Born 10 March 1881 at Hinckley, Leicestershire, the second child and only son of Edward Simpson, a schoolmaster, and Charlotte McCann, his wife. He was educated at Mill Hill School and St John's College, Cambridge, where he was a scholar, and took first-class honours in the Natural Sciences Tripos,

Reginald Martin Vick was born on 20 July 1884 at West Hartlepool, and was educated at Leys School and Jesus College, Cambridge, and came to St Bartholomew's Hospital for his clinical studies. He qualified with the Conjoint Diploma in 1908, and after house appointment at Bart's became a demonstrator