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Robert Barrie Walker

1878 – 1961

British trade unionist

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About Robert Barrie Walker

Lived 1878 – 1961 (aged 82). Robert Barrie Walker was a trade unionist.

Robert Barrie Walker (13 October 1878 – 25 August 1961) was a British trade unionist.

Born in Carstairs, Lanarkshire to a family of farm workers, Walker initially worked on the railways, before moving to England. He enlisted in the British Army and served in the Second Boer War. When demobbed, he became involved in trade union organising in the English Midlands, for National Union of Agricultural Workers (NUAW), soon moving to join its head office, in Fakenham.

Active in the Labour Party, Walker stood unsuccessfully in King's Lynn at the 1918 and 1922 general elections, then at Ormskirk in 1923 and 1924.

Walker was elected as general secretary of the NUAW in 1912 He achieved a national profile with the Trades Union Congress, being elected to its Parliamentary Committee in 1917, then serving as president in 1921–22.

In 1928, Walker stood down as general secretary of the NUAW in controversial circumstances. it was hinted that he had been forced out on ground of financial impropriety. He subsequently emigrated to Australia.

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Important facts

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Frequently asked questions

Who was Robert Barrie Walker?

British trade unionist

When was Robert Barrie Walker born?

Robert Barrie Walker was born on 13 October 1878.

When did Robert Barrie Walker die?

Robert Barrie Walker died on 25 August 1961.

What was Robert Barrie Walker's occupation?

Robert Barrie Walker was a trade unionist.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Robert Barrie Walker

· Wikidata: Q20739193

· DBpedia: Robert Barrie Walker

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Robert Barrie Walker. https://biography.guide/robert-barrie-walker/

MLA: "Robert Barrie Walker." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/robert-barrie-walker/.

Chicago: "Robert Barrie Walker." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/robert-barrie-walker/.

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