As a child of Yoshifumi NISHIMURA, who served the Hotta clan in the Sano Domain, a branch domain of the Sakura Domain, Shigeki was born at Sano Domain's residence in Edo.
佐倉藩の支藩であった佐野藩堀田氏に仕える西村芳郁の子として、江戸の佐野藩邸に生まれる。