Born on 9 July 1869 at Ballycogley Castle, Co Wexford, the second son of Richard Cherry Sikes, of Cork, and Susannah Lecky Jacob, his wife; he was educated privately. He received his medical training at St Thomas's Hospital, where he won an entrance scholarship and the Tite and Peacock scholarships.

Born in London on 8 December 1871 the son of M G Ormond, he was educated at Guy's Hospital, where he was appointed house-surgeon and then obstetric assistant in charge of externs. After travelling as a ship's surgeon to South Africa in 1898, he specialised in ophthalmology and was appointed ophthalm