Early assured in his vocation, Sam Walters
married aged 23, on 6 September 1835. His bride was Betsy Staniland
Pilley from Selby, Yorkshire, who was related to a local shipping
family, the Stanilands. She bore him nine children, three of whom
died in infancy. Of the survivors, the eldest George Stanfield
(in honour of Clarkson Stanfield), was born on 5 December 1837
and became a professional artist. Another son, Samuel Vandervelde,
later to become a master mariner and Commodore of the Warren Line,
(originally Enoch Train's White Diamond Line of Boston, USA) was
also named in honour of another of his father's much admired maritime
artists.
Events suggest that
Walters remained conscious of his London origins. When the celebrated
William John Huggins (17781-1845) died in May 1845, Walters
resigned form the Liverpool Academy in August, and complete
with family returned to his old haunts. Living at West Hackney,
he had his studio at 105 Leadenhall Street, Huggin's old address,
which he shared with Edward Duncan 1803-1882 the latter's son-in-law.
In the absence of correspondence, day books or other documentary
evidence one can only guess, but it does seem likely that now
aged thirty three Samuel may have secretly hoped the master's
mantle might be about to descend upon him. |
