Maritime Archive and Library
Watercolour painting of HMS Raisonable from Lt Samuel Walter's diary. Reference number DX/1146a
Lieutenant Samuel Walters was born at Ilfracombe, Devon, in 1778. He was the brother of the marine artist Miles Walters and the uncle of the famous Liverpool marine artist Samuel Walters.
Lieutenant Walters recorded his experiences on board the HMS Raisonable from 1805 to 1810 in a diary, describing the events of naval warfare and including watercolours and drawings of naval vessels.
His account is a rare archive survivor of a period of naval history characterised by conflict. It is all the more unique as it is a document offering a glimpse into the ‘Age of Nelson’ through the eyes of the individual. As such it provides an interesting and alternative viewpoint to official records.