Born at Portsmouth on July 16th, 1817, the son of C W Hoffmeister, Collector of Customs at Belfast. He was educated at the University of Glasgow and at University College Hospital, London, where he was Clinical Clerk to Dr Elliotson and Dresser to Robert Liston. He settled in practice at Cowes in 1841, was nominated by Lord Yarborough and elected Surgeon to the Royal Yacht Squadron, a post he held until his death. When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert went to Osborne in 1845, Hoffmeister was recommended by Sir James Clarke as the Medical Attendant to the Queen and Royal Family in the Isle of Wight. During some years he attended on the Queen at Balmoral; he also attended Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, in her confinements at Darmstadt. He was knighted in 1884. He was also Physician to the Royal Isle of Wight Infirmary at Ryde, Medical Officer to the Isle of Wight Volunteers, and Vice-President of Epsom College. He died of bronchitis on July 29th, 1890, at Cowes. The Queen and Royal Family expressed lively sympathy and were represented at his funeral. He was succeeded by three sons, two of whom were members of the College.