George Eden Jarvis (1840–1919) was born in Dover, Kent, the only son of George Knollis Jarvis (1803–1873) and Emily Pretyman (daughter of the Reverend George Thomas Pretyman). Nothing is known about his elder sister, Emily, who, based on the evidence of the present portrait, must have been born sometime in the late 1830s.

In 1856 George Eden Jarvis was appointed by purchase to a cornetcy in the 2nd Dragoon Guards, and in June 1857, again by purchase, appointed lieutenant. He was later captain in the 18th Hussars.¹ On 17 February 1863 he married Alice Louisa Sherbrooke, daughter of Henry Sherbrooke and Louisa-Ann Fane of Oxton Hall, Nottinghamshire.² In 1899 Jarvis commissioned the eminent landscape gardener William Goldring (1854–1919) to design the west garden at Doddington. He died on 9 August 1919, and is buried in the churchyard of St Peter, Doddington, adjacent to Doddington Hall. In the late nineteenth century Cole noted the picture hanging in the Library on the ground floor (formerly known as the Green Parlour). He dated it to c.1847.

The artist, William Richard Waters (1813 – 1880), was born in the Pier District of Dover. His paintings included portraits, genre subjects and landscape. Waters’ studio was located as 23 Castle Street. He was subsequently based at his home at 15 Norman Street, and also operated a photographic studio at 7 Bench Street, Dover, from 1867 to 1872. He died on 4 January 1880.