Born in Bolton on 26 April 1906 , he was educated at Salford Secondary School and worked his way up from clerk to office manager in a cotton shipping company in Manchester. By spare time study he became proficient in a number of languages and Fellow of the Institute of Linguists, and was promoted to export manager.
He was appointed in 1960 to develop the Methodist Stewardship Organisation from a small office in the Methodist Central Hall in Oldham Street, Manchester. Pilot schemes in several churches proved successful and MSO was established with more staff in larger premises in Spring Gardens. When the church authorities decided some years later to relocate it in London, he chose to remain in Manchester and was appointed to decimalise the Methodist Insurance Company before taking retirement.
He was a local preacher and gifted in several different spheres. Natural history was a lifelong hobby. On the death of G. Bramwell Evens in 1943, he became his successor at the Methodist Recorder in regular articles under the title 'Walks with Wayfarer', the first appearing on 3 February 1944, illustrated by his own drawings. He became a Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society of London, nominated by Norman F. Ellison ('Nomad' of the BBC). Several of his articles were published in the Manchester Guardian and the Radio Times. The talks he gave and nature walks he led when on Wesley Guild holidays were very popular.
He died at Salford on 25 April 1983.