Courtenay Yorke was born at Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, on 18 May 1884, the son of a Methodist Minister. He was educated at Epworth College, near Rhyl, North Wales, and at University College, Liverpool (now University of Liverpool) where he graduated MB ChB in 1905. He also obtained the MB BS degree in the University of London in 1908, and the MD of Liverpool in 1908. In 1911 he obtained the FRCS. In the University of Liverpool Yorke served as a senior demonstrator of anatomy, and was on the surgical staff of the Liverpool Royal Infirmary. He also held appointments at the Northern Hospital and Stanley Hospital, Liverpool, and at the Victoria Central Hospital, Wallasey. He was also appointed aurist and laryngologist to the Ministry of Pensions Hospital, Liverpool. During the first world war Yorke was a Captain RAMC and served as surgical specialist to No 6 General Hospital, Rouen, and also in Mesopotamia. His private life is of interest in that his brother became a Fellow of the Royal Society for his work at the School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, and his sister was on the nursing staff of the Liverpool Royal Infirmary. Yorke was married in 1916 to Constance Lilian Longbottom and they had two sons and a daughter. He was killed in a road accident on 22 November 1970.