The son of a wheelwright at Canterbury, where he was born on July 4th, 1803. He was first apprenticed to his father's trade, but becoming interested in insect life he was appointed curator of a museum of natural history established by Mr Masters, a nurseryman in the town, next apprenticed to William

Born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on October 1st, 1810, and came of a Northumbrian stock, both his father and mother being natives of Alwinton. He was educated at Witton-le-Wear, Durham, and in 1827 was apprenticed to T Leighton, Senior Surgeon at the Newcastle Infirmary, to whom £500 was paid as Embleton