18 Facts About Samuel Palmer

Samuel Palmer, who was born in Surrey Square off the Old Kent Road in Newington, London, was the son of a bookseller and sometime Baptist minister, and was raised by a pious nurse.

Samuel Palmer painted churches from around age twelve, and first exhibited Turner-inspired works at the Royal Academy at the age of fourteen.

Samuel Palmer had little formal training, and little formal schooling, although he was educated briefly at Merchant Taylors' School.

Samuel Palmer purchased a run-down cottage, nicknamed "Rat Abbey", and lived there from 1826 to 1835, depicting the area as a demi-paradise, mysterious and visionary, often shown in sepia shades under moon and star light.

Samuel Palmer senior rented half of the Queen Anne-era 'Waterhouse' which still stands by the River Darent at Shoreham and is known as the 'Water House'.

In 1828 Samuel Palmer left "Rat Abbey" to join his father at Water House and lived there for the rest of his time in Shoreham.

Samuel Palmer had better health on his return to London, and was by then married to Hannah, daughter of the painter John Linnell who he had known since she was a child, and married when she was nineteen and he was thirty-two.

Samuel Palmer sketched in Devonshire and Wales around this time.

Samuel Palmer turned more to watercolour which was gaining popularity in England.

On his return to London, Samuel Palmer sought patrons with limited success.

Samuel Palmer became a full member of the Water Colour Society in 1854, and its annual show gave him a yearly goal to work towards.

Samuel Palmer lived in various places later in his life, including a small cottage and an unaffordable villa both in Kensington, where he lived at 6 Douro Place, then a cottage at Reigate.

Samuel Palmer died in Redhill, Surrey, and is buried with his wife in St Mary's, Reigate churchyard.

Samuel Palmer inspired a resurgence in twentieth-century landscape printmaking, which began amongst students at Goldsmiths' College in the 1920s.

Samuel Palmer received a great deal of media attention in the 1970s, following the discovery of a number of fakes of his Shoreham work produced by famous art forger, Tom Keating.

The Cecil Higgins Museum in Bedford had a Samuel Palmer called A Barn at Shoreham, purchased in 1965, on advice by Edward Croft Murray, the Keeper of Pictures at the British Museum, that it was authentic.

Samuel Palmer was later released due to failing health, and all charges were dropped.

Times journalist David Carritt replied: 'How insulting Samuel Palmer would have found the new stock.