The son of a medical man in Bristol, whose brother was the Rev Samuel Edward Bernard (1800-1884). Educated at Bristol, St George’s Hospital, London, at Dublin, and in Paris. He was elected Surgeon to the Bristol Royal Infirmary on May 4th, 1854, after the contested election usual at that time when committees were formed, “refreshments were provided, flys were engaged, all was bustle and hurry. From ten in the morning till late in the evening Broad Street was completely blocked with flys, all were on the *qui vive* to aid their favourite candidate, and the Guildhall all day was regularly crammed with individuals who appeared to take a very lively interest in the proceedings”. Bernard fought the election twice – in 1850 he was bottom of the poll with 276 votes, and in 1854, proxies being allowed, when he was successful. There were seven candidates. His brother, Dr J Fogo Bernard, had been elected Physician to the Infirmary in 1843. Ralph Montague Bernard was accidentally killed in the presence of his wife and children by the fall of a cliff when he was on a holiday near Lampeter in Wales on August 18th, 1871. At the time of his death he was Surgeon to the Bristol Police and was practising at 5 Victoria Square, Bristol.