William Walker (diver)
Encyclopedia
William Walker MVO
(1869–1918) was an English
diver famous for shoring up
the southern and eastern sides of Winchester Cathedral
.
He was born William Robert Bellenie, in Newington, Surrey
, England, in 1869. Around 1900, he adopted the name William Bellenie-Walker, eventually dropping the Bellenie part to be known as Walker.
In 1887, he began diver training at Portsmouth Dockyard. He worked through the roles of diver's attendant and diver's signal man, passing his medical exam and deep-water test to qualify as a deep-water diver in 1892.
In his time, William Walker was the most experienced diver of Siebe Gorman Ltd
. In 1906–1911, working in water up to a depth of six metres (20 feet), he shored up Winchester Cathedral, using more than 25,000 bags of concrete, 115,000 concrete
blocks, and 900,000 bricks.
Before his work, the cathedral had been in imminent danger of collapse as it sank slowly into the ground, which consisted of peat. To enable bricklayers to build supporting walls, the groundwater
level had to be lowered. Normally, the removal of the groundwater would have caused the collapse of the building. So, to give temporary support to the foundation walls, some 235 pits were dug along the southern and eastern sides of the building, each about six metres deep. Walker went down and shored up the walls by putting concrete underneath them. He worked six hours a day—in complete darkness, because the sediment suspended in the water was impenetrable to light.
After Walker finished his work, the groundwater was pumped out and the concrete he had placed bore the foundation walls. Conventional bricklayers then were able to do their work in the usual way and restore the damaged walls.
During his time working at Winchester, Walker cycled home, 150 miles to Croydon and back, each weekend to see his family. He married twice. His first wife died before he began work at Winchester. He married his second wife, sister of his first, in 1907, and had several children during his years working at Winchester.
To celebrate the completion of the work, a thanksgiving service, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, was held on July 15, 1912. At this, Walker was presented with a silver rose bowl by King George V
. Newspaper reports at the time remarked that this was the second time Walker had met George V, the first being when the king was a naval cadet and Walker was his diving instructor.
Later, Walker was honoured by being appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
.
An interview that Walker gave to the Hampshire Observer in 1911 gives insight into his work. In it, Walker reveals that, unlike some other divers, he had never worked on any treasure dives. Other aspects of his work:
Part of the interview article: "In cold water diving he [William] explained what a man has to contend with is the pressure. At Gibraltar he says ‘two of my men died through pressure of water."
In response to questions about his work on Winchester, William says "'It was not difficult. It was straightforward work, but had to be carefully done'. He went on to say that Mr Jackson had told him that he was very pleased with the work and that he had done what no other man had done—that was he had laid the foundations of a whole cathedral, Walker said 'I am proud of the honour'".
Walker died during the Spanish flu
epidemic of 1918 and is buried in Beckenham
Cemetery, London.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(1869–1918) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
diver famous for shoring up
Shoring
Shoring is a general term used in construction to describe the process of supporting a structure in order to prevent collapse so that construction can proceed. The phrase can also be used as a noun to refer to the materials used in the process....
the southern and eastern sides of Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
.
He was born William Robert Bellenie, in Newington, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England, in 1869. Around 1900, he adopted the name William Bellenie-Walker, eventually dropping the Bellenie part to be known as Walker.
In 1887, he began diver training at Portsmouth Dockyard. He worked through the roles of diver's attendant and diver's signal man, passing his medical exam and deep-water test to qualify as a deep-water diver in 1892.
In his time, William Walker was the most experienced diver of Siebe Gorman Ltd
Siebe Gorman
Siebe Gorman & Company Ltd was a British company which developed diving equipment and breathing equipment and worked on commercial diving and marine salvage projects...
. In 1906–1911, working in water up to a depth of six metres (20 feet), he shored up Winchester Cathedral, using more than 25,000 bags of concrete, 115,000 concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
blocks, and 900,000 bricks.
Before his work, the cathedral had been in imminent danger of collapse as it sank slowly into the ground, which consisted of peat. To enable bricklayers to build supporting walls, the groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
level had to be lowered. Normally, the removal of the groundwater would have caused the collapse of the building. So, to give temporary support to the foundation walls, some 235 pits were dug along the southern and eastern sides of the building, each about six metres deep. Walker went down and shored up the walls by putting concrete underneath them. He worked six hours a day—in complete darkness, because the sediment suspended in the water was impenetrable to light.
After Walker finished his work, the groundwater was pumped out and the concrete he had placed bore the foundation walls. Conventional bricklayers then were able to do their work in the usual way and restore the damaged walls.
During his time working at Winchester, Walker cycled home, 150 miles to Croydon and back, each weekend to see his family. He married twice. His first wife died before he began work at Winchester. He married his second wife, sister of his first, in 1907, and had several children during his years working at Winchester.
To celebrate the completion of the work, a thanksgiving service, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, was held on July 15, 1912. At this, Walker was presented with a silver rose bowl by King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. Newspaper reports at the time remarked that this was the second time Walker had met George V, the first being when the king was a naval cadet and Walker was his diving instructor.
Later, Walker was honoured by being appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
.
An interview that Walker gave to the Hampshire Observer in 1911 gives insight into his work. In it, Walker reveals that, unlike some other divers, he had never worked on any treasure dives. Other aspects of his work:
- Rescue work, December 1896, at the River Level Colliery near Aberent, Wales, when the pit was flooded and six men and boys drowned.
- Work on the building of the Blackwall TunnelBlackwall TunnelThe Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in east London, linking the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the London Borough of Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. The northern portal lies just south of the East India Dock Road in Blackwall; the southern...
, 1891–1897. - Being foreman in charge of works on the construction of the new naval docks in GibraltarGibraltarGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. - Work on the construction of the jetty for the Royal Victoria DockRoyal Victoria DockThe Royal Victoria Dock is the largest of three docks in the Royal Docks of east London, now part of the redeveloped Docklands.-History:...
Granary, 1905. - Emergency work, which called him away from Winchester, on the wreck of the SS Dordone in NewportNewportNewport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. - Work with Sir Leonard HillLeonard Erskine HillSir Leonard Erskine Hill was a British physiologist. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1900 and was knighted in 1930. One of his sons was the epidemiologist and statistician Austin Bradford Hill...
developing linear decompression tables.
Part of the interview article: "In cold water diving he [William] explained what a man has to contend with is the pressure. At Gibraltar he says ‘two of my men died through pressure of water."
In response to questions about his work on Winchester, William says "'It was not difficult. It was straightforward work, but had to be carefully done'. He went on to say that Mr Jackson had told him that he was very pleased with the work and that he had done what no other man had done—that was he had laid the foundations of a whole cathedral, Walker said 'I am proud of the honour'".
Walker died during the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
epidemic of 1918 and is buried in Beckenham
Beckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
Cemetery, London.