An enquiry to our Society led to the interesting story of a Wakefield man, William Walton, and his link to the famous marble production site of Carrara in Italy. Born in 1796 in Wakefield, in 1827 he went to Livorno, eventually settling in Carrara by 1840 where he built up a business in the marble trade. In 1851 he sought permission to build a wharf to simplify the transport of marble. He was also the first to build a railway with wagons pulled by oxen from the quarries to the wharf. He was appointed consul to the USA and England. Charles Dickens visited Carrara in 1845 and described Walton as ‘a jolly, hospitable, excellent fellow, as odd yet kindly a mixture of shrewdness and simplicity as I have ever seen’. By 1866 Walton headed an industrial and commercial empire which covered all the aspects of marble production, quarrying, transport, sawmills, and sea transport to the customers. Walton returned to England at the end of his life, and lived at Hall Croft in Horbury until his death in 1872.
A marble plaque at Carrara was erected to his memory reading in translation: ‘To the honourable memory of William Walton who on the basis of mutual benefit developed Carrara’s commerce. The Municipality express its everlasting gratitude and has placed this remembrance in the year 1873′
The story of William Walton was researched by the enquirer’s wife as part of a book about the marble industry, the title in English is ”Forgotten Itineraries: the English and the Americans in 19th century Carrara.’ The author is Marzia Dati.
With thanks to Paul Graham for the information.