This text was probably derived from "The Oxford Companion to Chess", where under the key "Walker" the following fragments can be found (2nd edition, 1996, p 444):

<"English chess writer and propagandist.">

<".. he had the temerity to edit a chess column in the Lancet (1823-24)..">

<"He founded chess clubs, notably the Westminster at Huttman's (sic) in 1831 and the St George's at Hanover Square in 1843. From 1835 to 1873 he edited a column in Bell's Life, ... ">

I will nobody blame to trust the OCC. "BOOK OF THE YEAR? BOOK OF THE DECADE!" is the title of E.Winter's detailed assessment of the first edition (capitals as in BCM 1985, p. 9-10 (for the slightly shortened version)), and it is worth reading after all these years.

My intention is to change and improve the biography in a next step, and to avoid any re-introduction of mistakes in the future. Hence I will here explain what's wrong with the old version, and btw everyone can see that even renowned authors cannot avoid mistakes, if they don't consult the sources.

John Henry Huttmann (born around 1805, died 1868) opened a coffee house around 1830 or 1831 in 30, Bedford Street, Covent Garden, where chess has being played only occasionally. It is said(!) that Walker suggested to Huttmann to establish a chess club in the first floor. Huttmann founded the (first) Westminster Chess Club in 1832 or 1833 (more likely). In 1833, the club moved to larger rooms at 20, Bedford Street. The club was a gentlemen's club, with a dining room, a cigar room, a billiard room, and a chess room, of course. Until July 1834, Huttmann had a business partner, Henry Moore, but the exact relation is unclear. George Walker held the position of the secretary of the club until October 1835 (the begin is unclear to me). At this time Huttmann reorganised on a smaller level, but the club was closed only a little while thereafter. In later years Huttmann founded a second and a third Westminster Chess Club in other rooms and with different secretaries.

The "Ups and Downs .. " is new to me, and I will study it in detail later.

At first sight, I am happy to see this small snippet from the "London Gazette", May 4, 1833, which supports my <1833 (more likely)> assumption. I have other sources of the 1830s that say 1833, but one of Huttmann's advertisements from September 1834 states that the club has been "established about two years ago", and hence I didn't discard 1832 so far.

The ups were the moments when I thought I found something new, and the downs were the moments, when I detected that the source is not credible or not as credible as I wanted it to be.

<SBC: Murray gave 1831 as the year Walker ... > Yesterday, cg-user jnpope published on his wonderful site chessarch.com Walker's columns in "Bell's life" of 1839. I knew some issues before, among them http://www.chessarch.com/excavation.... The quality of my copies is the same. At the end of "ITEM 1:" there is a paragraph on the WCC. In the fourth line I decode the following: "It begun in 1833 in an obscure room in Bedford street, launched forth in magnificance under the protection of Mr. Hutman (sic), who carried it ..." Do you agree?

<...

I must tell you that I am a great admirer of your problems, considering you and Mr. Cook the two best American composers.

I am dead set against the German style - beastly ugly - and no merit beyond their extreme difficulty; no satisfaction when solved.

I am about the "dozen" of chess writers in Europe, Lewis having published nothing for so many years. My chess books have long been out of print, and I have no time to republish. I still write article's in Bell's Life, as it amuses me, and I have done it from the first.

I am, dear Sir,
Faithfully yours,
GEORGE WALKER

>

There were several WCCs. One was founded around 1832/33 in 20, Bedford-street, Covent-garden, and it was led by John Henry Huttman, famous for his leaflets. Here the matches between La Bourdonnais and McDonnell were played. It was closed at the end of 1835 or early in 1836.

In 1837, another WCC was located in the Cigar Divan, nos. 1 & 2 Fountain Court, and 101, Strand. Here <William Greenwood Walker> was Hon. Secretary. This club expired around September 1837.

In November 1837 a new club with the same name was founded in Spring Gardens, where Staunton was club secretary.

In 1837, another WCC was located in the Cigar Divan, nos. 1 & 2 Fountain Court, and 101, Strand. Here <William Greenwood Walker> was Hon. Secretary. This club expired around September 1837.>

<Bell's Life> of November 27th 1836, p.2, in its answers to correspondents section, has: <We are not informed positively as to the regulations which are intended to be enforced at the Westminster Chess Club as to the admission of visitors; and our Correspondent had better apply to the Club's indefatigable Secretary, at the rooms where the meetings are held, No. 101, Strand.>

<Chess is being played only occasionally, and it is George Walker who suggests to Huttmann to establish a chess club on the premises, „in the first floor rooms". Huttmann agrees, probably around 1832 [..], and <George Walker> can be considered to be the Westminster Chess Club's first secretary.>

and

<It follows from the newspaper clippings shown by Tony Gillam in CSQ6, that <Huttmann> has to be considered the de facto manager of the Westminster Chess Club between September 1834 and February 1835.>

and

<It is safe to assume that in late 1835 or early 1836 Huttmann's coffee house was closed down, and with it the first Westminster Chess Club.>

and

<A second Westminster Chess Club arises from the ashes of its predecessor, and <William Greenwood Walker>, a bachelor and „indigo broker" becomes its secretary.>

Strange that <thomastonk> did not get around to mentioning that Walker never edited a chess column in the <Lancet>. This error too was propagated by the first edition of the <Oxford Companion to Chess>, as discussed in Harding's <British Chess Literature to 1914>. He surmises that the mistake can be traced back to Walker's own obituary in the <ILN> in 1879, where Duffy claimed, <In the same year, he originated the popular "Chess column" of our time by contributing an article to the <Lancet>, which was published in the issue of that periodical on Oct. 19, 1823.> Harding argues Hooper & Whyld would have recognised something was amiss if they'd double-checked the issue in question, which turns out to be a translation of a French article that dates back to 1719.

Just by matching records on the Family Search website, I think he married twice, the second time at the age of 66 to a woman aged ~29.

Although Walker only had one child, who predeceased him, she herself had six children and so there might be a lot descendants living today.

Could've been worse - him, 46, her, 9.