Born in Nottingham, where his father was a general practitioner who died young, leaving a widow with three small children, a son and two daughters. His early life was spent on his uncle's farm in Oxfordshire, where he acquired his life-long interest in wild life and in fishing and shooting. He was educated at Nottingham High School, Emmanuel College, Cambridge and St Bartholomew's Hospital where he qualified in 1914. He then entered the RAMC and served throughout the war, returning to St Bartholomew's in 1919; he was house surgeon there, at St George's and at St Peter's Hospital where he became resident surgical officer. On returning to Nottingham in 1925 he became house surgeon to C H Allen, and in 1931 was appointed assistant surgeon to the Nottingham General Hospital. He had to wait until 1946 to become full surgeon, as all staff appointments were frozen during the war of 1939-45. He retired from the active staff in 1955, but remained a member of the committee of management of which he was vice-chairman, and was also chairman of the general purposes committee. He was a city councillor and in 1957-58 an alderman, becoming Lord Mayor in 1961-62. In 1962 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Nottingham. He was a deeply religious man, widely admired and respected. He died on 27 September 1963 survived by his wife, son and daughter.