He was educated at Rugby and Trinity Hall, Cambridge,[1] where he was captain of the boats.

He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1871, went out to Allahabad in the following year, and built up a vast practice as a criminal lawyer.

He served for several biennial terms as a nominated member of the provincial legislature.

His insight into the manners, customs, and thoughts of the people was of great value to the police commission of 1902–3, of which he was a member; Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser was its head.

One of his cousins was Sir Sidney Colvin, a curator and literary and art critic, and another relative was John Russell Colvin, who rose to be lieutenant-governor of the North-West Provinces of British India.