John Smith Walker

John Smith Walker (1826 – May 29, 1893) was Minister of Finance of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and ad interim Attorney General of the Kingdom of Hawaii, under King Kalākaua.

John Smith Walker
Hawaiian Kingdom
Minister of Finance
In office
October 31, 1874 – December 5, 1876
MonarchKalākaua
Preceded byPaul Nahaolelua
Succeeded byJohn Mākini Kapena
Hawaiian Kingdom
Attorney General
In office
November 5, 1875 – February 15, 1876
MonarchKalākaua
Preceded byRichard H. Stanley
Succeeded byWilliam Richards Castle
Hawaiian Kingdom
Minister of Finance
In office
September 27, 1880 – May 20, 1882
MonarchKalākaua
Preceded byMoses Kuaea
Succeeded byJohn E. Bush
Personal details
Bornc. 1826
Aberdeen, Scotland
Died(1893-05-29)May 29, 1893
Honolulu, Hawaii
Spouse(s)Jane McIntyre
Children4
ResidenceHawaii
John Smith Walker, c. 1865

Early life

He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. As a teenager, he relocated to the United States. He tried his hand at various trades, including gold mining, eventually settling in California, where he became engaged in the mercantile business. In 1854, he sailed for Hawaii, intending to return to California. He eventually worked for Hackfield & Co. in Honolulu, and then Thomas Spencer, and became successful with his own import and export business in the kingdom.[1]

Cabinet minister

King Kalākaua appointed him Minister of Finance on November 7, 1874, during which he was a member of the House of Nobles in the legislature.[2] The announcement cited Walker's business success in Hawaii as the factor in his being appointed.[3] Within the next month, Walker publicly released "Statement of the Revenues and Expenditures of the Hawaiian Kingdom for eighteen years."[4] In 1876, Walker left the cabinet to work for William G. Irwin. Along with Zephaniah Swift Spalding, Walker and Irwin organized William G. Irwin & Co.[5]

In 1890, Kalākaua once again named him Minister of Finance, as well as ad interim Attorney General until William Nevins Armstrong accepted the position. He remained Minister of Finance until 1882. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1886 and named as Auditor-General. Appointed once again to the House of Nobles, he became President of the legislature, and once again in 1890–1893.[6]

During the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Walker was the one charged with delivering the message to Liliʻuokalani that her abdication was expected by the Provisional Government of Hawaii.[7]

Personal life

In 1866, he married Jane McIntyre of Hawaii, she also being of Scottish ancestry. The couple had five sons and five daughters.[1] The Walker family remained friends with the Queen, and she commented in her book Hawaii's Story, that Walker's 1893 death within 4 months of the kingdom's overthrow was the result of, " ... the treatment he received from the hands of the revolutionists."[8]

References
  1. "Hon. J. S. Walker is Dead". The Hawaiian Star. May 29, 1893. p. 5, col. 1. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  2. Lydecker 1918, p. 136.
  3. "The Re-Constructed Cabinet". The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. November 7, 1874. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  4. "Taking Account of Stock". The Hawaiian Gazette. December 16, 1874. p. Image 2, col. 2. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  5. "William G. Irwin". The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders. Honolulu Star Bulletin, Ltd. 1925. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  6. Lydecker 1918, pp. 156, 178, 182.
  7. Liliuokalani 1898, p. 387.
  8. Liliuokalani 1898, pp. 296, 299.

Bibliography
"A List of All the Cabinet Ministers Who Have Held Office in the Hawaiian Kingdom"
Includes a list of Attorneys General for the Kingdom of Hawaii, their salaries and budgets
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