Viator’s Talk of the towns Sugar refinery director was also a sporting star

IT is interesting to learn about people who hold prominent positions in business yet also find time to do good work for the wider community.

One such individual was John Barnhill Walker who died in his 71st year in November, 1953.

He was a direct descendant of John Walker who founded the famous Greenock sugar refining company just over a century earlier.

Pictured is Walker’s Nicolson Street refinery which closed in 1979.

John B Walker was the senior local director of John Walker and Company (Sugar Refiners) Limited.

He had been chairman of the Greenock Raw Sugar Association, chairman of the Greenock Porterage Company, and chairman of Greenock Chamber of Commerce.

For a number of years Mr Walker was what was known as a ratepayers’ representative on Greenock Harbour Trust, a director of Greenock Royal Infirmary, and served a term as a Greenock Corporation councillor but did not seek re-election in 1936.

He became a director of Greenock Provident Bank in 1911 and was elected chairman for 1915-16.

Aside from his business and other commitments, Mr Walker was widely known in sporting circles.

He had been president and captain of Greenock Cricket Club and represented Scotland on a number of occasions.

The Telegraph’s obituary said Mr Walker’s cricket performances would be best remembered for four centuries scored at Glenpark, including his best score of 169 against West of Scotland in 1912.

Rugby was another of his sport activities. In his younger days Mr Walker played for Greenock Wanderers.

He was also for many years chairman of the Fort Matilda Playing Fields Union.