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Son of Richard Forrest, Blacksmith and his wife Janet Forrest or Forrest. He was Elected HRSA at a General Meeting of the Academy on 1877-04-20, "in recognition of his emminent talents as an engraver"(vide RSA Annual Report 1877, notice VII, p.9). He was, with Arthur Perigal one of the founder members of the Edinburgh Angling Club and engraved the illustrations used for its book Songs of the Edinburgh Angling Club, 1st ed 1858, 2nd enlarged ed 1879 (title page dated 1878). Vide RSA Annual Report 1889 for his obituary, notice IX, pp.11-13; "It is with deep regret that the Council has to report the death, on the 15th of october, of one of the oldest Honorary members of the Academy, William Forrest, engraver. With the concurrence of the representatives of the deceased, the President, Council and a large number of Members, attended his funeral as their last tribute of respect. At a meeting of the Council held shortly thereafter, the following Minute was unanimously adopted; "Before proceeding to the special business for which this meeting was called, the Council, with regret, desires to place on record an expression of the loss sustained by the Academy in the demise on the 15th inst. of its esteemed and venerable Honorary Member William Forrest, whos ename has long occupied an honourable place on the roll of Scottish engravers. In the reproduction by the Graver's Art of the works of the landscape painters of his native land, as well as those of other countries, he was eminently succesful. Vigorous and characteristic in execution, his engravings rank very highly in hi sown department, and by his removal the loss to he branch of Art of which he was an enthusiastic disciple, is one that will not be easy to supply. His love of Art never flagged, and the honour that the Academy bestowed upon him, in recognition of his talent, was to him a source of great pleasure. The Secretary was instructed to transmit a copy of this minute to his son, Mr Thomas S Forrest, and at the same time to convey to him, and the other members of the bereaved family the expression of the Academy's sympathy with them in their affliction." Born at Burnwynd, Midlotihan, wher ehis father was a blacksmith, William Forrest received his education at Ratho parish scholl, and while yet a boy was apprenticed to W.H.Lizars, a well-known engraver in Edinburgh. There he made the lifelong freindship of Danierl Macnee, and about the same time that of Horatio McCulloch. Having under Lizars soon acquired a thorough knowledge of steel-plate engraving, his ability in that direction rapidly developed and numerous engravings were produced by hiim, mainly after the works of his contempraries. He was elected to the rank of Honorary Member of the Academy in 1877, and in testimony of his appreciation of that compliment, he presented the Academy with one hundred and sixty-one proof impressions from the plates he had engraved."