Born in London on 8 November 1865, the fourth child and only son of Henry Hugh Armstead, RA (1828-1905), sculptor, for whom see *DNB*, and Sarah his wife, daughter of Henry Tanworth Wells and sister of Henry Tanworth Wells, RA (1828-1903), portrait-painter, for whom see *DNB*. The father's best-known works are the bronze allegorical figures at the base of the Albert Memorial, and the fountain in the centre of the front court at King's College, Cambridge. H W Armstead was educated at Harrow and at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he won a preliminary science exhibition in 1887, the Harvey prize and the second junior scholarship in 1889, a senior scholarship in 1890 and the Sir George Burrows prize in 1892. He served as prosector of anatomy (1889) in the medical college and as senior house surgeon. He took first-class honours in medicine at the London MB examination, and also studied at University College Hospital. Armstead then settled in practice in the West End, and became well known as a London General practitioner. He was president of the West London Medico-Chirurgical Society in 1925-26 and contributed an account of 'Thirty Years of General Practice' to the society's *Journal*. He lived first at 58 Chepstow Villas, Bayswater, then at 30 Queensborough Terrace, Hyde Park and later at 18 Clifton Hill, NW8. He was medical officer to the Kilburn and district dispensary, and a medical referee for the Builders' Accident Insurance Company. Armstead married in 1894 Olive Gertrude Holl, who survived him with a son and two daughters. After retiring he lived at Mercers, Haven View Road, Seaton, Devon, and died on 2 February 1943, aged 77. He inherited artistic tastes, which he exercised in his studies of comparative anatomy. He served for some years on the council of Epsom College, and was a benefactor to its library. Publications: Anatomical nature casts of animals. *Magazine of Art*, 1898. *The artistic anatomy of the horse*, 20 plates. London, 1900. Thirty years of general practice. *West London med J*. 1925, 30, 173.