Born in 1888 the third son of Lt-Col A S Roberts and Jane, daughter of Brigade Surgeon Benjamin Lane and sister of Sir William Arbuthnot Lane, he was educated at Cheltenham College and Guy's Hospital where he was awarded an entrance scholarship in arts and the Treasurer's Gold Medal in clinical surgery. He was a senior demonstrator in anatomy at Guy's, obstetric tutor at Leeds Maternity Hospital, chief assistant in the maternity department at St Bartholomew's Hospital, and registrar at the Soho Hospital for Women. Qualifying in 1913 he served during the Great War as Captain RAMC from 1914 to 1919 and was mentioned in dispatches. He became consulting gynaecological surgeon to the Royal Northern Hospital and Queen Charlotte's Hospital, consulting gynaecologist to Gerrards Cross Cottage Hospital and obstetric surgeon to Queen Mary's Maternity Home, Hampstead. He was an expert Rugby football player, having played for Guy's for six years and being captain in 1913 and he was four times capped for England from 1909 to 1913. A man of great personal charm, whimsical and with winning humility, he had great knowledge of a number of subjects outside his profession, in particular mediaeval architecture and sculpture, horticulture, Hellenic travel and vintage Rolls Royce motor cars. In 1928 he married Nell Miles-Sharp, daughter of D W Bain, who died in 1954. He died on 25 December 1959 at his home in Tewin, Herts.