Walter was born in 1895. He was 1 of 10 children born to Frederick and Ann Lawrence.

In 1911 Walter is 17 & working as a greengrocer at the family home of 27 Cowper Street, alongside older brother Bertie, 26. There are six other family members living in this six-roomed house, their widowed mother Ann, 54, Minnie 36, a Milliner, Sidney 28, a straw hat blocker, Louise 24 & Carrie 22 are both working as straw hat machinists & 15 year old Charlie is an errand boy.