He was born in London at 12 Portman Place (now part of Edgware Road) on 18 March 1821, and was nephew to the singer Catherine Stephens.
He studied the piano and violin under J. M. Rost, Cipriani Potter, F. Smith, and Henry Blagrove, and theory under James Alexander Hamilton.
He died in London on 13 July 1892 and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery.
They included a symphony in G minor, played at the Philharmonic in 1891, and piano and chamber music.
In 1880 he gained both the first and second prizes for string quartets offered by Trinity College, London.