Born on 16 March 1869 at Stoneycroft, Green Lane, Liverpool, the fourth child and second son of John Edward Dickinson, owner of the Liver Block Works, Peter's Lane, Liverpool, and Elizabeth Humphreys, his wife. He was educated at the Merchant Taylor's School, Great Crosby, Liverpool and at Liverpool

Born at Hull on 4 February 1867 the son of John Wilkinson MRCS (1859), who was surgeon to the Hull police and died on 25 April 1875; his grandfather having also practised there, he was educated at Hull Grammar School, was a scholar of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and took first-class honours in the

Born 16 April 1868 at Merstham, Surrey, second child and second son of Edwin Peters and Damaris Kingsnorth, his wife. He was educated at Charterhouse and at Caius College, Cambridge, where he took first-class honours in Part 1 of the Natural Sciences Tripos, 1889, and second-class honours in Part 2,