Henry Willis

Willis was born in London, the son of a North London builder, and with George Cooper, later sub-organist of St Paul's Cathedral, he learned to play the organ with some help from Thomas Attwood, St Paul's organist. In 1835, Willis was articled to organ builder John Gray (later of Gray and Davison) for seven years. During this time, he invented the manual and pedal couplers which he used throughout his later career.

Following his apprenticeship he worked for three years in Cheltenham, assisting an instrument maker, Wardle Evans, who specialised in free reed instruments. Willis later attributed his personal skill in reed voicing to this experience. Willis met Samuel Sebastian Wesley at Cheltenham, and this led to the re-building of the Gloucester Cathedral organ in 1847. Willis had become an independent organ builder and commented, "It was my stepping stone to fame... I received £400 for the job, and was presumptuous enough to marry."

He was born to Henry Willis (1792–1872) and Elizabeth. He married Esther Maria Chatterton (1817–1893), the daughter of Randall Chatterton, a silversmith, on 7 April 1847 in St Andrew's Church, Holborn and they had the following children

Vincent Willis (1848–1928)

Edith Willis (1850–1947)

Henry Willis II (1852–1927)

Kate Willis (1853–1927)

Mary Willis (1859–1952)

Esther died in 1893 and on 7 August 1894 he married her younger sister, Rosetta Chatterton (1830–1912), at St Thomas' Church, Camden Town. As this was before the enactment of the Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907, it was in breach of the prohibition in the Marriage Act 1835.