Born at Birmingham where his father was city treasurer, he was educated at King Edward's School there and trained at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. He held resident posts at the Gordon Hospital, London, and the Queen's Hospital, Birmingham, and was resident medical officer under Bland-Sutton at

Born on 15 August 1880 he was the son of Joseph Henry MD, LRCSI a general practitioner and part-time Medical Officer of Health for Rochdale 1879-1908; from his father he inherited a keen interest in industrial medicine. He was educated at Rossall School, Trinity College, Cambridge and St Thomas's Ho