Claude Edward Puckle Markby was born on 3 September 1906 in Madras, India. He was educated in Swanage, St Lawrence College, Ramsgate, and Christ's College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1927. He received his medical education at St Thomas's Hospital and was house surgeon to W H C Romanis and H Tyrell-Grey. He was consulting surgeon to the Royal Victoria and West Hants Hospital and Wimborne Hospital. He was a Fellow of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and a member of the Provincial Surgeons' Club. He was interested in sailing, skiing, tennis and trout fishing. He married Miss Ogle in 1936. They had a daughter and one son who is a doctor. He died on 10 October 1979, aged 73 years.