[1] He was educated at Charterhouse and University College London (B.A., B.Sc.).
After completing his studies, he was secretary of the family business, Rylands Brothers wire manufacturers, from 1884 to 1887, then from 1897 to 1898 was science master at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne.
At the time of his death he was assistant registrar of Grimes's Manchester Tutorial College.
[3] Rylands authored the book Crime: Its Causes and Remedy (1889).
[4][5] Rylands was best known as an advocate of the Christ myth theory.