Frederick Southwell, second of the three Southwell brothers, was born on 19 January 1833 in Arlington Street and baptised at St Pancras Church on 17 February in the same year. In the 1841 census he appears in his father's household at St James Place. By 1851 he is shown as an apprentice piano forte maker, living at 25 Gloucester Road, St Pancras. The head of household is said to be absent and the names given in this census piece for his sisters are not correct, which suggests that in his father's absence he must have given inaccurate information to the census enumerator. In this census both his father William and elder brother William Henry appear as pianoforte makers at 16 Baker Street, so it is apparent that the family maintained a presence at both addresses.

In around 1855-6 it seems Frederick set up home with Charlotte Robinson at 61 Warren Street, St Pancras; a son, Henry Rowland, was born to the couple on 8 June 1855 and is clearly shown under the surname Southwell in the 1861 census return. However, his birth certificate records his name as Henry Rowland Robinson, so it appears that at the time of his birth his parents were still in a common law relationship. On 25 November 1857 another son, Frederick William Robinson, was born at 42 Queen Street, Marylebone. On this birth certificate, however, the name of the father is clearly stated to be Frederick Southwell, photographic artist, and the mother as Charlotte Southwell, formerly Robinson, which would suggest that a marriage had taken place in the interim. However, we have not been able to trace any evidence of a formal marriage ceremony. Three more children were born of this union, Alfred E, in 1860, Charlotte Louisa in 1862 and Amy in 1863. Only Henry Rowland and Amy survived into adulthood.

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