Samuel Wilson Block was the eldest son of the five children of Samuel Block of Greenhill Grove by his first wife Agnes, the daughter of Adam Wilson of Edinburgh.

He was born on 17 December 1822. He married Elizabeth, the youngest daughter of Dr Alexander Cheyne in 1851. They had six children: Agnes Margaret, Samuel Cecil Macartney, Alice Mona, John Saumarez Talbot, Arthur Hugh and William E.

He was a Berlin Wool Merchant in London, the family business of Sam. Block & Sons and the family home was 15 Talbot Square, London.

In his later years he was a member and then Secretary of the Long Range Club at Hounslow, a rifle club which amalgamated with the English Eight Club in 1920. He also shot for the Lodge in 1867 in the match against the South Middlesex Lodge No 858, the Lodge of the South Middlesex RVC, scoring the second highest score to Dr Shepherd as part of the victorious VI that also included Tomkins and Greenhill:

Samuel Wilson Block died 18 January 1897 at Talbot Square.