 Born in Canterbury, he spent most of his career in London, where he worked for William Behnes and Sir Francis Chantrey, before taking over the latter's studio on his death in 1841.His works include the first bust of Queen Victoria after her accession, a monument to Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley, statues for the Martyrs' Memorial in Oxford, and the "Manufactures" group of the Albert Memorial in London.He was also the professor of sculpture of the Royal Academy (1868–76).