Studied at St Thomas's Hospital, and was then appointed Assistant Surgeon in the Royal Navy. He sailed on HMS *Talbot* on one of the last expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin. On his return he resigned his Commission, passed the examination for the FRCS and in 1858 sailed to Melbourne, where he soon attained a leading position as a surgeon, specializing in eye, ear and throat diseases. He acted as Surgeon to the Melbourne Hospital, to the Alfred Hospital, to the Blind Asylum, to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and for many years he was a member of the Medical Board of Victoria. He had made himself an excellent French and German scholar, so that he was abreast of current medical literature. He was also a musician, performing on several instruments and devoting his attention to orchestral music in connection with the Melbourne Musical Societies. In later years he lived at 57 Collins Street, Melbourne, and in Armadale, Victoria. He died on March 4th, 1907, and was survived by his widow, a daughter and a son - James Ferdinand Ruddall, MB, BS Melbourne, MRCS, who also practised in Collins Street.