Samuel Williams (Born 1788) was a wood engraver and draughtsman from England. He was born at Colchester where he grew up. Williams loved art from a young age and his talent was discovered by many people who surrounded him. He got apprenticed to J. Marsden who was a printer. During their engagement Williams taught himself how to engrave on wood and how to draw. He decided to adopt engraving as his profession but also did paintings of miniatures and a few oil pictures. He established himself in Colchester but later settled in London in 1819. Benjamin Crosby the publisher was his first patron for whom he illustrated a work on natural history in 1810. In the early part of his life Williams became known as a wood engraver and a specialist in landscapes. He also had an interest in design and used his own drawings for a high proportion of his cuts.
Williams was elected a member of American Antiquarian Society in 1819. George Baxter and John Orrin Smith were his pupils. He died in 1853 on 19th September leaving behind four sons who all practiced wood engraving with much success. His younger brother, Thomas Williams, was his pupil and a wood engraver who worked only from the designs of others. Williams produced the illustrations to Mary Trimmer, Natural History, Charles Whittingham's edition of Robinson Crusoe, Scott's Bible, William Hone, Every-Day Book, James Thomson, The Seasons, The British Stage, Charlotte Guest, Mabinogion, among others. He produced all these from his own designs.
