Early in life he sought his fortune at the Cape of Good Hope.
Returning to England he settled down about 1845 on a small estate of his own in the Isle of Man, where he became a member of the House of Keys, and afterwards a justice of the peace.
Through his exertions the Manx Society was formed in 1858 for the publication of documents relating to the Isle of Man.
He married Mary Sefton Beck in 1832, and died at Rockmount, near Peel, Isle of Man, on 22 November 1884.
[1] He contributed fourteen volumes to the works of the Manx Society, including: He was an occasional writer on antiquarian matters in the Manchester Guardian and other papers.