A view of a carved pew end in Stockton Parish Church, to commemorate John Walker, chemist, (1781-1859), inventor of the friction match in 1826 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A view of a carved pew end in Stockton Parish Church, to commemorate John Walker, chemist, (1781-1859), inventor of the friction match in 1826
Jo, thank you for your comments about my work. I do remember the portrait, I was very pleased with the finished work as I thought I achieved a very good likeness. I do remember your mam, Mrs Rutter. You are right she taught my son Philip. How I got to know your mam?.. on the very first day Philip went to school he managed to flood the toilets and took a door of its hinges. Naturally your mam smacked him gently round the head (he was only five years old). She was worried that we would play war with her but we just told her if he is naughty again smack him harder and from then on we became quiet good friends. How is your mam? Does she still have the portrait? Give her our regards.
Jose – you painted a portrait of me when I was about 12 years old (around 1977) as a present from my mother to my father. My maiden name was Rutter and I believe your son was taught by my mother at Glebe School in Norton. How lovely to come across some of your work on this website.
Cliff – I am sorry I didn’t answer your question before but I only found these pictures recently. I didnt carve the Captain Coock pewend. I did carve a plaque dedicated to him for a place in Whitby which was supposed to the place where he set off on his discoveries.
Jose – did you carve the decorated pew end in Stockton Parish Church that is dedicated to Captain Cook?
My last important work for the Parish church was a plaqe dedicated to Harold McMillan who was made The Earl of Stocton on Tees. The plaque depicts a portrait of Harold McMillan and several items related to Stockton on Tees. Other works I did for The Parish church were the already mentioned Johnny Walker, Minnie Horton and another pewend dedicated to a soldier from The Durham Light Infantry who died in the second World War but whose name I am sorry to say I don’t remember.
As well as Carving and designing the John Walker pewend, I desinged and carved a pewend dedicated to Minnie Horton who wrote ‘The History of Cleveland’.
I carved the John Walker pew end in the mid eighties. The job was a commission from Mrs Thomas who was responsible for making John Walker well known in Teesside and in England. Because of her efforts the area around the Swallow Hotel was named John Walker square. It is a shame that the square as such does not exist. There is a reminder of it in the form of a monumment which I designed and made.