Shortly after his birth his father died and he was taken to Isfield, the home of his maternal grandfather, the Reverend William Attersoll, where he was brought up by his mother.

As a boy Culpeper became interested in astronomy, astrology, time, his grandfather's collection of clocks, and medical texts in Attersoll's library.

Arguing that "no man deserved to starve to pay an insulting, insolent physician" and obtaining his herbal supplies from the nearby countryside, Culpeper could provide his services free of charge.

Alienated and radicalised, he joined the London Trained bands in August 1643 under the command of Philip Skippon and fought at the First Battle of Newbury,[1] where he carried out battlefield surgery.

He felt the use of Latin and the high fees charged by doctors, lawyers and priests worked to deprive the public of power and freedom.

Ultimately his ambition was to reform the system of medicine by questioning traditional methods and knowledge and exploring new solutions for ill health.

[11] Analysis has shown that more than 90% of the botanical entries in The English Physitian were derived, if not copied outright, from apothecary John Parkinson's Theatrum Botanicum of 1640.

Culpeper's streamlining of the content involved eschewing illustrations, narrowing the focus to only English herbs, and omitting any non-medical uses of said plants, such as in animal husbandry or domestic chores.

[12] Culpeper's translations and approach to using herbals have had an extensive impact on medicine in early North American colonies, and even modern medications.

His influence is demonstrated by the existence of a chain of "Culpeper" herb and spice shops in Canada, North America and beyond, and by the continued popularity of his remedies among New Age and alternative holistic medicine practitioners.

[8] Nicholas is featured as the title protagonist in Rudyard Kipling's story "Doctor of Medicine", part of his Puck of Pook's Hill anthology.