Born at Whittlesey in 1869, the only son of John Waddelow, JP, an agriculturist, who was aged 75 at the time of his son's birth. He was educated privately at Cambridge and afterwards entered King's College Hospital, where he won the Tanner prize and prizes in forensic medicine, surgery, and obstetric medicine. He acted as house surgeon, house accoucheur, and clinical assistant in the ophthalmic department, becoming subsequently assistant demonstrator of anatomy in the King's College Medical School. He settled at Whittlesey in 1897 taking the practice of J H Webster, MRCS, and in the same year married Laura, the eldest daughter of C F Harding, MD, MRCS, who also practised in the town. He soon obtained a large practice and took an active part in municipal affairs. He was medical officer of health for the southern district of the parish of Whittlesey and medical officer of the Whittlesey Poor Law Institution. In 1904 he was made a JP for the Isle of Ely, becoming in due course chairman of the Bench. In 1908 he was appointed a commissioner of the Whittlesey second district drainage board and in the following year was chosen chairman of the board, a position he held until his death. For some years he was a member of the Ely County Council, and a member of the old Court Leet Jury for the Manor of Whittlesey. He died at Whittlesey on 3 January 1933, survived by his wife and two daughters and was buried in St Andrew's Churchyard. Waddelow was one of the best type of provincial medical practitioners, with a sound knowledge of his profession and a leaning towards surgery; he took a leading part in, but never became submerged by, local politics. He took his holidays abroad, and was well-read, being especially interested in Oliver Cromwell and the history of the district in which he lived. Perfectly honest and of robust common sense, he was greatly respected by his neighbours and was an influence for good throughout the county.