Born at Burton-on-Trent, 10 March 1848, the second child and eldest son of George Lowe, MRCS, LSA, and Cecilia Landoe, his wife. His father, who was surgeon to the Dispensary and Burton-on-Trent Union, was in practice with his brother in the town. W G Lowe was educated at Burton Grammar School, at Epsom College, and at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where after qualifying he held the post of house physician. He joined his father and uncle in 1871 and spent the rest of his professional life at Burton-on-Trent, becoming surgeon to the Infirmary. For many years he held a commission in the 2nd Battalion North Staffs Volunteer Corps, received the decoration for long service in 1894, and retired with the rank of lieutenant-colonel at the age limit in 1908. During the war he was in medical charge of the German prisoners lodged in the Maltings, Burton-on-Trent. He moved to Birchington, Isle of Thanet, in March 1932 and for some years assisted neighbouring practioners by acting occasionally as locum tenens. He married twice, the second time on 11 November 1896, Ellen Gertrude, fourth daughter of William Small of the Cliff, Tutbury, who survived him with two daughters. He died at Birchington on 21 October 1934, and was buried at All Saints', Birchington. Mrs Lowe died there on 4 October 1946. Lowe's whole active life was wrapped up in the town of Burton-on-Trent where his interests were centred by heredity. He was president of the Staffordshire branch of the British Medical Association in 1886 and again in 1909. He also served as president of the Midland Medical Society in 1898. He was a Justice of the Peace for the borough of Burton-on-Trent for nearly twenty years, and in the latter part of his residence in the town was on the Commission of the Peace for the County of Staffordshire. He was a vice-president of the Burton St John Ambulance Association, district grand master of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, and a provincial grand officer in masonry. He was keenly interested in educational questions: and was for thirty years an active member of the successive boards of education, becoming in 1912 the vice-chairman of the education committee for the borough. He gave great help to various philanthropic enterprises and, like his father before him, was an active supporter of Holy Trinity Church.