Robert Claude Taylor was born in Hampstead on 9 May 1901, the eldest child of Edwin Claude Taylor MD, MS, FRCS (1981-1924), see *Lives of the Fellows*, Vol.2, p.386. He was educated at Heath Mount School in Hampstead and Leighton Park School, Reading, before entering University College for medical studies. He qualified in 1923 and shortly afterwards was appointed house surgeon to Wilfred Trotter who had an appreciable influence on his subsequent choice of career. After further junior posts at University College Hospital and at All Saints' Hospital for Genito-urinary Diseases he passed the FRCS in 1929. He then entered a general practice at Watford and served as medical officer to Merchant Taylors' School. During the war years he served as surgeon in the Emergency Medical Service at Watford Peace Memorial Hospital and, after the introduction of the National Health Service, was senior hospital medical officer at the hospital until his retirement in 1966. He was a Past President of the West Hertfordshire and Watford Medical Society. After retirement he went to Birmingham and pursued his hobby of gardening. He married Dorothy Margaret Lott in 1934 and there was one son and two daughters of the marriage. He died on 16 December 1988 and is survived by his wife and family.