Born at Hoath, near Canterbury, and was educated at Guy's Hospital. He was elected President of the Physical Society, and it was before this Society that, in 1869, he read the paper on "Nephrotomy and Excision of the Kidney" which is said to have led to the use at Guy's Hospital of operative measures for the treatment of renal calculus and other lesions of the kidney. Larkin first practised at Canterbury, and moved to London about the year 1875. For more than thirty years he practised at 44 Trinity Square, SE, and won widespread popularity as a general practitioner, taking a special interest in renal and general surgery and the treatment of fractures. He became widely spoken of in medico-legal circles through his connection with what was known as the Whitechapel tragedy, when he performed the post-mortem examination of Harriet Lane. In November of the same year (1875) Larkin's clear mind and confident judgement showed to advantage in the celebrated Wainwright trial, when his accurate evidence was largely responsible for the prisoner's final conviction, winning handsome recognition from the Lord Chief Justice. Larkin's evidence fills more than nine closely printed pages in H B Irving's *Trial of the Wainwrights*. At the end of the Library copy of this work Larkin has added a note to the effect that the learned judge, Cockburn, also expressed his high appreciation of the services of the two medical witnesses for the Crown, Thomas Bond (qv) and F G Larkin, and he ordered that both of them should receive a special fee of five guineas for each day's attendance at the Old Bailey. The care and thought which Larkin brought to the solution of a forensic problem was also applied to his treatment of fractures and to his surgical work in general. After his retirement he lived at Grove Park, Kent, and there continued his early interest in farming and gardening. His chief recreation during his long life was music; this enthusiasm dated from an early association with Canterbury Cathedral. In early days of practice he was choirmaster at Holy Trinity Church, Southwark, and later he held the same office at St Augustine's at Lee. For many years also he was intimately associated with Westminster Abbey, where his friend, Sir Frederick Bridge, was organist. As deputy also he sang in the choir of the Abbey at the Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria and at the Coronations of King Edward and King George, and he was himself the composer of a number of chants and other church music. He also composed a dramatic song, "The Shipwreck", and he was at one time Hon Medical Officer to the Choir Benevolent Fund. Larkin died at Craven House, Grove Park, Kent, on January 13th, 1927, and was buried at Hoath. He was survived by his widow. One of his sons, Reginald Larkin, MD, MRCS, was his successor in practice at 44 Trinity Square. In February, 1927, this son presented to the College Library the manuscript of the paper on "Nephrotomy and Excision of the Kidney", which is thus catalogued: "The notes and rough copy of an original paper entitled: 'Nephrotomy and Excision of the Kidney', which was read before the Pupils' Physical Society of Guy's Hospital, on Saturday evening, October 9th, 1869, and to which was awarded the honour of the first prize at the end of the Winter Session." The manuscript, within 44 glass slides, is contained in a wooden case, and is accompanied by a printed account of the origin of the article by F G Larkin. Larkin's portrait accompanies his biography in the Lancet and Guy's Hospital Gazette. Publication: "Report of Post-mortem Examination of the Remains of Harriet Lane in the White-chapel Tragedy." - *Brit Med Jour*, 1875, ii, 730.