[1] He was born in Boulge, Suffolk, and married Jane Carr on 4 August 1867.
He joined the London Metropolitan Police Service on 15 November 1869, and rose through the ranks.
While in North America, Andrews was sent to New York City, perhaps to trace Francis Tumblety, a notorious charlatan who had fled to the United States after jumping bail in England on charges of gross indecency.
The New York City Police, who had Tumblety under surveillance, said "there is no proof of his complicity in the Whitechapel murders, and the crime for which he is under bond in London is not extraditable".
On 26 August 1899, at the age of 52, he committed suicide by hanging at Horndean, Hampshire.