Robert Bewick was born in Glasgow on 19 July 1907, the second son of James Dicker Bewick, a business executive and Elizabeth Jane Sloan, daughter of an Exciseman. He was educated at Alexandra Parade School 1912-18, Whitehall Secondary School 1918-24 and Glasgow University Medical School where he won the 2nd prize in systematic surgery and the Cullen Medal in clinical surgery. He was house physician at the Royal Portsmouth Hospital and house surgeon at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, before moving to Burton-on-Trent where he was house surgeon in 1931. He became FRCS Edinburgh in 1933 and was appointed resident surgical officer at Burton General Infirmary. The South Derbyshire miners raised money to provide a fracture and orthopaedic service and because Bewick had looked after them for some years previously, they insisted that he be appointed surgeon, so that he was the first surgeon at Burton to serve the Infirmary for a salary. He was the only surgeon there with a Fellowship at that time and he dealt almost single-handedly with the surgical needs of the hospital, throughout the war and for five years afterwards. He developed his experience and skill by attending the hospital practices of surgeons of repute, a method he found more profitable than attending medical meetings. He was a surgeon of sound judgement and he built up a large practice. He was twice Chairman of the Burton division of the BMA and later, President of the Staffordshire division. He was much involved in hospital management and played a leading part in the development of all the departments of the hospital. He served the hospital management committee for 23 years, several of them as vice-chairman. He became FRCS England in 1943. He retired in 1971 and moved to King's Bromley. In 1974 he published The History of a Provincial Hospital, Burton-on Trent. He married Marjorie Hitty in 1935. They had two daughters and a son, Michael Bewick, MCh, FRCS, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Guy's Hospital. Robert Bewick died on 22 September 1984 whilst on holiday in Wales. He is survived by his children, his wife having died in 1976.