(1826 - 1881)
A self-educated man from Kenly Green, by St. Andrews, Walker worked as a cabinet-maker in Cupar and as a journeyman in St. Andrews. Contacts made through his interest in natural history led to the posts of librarian and quaestor (chief financial officer) of the University of St. Andrews. He was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of Edinburgh.
His appointment as sub-curator of the Museum of the Literary and Philosophical Society of St. Andrews began on February 1st, 1858. This post was created as the result of a report of the Museum Committee on the running of the museum. Several of its clauses were adopted. These included hours of opening, admission charges, and "Eighth. That Mr. Robert Walker Associate be on andafter the 1st of February 1858 be appointed working and sub-cuator, his duties being.....attendance at opening hours.....to attend to the preparing, keeping and cataloguing of the specimens, to attend the meetings of the Society, and take charge of the donations."
His academic interests were wide. In addition to writing a number of scientific articles including, one on the Dura Den fossil fish (1863), he also prepared a report for Joseph Barnard Davis concerning the graves, skeletons, and gravestones found at the Kirkhill, St. Andrews, in 1860. This was accompanied by a carefully executed plan. The skulls were conserved and presented to the Museum in 1861. Because of this work, we think that he may have been the conservator who reconstructed a group of Bronze Age burial urns held by the Literary and Philosophical Society, and now in the Fife Council Museums East collections.
After his death in 1881, the Royal Museum of Scotland purchased 493 fossil fishes from the St. Andrews district from Mrs. Walker, his widow.