Born in Montgomeryshire and was of Welsh extraction. He was apprenticed to Frederick Wood (qv), the Surgeon Apothecary at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and was one of the earliest pupils of James Paget (qv), whose teaching made a lasting impression upon him. In 1845 he was elected House Surgeon Apothecary at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, a position he held until 1857. It is possible that his wish to come to Oxford may have been due to the fact that the Rev Thomas Briscoe, of Jesus College, a benefactor to the Infirmary in 1856, was probably a kinsman. His appointment was marked by considerable changes for the better in the organization of the charity. After twelve years’ service as a resident officer he was appointed, in 1857, to the post of Surgeon to HM Prison at Oxford, when he commenced to practise privately in the city. In 1858 he inherited a property in Montgomeryshire near Shrewsbury which rendered him independent of his profession. His interest in the Radcliffe Infirmary continued unabated, and in 1858 he was co-opted to the weekly board and became a member of a sub-committee to consider the accommodation for out-patients. He was about the same time appointed Surgeon to the Oxford Militia. Briscoe was elected Surgeon to the Infirmary at a special General Court held on April 29th, 1865, on the retirement of James T Hester (qv), and he retained the office until 1878. As he lived close to the hospital, he did gratuitously a large share of the hospital and private practice for his colleagues, both surgical and general, in Oxford from 1869-1872, performing at the infirmary all operations upon the eye as well as those of general surgery. On his retirement from the active staff of the hospital he practically gave up practice, but continued to go to the infirmary for at least two evenings a week, and used to attend the Tuesday Clinics given by Sir William Osler. He lived at 5 Broad Street, and died unmarried on September 28th, 1908, being buried in St Sepulchre’s Cemetery. By his will he left the whole of his fortune, amounting to £62,799, to the Radcliffe Infirmary. The bequest led the way to a complete rebuilding of the out-patient department, with accommodation for pathological, X-ray, and electro-therapeutical services, together with a lecture-room, library, sleeping accommodation for some of the staff, and a new dispensary and waiting-room. The building was formally opened by the Chancellor of the University, Lord Curzon of Kedleston, on November 26th, 1913. Briscoe was a careful but not a brilliant surgeon, eminently practical as a diagnostician. He took great care of his patients, but, having no special incentive to work and no special standard to maintain, he failed to improve in surgery as he grew older, and his wards retained the characteristic surgical odours long after they had vanished elsewhere. In appearance he was well set up, short, sturdy, and of huge chest capacity. He numbered among his colleagues Sir Henry Acland, Dr Henry Tuckwell, Dr Edward B Gray, Edward L Hussey (qv), Frederick Symonds (qv), and Alfred Winkfield (qv). His great friend was Mr Justice Wright, whom he had seen through a severe illness when he was a Balliol undergraduate, and there were periodical dinners or visits in London, at Oriel College, and in Hampshire. The friendship lasted till the judge died. Briscoe himself gave delightful little dinner-parties at his house in Broad Street, which were attended by Washbourne West, Bursar of Lincoln, John Martin, the oldest practitioner in Oxford, Harry Mallam, Randall, and Winkfield. He was a good swimmer in his early days, a great walker, and a good shot.