Born at Burnley, in Lancashire, where his father was a surgeon. He completed his medical education in Dublin and settled in his native place in 1836, where he practised for the rest of his life. At the time of his death he was a Vice-President of the Lancashire and Cheshire Branch of the British Medical Association, as well as Certifying Factory Surgeon, JP for both county and borough, Alderman of Burnley, and had been Surgeon of the 5th Royal Lancashire Militia. For many years he occupied a prominent position in Burnley (the Mayoralty of which he was several times offered) and in North-East Lancashire, being looked up to as a leading spirit in local affairs, to which he always devoted his best energies. He was largely endowed with good common sense; was a sound and well-informed medical practitioner, who had a large experience both in private practice and local consultations; was straightforward in his conduct; trustworthy and uniformly courteous to his colleagues, to whom he was an example in professional matters. His great natural abilities had been carefully cultivated, and his information was extensive even outside the range of professional subjects. He was in 1881 presented with a service of plate and portraits of himself, one to be hung in the Town Council Chamber and the other in the Mechanics' Institute, of which he was trustee. He died on Saturday, March 4th, 1882.