Walkden, James 001

Walkden James, Poet and Compositor.rnJames Walkden was born in Larkhill on 26th May 1825. He was the nephew of another James Walkden, printer and proprietor of the old "Blackburn Standard" and for many years he worked as compositor in his uncles office.rnIn his political views he was a pronunced radical and whilst engaged by day in setting up tory articles for his uncles newspaper, he often sat up during the greater part of the night writing stirring ballads of a political nature advocating reform, which, had their authorship been known, would have landed him into pretty hot water.rnJames Walkden the elder served his apprenticeship with Roger Wood, and when the latter died he established the "Standard" in premises in King William street, opposite the St.Ledger. His office soon became the the rendezvous of such leading citizens as Charles Boardman, Peter Ellingthorp and Thomas Clough the attorney. rnHere they planned their election campaigns and exchanged polite gossip in exchange for pinches of snuff, liberally dispensed by a golden sovereign.rnWhen James Walkden was about 22 years of age, he published as joint author with John Baron, the Grimshaw Park ,poet a slight volume of verse entitled: Flowers of many hues."