James D. And Sarah Jane Walker
Leading up to St. Paul’s 150th anniversary, let’s take a look at some of the former church members. Looking around the church we see many plaques that name former members of the congregation who are memorialized by their gifts to the glory of God and in remembrance of loved ones.
When St. Paul’s was founded in 1868, among the founding members were James D. and
Sarah Jane Walker. The beautiful stained glass window over the altar was donated by Sarah Jane Walker. She had the window made in England at a glassworks at Newcastle on Tyne. Sarah Jane was a dedicated church woman and deeply involved in the establishment of St. Paul’s.
Her husband, James D. Walker, was born in Scotland in 1835. He went to work in an English bank in London. It was there in 1861 that he met and married Sarah Jane Hewitt. He was sent to Canada to open a bank, the Bank of British Columbia. In 1866, Mr. Walker joined the firm of Faulkner Bell & Co. in San Francisco.
The family chose San Rafael for their home, living on Fifth St. By that time their family had grown to include a son, Henry and soon welcomed daughter, Emma.
James was a vestryman at St. Paul’s. He commuted to San Francisco via a ferry at San Quentin. To speed up the commute, he and other local businessmen established the first railroad in Marin, The San Rafael and San Quentin Railroad in 1869. Later Mr. Walker was an officer of the North Pacific Coast Railroad, a narrow gauge railroad that went to West Marin and into Sonoma. He was also the manager of the Marin Water Company.
In his obituary in 1899, James D. Walker was called “an earnest worker in the interest of San Rafael and Marin.”
What the obituary failed to mention was that James D. Walker was involved in some shady lumber dealings in Humboldt County. In 1882, he and Sarah Jane left California and returned to England to avoid his being charged with fraudulent acquisition of redwood timberland in Northern California.
After James’ death, Sarah Jane made the long trip from England to San Rafael visit her sister, Mrs. Thomas Menzies several times.
~Joy Moss