Born in the City of London, he studied at the Slade and spent one year in Paris (1883) under Gerome at the Ecole de Beaux Arts, where he exhibited two paintings in the Salon. His addresses for sending-in were London, and later Christchurch, Hampshire, and it is likely that he and his wife remained only briefly in St Ives.

He attended the General Meeting (Aug 1890) of the group of new members of the St Ives Arts Club (STIAC) and became an early member of the NEAC to exhibit 'on merit' in London. Tovey comments that his name does not appear in STIAC records at any time after the inaugural meeting.   His illustrated books include Picturesque Brittany and Nuremburg, authored by his wife Nancy.   

In 1919 Nancy presented 55 paintings by her husband to Christchurch Borough Council, but for reasons unknown (in 2005) only two paintings appear to have survived.