In 1786 his Salisbury-born father, with his partner Samuel Watkins, had opened a tobacco shop in Bristol, which grew into a successful business.

[2][3][4] He made an unsuccessful foray into local politics in 1838 when he ran as the Liberal Party candidate for councillor of the Redcliffe ward in Bristol.

However, he was successful on his second attempt in 1846, when he was elected councillor for the St Paul's ward of the city, a position previously held by his brother Henry.

On May 2, 1820 in London he married Mary Steven, third daughter of Robert Steven of Glasgow, Scotland and of Camberwell in Surrey,[6] by whom he had three children, of whom only one survived:[7] Like his brother he grew partially deaf in later years and was fatally injured on 11 May 1865 in London having inadvertently stepped in front of a horse-drawn carriage.

The following week his body was buried in Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol, where several hundred mourners attended his funeral.