Born on 14 February at 43 Oxford Street, Wednesbury, the son of Samuel Tonks, retired commercial traveller, and Edith Jennie Ross Wilson, his wife. He was educated at Queen Mary's Grammar School, Walsall under J A Alldis and H Bompas Smith. Admitted to Caius College, Cambridge on 1 October 1906, he

Born in 1799 at East Brunton, Gosforth, Northumberland, he was descended from the family of Dunn, lairds of Matfen, Co Northumberland and through his mother from the family of Ridley. He was educated at Atkinson's private school in Newcastle, was apprenticed to W Davison, of Alnwick, and at the age