Born in Kensworth, where his father, George Edward Oscar Watts, was Vicar.
He was educated at Shrewsbury School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, graduating BA in 1899 and proceeding MA (Cantab) in 1904.
In 1917, he was appointed Canon of St Peter's Cathedral, Vryheid and from 1918 he served as Archdeacon of Swaziland.
He returned to England in 1927, to his old parish of St Mark's, Noel Park, where he served as Vicar until 1929.
In 1931, however, he was chosen to be Bishop of St Helena, being consecrated as such in St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town, on St Barnabas' Day, 11 June 1931 by Francis Phelps, Archbishop of Cape Town, assisted by Theodore Gibson, Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman, and Joseph Williams, retired Bishop of St John's.