Mr. Walter Thomas Doughty was born at 39 Martin Street in St Paul’s, Bristol, England, on 27 January 1890.

He was baptised on 16 November 1894 in St Barnabas’ Church in Knowle, Bristol and was then a resident of 45 Martin Street. 

He was the son of Edward Frederick Doughty (b. 1859 in Lambeth), a confectioner, and Eliza Mary Ann Russell (b. 1862 in Rotherhithe), both Londoners who had married in St Pauls, Bermondsey on 14 November 1880. His mother and father initially lived with his widowed maternal grandmother, Eliza Russell in London before resettling in Bristol around 1883.

Walter had six siblings: Frederick Alonso (1881-1954), Alice Sarah Jane (b. 1884), William Henry (b. 1886), Albert Victor (1888-1918), Grace Adeline (1892-1973), Clifford (1894-1895), Alfred (1896-1896) and Cecil Rhodes (1897-1959).
Walter first appears on the 1891 census, living at 39 Martin Street, St Pauls, Bristol. The family relocated a number of years later to his parents' native London and showed up on the 1901 census living at 7 Hockley Street in Hackney. His mother died in 1902, aged 40. 

When the 1911 census was taken, Walter was absent, presumably already at sea. His widowed father was living at Bessbrook Home, a lodging house at 39 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London and described himself as a widowed confectioner's sugar boiler. Walter’s youngest two siblings, Cecil and Grace, were living at 1 Suffield Road, Walworth, Newington, London, under the care of their paternal aunt and uncle, Thomas and Alice Miller.

When he signed on to the Titanic on 4 April 1912, Doughty gave his local address as 65 Bridge Road, Southampton, but he was living with his father at 39 Queen Square, London. His previous ship had been the Oruba, and as a second-class steward, he received monthly wages of £3 15s.

Walter Doughty, who was unmarried, died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified.

What became of Walter's father is unknown, but he is believed to have remained in London.

His brother Albert later served in the Canadian Infantry and was killed on 27 September 1918.