Born 18 June 1874 at Hazelholme, Colnbrook near Slough, Bucks, the third of the eight children of Samuel Roberts, builder and contractor, and Maria Harris, his wife. He was educated at Padcroft Grammar School, West Drayton, and at Elmfield College, York. He entered Middlesex Hospital with a scholarship, and filled the posts of house surgeon, house physician, and obstetric house physician. At the University of London he gained first-class honours in materia medica and the marks qualifying for the gold medal in anatomy. When the South African war began he was acting as casualty officer at the Middlesex Hospital. He volunteered for service and was appointed a civilian surgeon to the Field Force and received two medals. On his return to England he was elected resident surgical officer to the Manchester Royal Infirmary in 1901, and was appointed surgeon to the Royal Pendlebury Children's Hospital in 1903. During 1905-10 he was surgical officer and medical superintendent at the Christie Cancer Hospital, and in 1911-34 he was lecturer on clinical and practical surgery at Manchester University. He was elected assistant surgeon to the Manchester Royal Infirmary in 1911, became surgeon, and retired with the title of consulting surgeon on reaching the age limit in 1934. During the war he received a commission as captain, RAMC on 14 April 1915, going to France with the 18th Field Ambulance. At the end of the war he continued his military work as surgeon to the Second Western Hospital. He married in 1911 Ethel Annie Nicholson, who had been lady superintendent of the Pendlebury Children's Hospital. She died before him leaving a son and a daughter. He died at Maidenhead on Sunday, 9 June 1935, and his remains were cremated at Manchester. Roberts left the reputation of being an excellent teacher of students and a good surgeon, more especially interested in the surgery of children. Publications: Editor of the surgical section in Ashby and Wright *Diseases of children*, 6th edition, London, 1922. Total extirpation of the prostate for the radical cure of enlargement. *Brit med J* 1902, 1, 769. The treatment of abdominal wounds in war. *Ibid* 1902, 2, 1027. Surgical convalescence. *Ibid* 1927, 2, 1013. A method of operating for ectopia vesicae. *Lancet*, 1921, 1, 1125.