The youngest son of William Charles Macready (1793-1873), the actor (*see Dict Nat Biog*), by his first wife, who died in 1852. His christian names included Forster after John Forster, the friend of his father. Many of his brothers and sisters died young, but he lived to grow up under his father's eye after he had retired to Sherborne, Dorset, in 1851. He was educated at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where Paget and Savory were distinguished not only as surgeons but also for graceful eloquence. Macready served in several surgical posts at St Bartholomew's up to that of Surgical Registrar. A finished speaker - for he had been taught elocution by his father - Macready was of a fine figure, manner, and address, with the hands of a surgeon or artist. He missed promotion to the post of Assistant Surgeon on the Staff at St Bartholomew's in 1882, when James Shuter (qv) was elected with 127 votes, Macready obtaining 48 and C B Keetley (qv) 1 vote. He contested the post again in 1883, when W Bruce Clarke gained 81 votes and Macready 49. One reason may be found in his very success in obtaining surgical appointments outside the hospital, so that his performance of duties at St Bartholomew's fell short of what was expected of him. In 1878 he was appointed Surgeon to the Great Northern Hospital, where he was associated with William Adams (qv), the exponent of the orthopaedic surgery of that day. His appointment to the Truss Society when the operative cure of hernia under Listerian precautions had come in gave him opportunities which led to his chief work, *A Treatise on Ruptures*. Besides he was appointed Surgeon to the City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, to the Cheyne Hospital for Children, Chelsea, and to the Merchant Taylors' Company Convalescent Homes at Bognor. He was particularly devoted to the Great Northern Hospital, where he was the Senior Surgeon for fifteen years, and an active Member of the Board of Management. He practised at 42 Devonshire Street, Portland Place, and died at Acton on April 29th, 1907. Publication: *A Treatise on Ruptures*, 8vo, 24 plates, London, 1893.