Robert Young Paton was born on 18 January 1894 in Perth, the son of Dr Edward Ley Paton, and was educated at Perth Academy and St Andrew's University, where he was Matheson Scholar. He came to St Mary's Hospital for his clinical studies which were interrupted in 1917 when he served for over a year as a Surgeon Sub-Lieutenant RNVR. After the war he returned to his studies and qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1920. He then held several junior appointments at St Mary's, and obtained the MB BCh degree and the FRCS in 1921. During this period of his training he was influenced by R C Elmslie, W H Trethowan and A S B Bankart, who laid the foundations for his future work as an orthopaedic surgeon. From 1924-1927 he was registrar of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. He became consultant orthopaedic surgeon to the LCC, to the Princess Louise Hospital for Children, Kensington, to the Chiswick General Hospital, the Nelson Hospital, the Wood Green and Southgate Hospital. For 25 years he was consultant surgeon to the Royal Ballet, and for 30 years to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. He wrote chapters on fractures and on the surgery of nerves in *Essentials of modern surgery*. Paton was a very keen gardener, winning several prizes at Royal Horticultural Society's shows. He enjoyed playing golf, with a handicap of 2, and billiards. He was twice married, first in 1923 to Daphne, youngest daughter of Benjamin Colet Pulleyne, the marriage being dissolved in 1951; and in 1954 he married Elizabeth Law Milne who survived him. He died at the age of 79 on 8 August 1973.