He was educated at Mr. Wyand's school on Hampstead Road, where among his school-fellows were Henry Thomas Buckle, Frederick and Edward Angelo Goodall, and Percy St. John.
After studying in the schools of the Royal Academy, he painted portraits and scenes from the novels of Sir Walter Scott.
[1] Later the failing health of his father made it necessary that he should assist him in his watercolour copies from the works of Edwin Landseer and others.
[1] After two years of ill-health he died 19 April 1873 and was buried in the Derby family grave in Highgate Cemetery with his father and mother, Lucy.
He left a small collection of highly finished drawings from portraits, which was sold at Christie's 23 February 1874.