use as a public recreation ground, and gave a further sum of l000l. in 1894 to complete the laying out (Standard, 15 Nov. 1894). He became in 1891 J.P. and in 1899 D.L. for Middlesex, and was an active magistrate. He died at Southgate, unmarried, on 3 Jan. 1906. By his will he left Arnos Grove to his only surviving brother, Russell Donnithorne, and made bequests (amounting to 24,500l.) to London hospitals, societies, churches, and to the Cricketers' Fund Society (The Times, 23 March 1906). A chapel built at his expense in Southgate church was completed, a month after his death, in February 1906.
[W. A. Bettesworth's The Walkers of Southgate, 1900 (with various portraits of Walker and his brothers); Daft, Kings of Cricket, pp. 236-8 (portrait); Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack, 1907, pp. ci-civ ; W. J. Ford, Middlesex County C.C. (1864-1899), 1900 (portrait of V. E. Walker as frontispiece); information kindly supplied by Mr. R. D. Walker and Mr. P. M. Thornton.]