Born in Manchester, 10 May 1870, eighth child and fifth son of William Ray, law stationer, and Sarah Ann Howson, his wife. He was educated at Owens College, where he was Dauntesey medical scholar at entrance 1890, and won the Turner and Agnew scholarships 1894, when he graduated in the Victoria University. He practised throughout his life at Manchester, and was on the staff of the Royal Infirmary and the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital at Pendlebury, becoming consulting surgeon to both. He was also consulting surgeon to the Dental Hospital and the Bethesda Home for Cripples. He was at one time reader in surgical pathology at Manchester University, and served the offices of president of the Manchester Medical Society and the Manchester Surgical Society. He was a keen officer in the Territorial Force of the RAMC, and served abroad during the 1914-18 war with the 57th General Hospital. He was commissioned major on 22 January 1913, and retired with the rank of brevet-colonel, gazetted 16 April 1917. Ray practised at 11 St John Street, Manchester, and lived at 20 Palatine Road, Withington, where he died of heart failure on 30 April 1946, survived by his two daughters and his son William Frederick Howson Ray, MRCP, of Hale, Altrincham, Cheshire. He had married in 1900 Edith Taubmann, who died in January 1945. He was a skilled craftsman and made many surgical instruments. He took a personal interest in all his assistants, pupils, and patients, and was affectionately known as "Pa Ray". His humour and wisdom were concealed under a precise and formal manner. Publications: Case of acute intussusception of sigmoid colon due to subserous polypoid lipoma. *Med Chron* 1905, 41, 370. Surgical affections of the hip joint in infancy and childhood. *Ibid* 1911,54, 249-271. Varicose veins. *Clin J* 1924, 53, 601 and 620.