 In 1944 he became an instructor at Saint Martin's School of Art and continued teaching until about 1952.Walter Marsden, the son of a blacksmith, was born in Church near Accrington in Lancashire, England in 1882.Starting in 1901 he was an apprentice at the Accrington Brick and Tile Company, whose owners, the McAlpine family, recognised his talent, and encouraged him to study at the Accrington Technical School.