Genealogical findings

It is now clear that the father of Richard and William Westall, Benjamin Westall's first wife was not Mary Ayton as was thought, but Mary Wymer. They were married at St John the Baptist Church, Lakenham, Norfolk on 24 September 1761. Mary Wymer was born in Norwich in 1738 and baptised at St James, Clerkenwell on 27 June 1738. A portrait of R. Wymer by Richard Westall was exhibited at the RA in 1817 (239). This is probably his mother's uncle and brother of George Wymer, her father who married Mary Emerson. The Wymers were from Reepham, Richard's birthplace and were Attorneys. It is likely Richard began his career with the Wymer's. He is known to have been 'placed for some time with an attorney' before moving to London. There is known to be a family link with the Ayton's as Richard referred to William Ayton as his 'hereditary friend', but the Mary Ayton born in 1738 was not Benjamin's wife. We now know the birth name of the artists paternal grandmother, Sarah. It is Sarah Ireland and she married Benjamin Westall (1696-1772) at St Peter's Hungate, Norwich on 16 June 1720. It is probable that Sarah was from the Ireland family who were acquainted with William Hogarth. There also likely to be family links with William HenryIreland who claimed to have a manuscript by Shakespeare entitled 'Vortigern' which was performed on a London stage before being denounced as a forgery. Ireland admitted as much shortly afterwards. This probable link with Hogarth could explain why Richard left Norwich for London and became an engraver on silver, which was Hogarth's first occuppation.