Born on 4 March 1864 the fifth son of the Rev J W Lace, vicar of Pill, near Bristol, and his wife Georgina Douglas Agg, he was educated at St Andrew's school, Chardstock, Dorset and at the Bristol medical school and Royal Infirmary. He served as prosector and junior demonstrator of anatomy at University College, Bristol. As soon as he had qualified in 1889 Lace settled in practice at Bath, where he remained throughout a long and distinguished career. He was one of the last men who combined general and consulting practice, and became the leading surgeon at Bath. He was house surgeon at the Royal Hospital in 1889, becoming in due course anaesthetist, assistant surgeon, and surgeon in 1902. He retired from the hospital in 1922 with the title of consulting surgeon to the Royal United Hospitals, and in 1939 celebrated his fiftieth year in practice. He was consulting surgeon to the Bath Eastern Dispensary, the Trowbridge and District Hospital, and the Chippenham Cottage Hospital. Lace was president of the Bristol Medico-chirurgical Society in 1918, and was a member of the Bath Clinical Society, and the Bath and Bristol branch of the British Medical Association; when the Association met at Bath in 1925 he was vice-president of the section of surgery. He was a somewhat austere man, whose criticism was feared; but he was liked and respected for his integrity and versatility. Lace had many interests. He was active in the Volunteers, received the Territorial Decoration in 1914, and served through the war of 1914-18 at the Bath war hospital, with the rank of Major, RAMC. He had been a good Rugby footballer, and was a member of the Bristol Medical Dramatic Club. In later life he was active in the Bath Philatelic Society and as a freemason, and was a keen gardener. Lace married in 1896 Frances Margaret Thomassen, who died before him. He died at 5 Gay Street, Bath on 22 April 1952 aged 88, survived by his two sons. Publication: Some developments of abdominal surgery. Presidential address. *Bristol med-chir J* 1918, 36, 2.