He was born at Worcester on 4 July 1884, son of Mark James Barrington-Ward, an Inspector of Schools, and Caroline Pearson his wife. His father was ordained late in life (1907) and became Rector of Duloe, Cornwall, and a Canon of Truro. The five sons all distinguished themselves, one (Robert) becoming Editor of *The Times* 1941-48. Lance began his education in College at Westminster, but owing to ill-health he was transferred to Bromsgrove, where also he won a classical scholarship, and then entered Worcester College, Oxford with a classical exhibition. He took his medical training at Edinburgh University, qualifying with honours in 1908. In the same year he was captain of the University Rugby XV, having played in it for six seasons; in 1910 he represented England in four Internationals. He took the Edinburgh Fellowship in 1910, and the English Fellowship in 1912 after working at the Middlesex Hospital. At Edinburgh in 1913 he took the ChM with honours and was awarded the Chiene medal in surgery. He was appointed house surgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children in Great Ormond Street in 1910, working under G E Waugh and H A T (Sir Thomas) Fairbank. He proved an ideal children's surgeon, was appointed assistant surgeon in 1914, resumed his connection with the Hospital after the war, and was ultimately senior surgeon. During the war he served as surgeon-in-chief of Lady Wimborne's hospital at Uskub in Serbia, and was awarded the Order of St Sava. After the war, in addition to his large practice among children, he was appointed as an abdominal surgeon to the staff of the Royal Northern Hospital, where he became senior surgeon. In 1918 he operated for appendicitis upon H R H Prince Albert, afterwards Duke of York and then King. He was appointed surgeon in ordinary to the Duke's household in 1936, a post in which he was continued when the Duke acceded to the throne as King George VI in December 1936. He had been created KCVO in King George V's jubilee honours list in June 1935. He attended King George V's sister, the Queen of Norway, received the Grand Cross of St Olav, and subsequently operated for appendicitis on several younger members of the Royal family. Queen Elizabeth II appointed him an extra surgeon to Her Majesty on her accession in 1952. He was consulting surgeon to Wood Green and Southgate Hospital and to Sutton Hospital and was active in promoting their success. He examined for the Universities of St Andrews and of Edinburgh, served as President of the Section of Diseases of Children in the Royal Society of Medicine, and was a Hunterian Professor at the College (14 February 1952) lecturing on "Swellings of the neck in childhood". Barrington-Ward married twice: (1) in 1917 Dorothy Anne, second daughter of T W Miles of Caragh, Co Kerry, at one time an official in the Indian Public Works department. Lady Barrington-Ward undertook much charitable work in connection with her husband's hospitals and for the Peter Pan League. She died on 26 August 1935, leaving three daughters (*The Times* 27 August 1935, p 13 F and 29th, p. 12 B). He married (2) on 22 May 1941 Catherine Wilhelmina, only daughter of E G Reuter of Harrogate, who survived him with a son. He died after a long illness at his country home, Hawkedon House, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk on 17 November 1953, aged 69. He had formerly practised at 85 Harley Street, and at Harcourt House, Cavendish Square. A memorial service was held at St Peter's, Vere Street on 2 December 1953, at which the Queen, who was then at sea crossing the Pacific Ocean, was represented by Her Majesty's Serjeant Surgeon, Sir Arthur Porritt, and a memorial oration was given by Sir Thomas Fairbank. Barrington-Ward was a small, good-looking man of great charm, and a perfectionist in his work. Publications: Congenital enlargement of the colon and rectum. *Lancet* 1914, 1, 345-360. *Abdominal surgery for children*. Oxford 1928. *Royal Northern Operative Surgery*, edited. London, H K Lewis, 1939; 2nd edition, 1951. Acute abdominal emergencies. *Ann Roy Coll Surg Engl* 1948, 3, 77. Swellings of the neck in childhood. *Ann Roy Coll Surg Engl* 1952, 10, 211.