Born on April 2, 1899 at Newcastle, New South Wales, a son of the manse, James was educated at the University of Sydney. After qualifying in 1921, he held resident appointments at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, and later in London at the West London Hospital and St Bartholomew's. He specialised in urology and was urological clinical assistant at the West London and at St Peter's. During the war he served in the EMS and was surgeon in charge of St Luke's Hospital in Guildford. He was later appointed consultant surgeon and urologist to the London Lock Hospital, Battersea General and the West London. He had a major interest in writing and medical history, being the editor of the *West London medical journal* for 9 years and producing articles both for journals and the national press. He was also the author of five books, all of them historical or medical. His hobbies were ski-ing, golf, painting and drawing. In 1935 he married Dorothy Wright and they had two sons, one of whom is a consultant plastic surgeon and the other, like his grandfather, a Presbyterian minister. He died on 16 October 1978 and is survived by his wife and two sons. Publications: *Idols and invalids* 1933; *Hero-dust* 1936; *Surgery for nurses* 1949; *Napoleon immortal* 1959; *St Helena during Napoleon's exile* 1969.