He grew up around Berwick-upon-Tweed where he wrote his first book A Catalogue of Plants Growing in the Vicinity of Berwick Upon Tweed which was published in 1807. In each of his military postings such as the West Indies and Guiana , Mauritius and Madagascar , he continued his natural history studies with two of his papers being read before the Linnean Society on London in 1807, the first On the genus Kaempferia in April 1807 and the second An Account of Some New Species of Piper in June, both of these were submitted on his behalf by Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth F.R.S and L.S. In 1816, he was posted to Cork in Ireland as Surgeon to the forces and later as Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals. While in Cork he published several works including which is listed as having been taken by Charles Darwin on his famous Second voyage of HMS Beagle
Selected works
A Catalogue of Plants Growing in the Vicinity of Berwick Upon Tweed, 1807
An Account of Some New Species of Piper, with a Few Cursory Observations on the Genus, 1807
Description of a New Species of The Genus Mus, Belonging to the Section of Pouched Rats, 1812
A Catalogue of The Exotic Plants cultivated in the Mauritius...", Nov 1816
Contributions Towards the Natural History of the Dodo, a Bird which Appears to Have Become Extinct Towards the End of the Seventeenth Century Or Beginning of the Eighteenth Century, 1829
On Polyzoa, a New Animal Discovered as an Inhabitant of Some Zoophites, 1830
Zoological Researches, and Illustrations Or Natural History Nondescript Or Imperfectly Known Animals: in a Series of Memoirs, 1830
The Pestilential Cholera Unmasked, and Its Real Nature and Treatment Developed: with More Effectual Means of Prevention, Proofs of Its Contagious Nature, and a Sketch of Its History and Progress. To which is Prefixed an Outline of the Symptoms, and of the Indian Or Ordinary Plan of Treatment, 1832
Discovery of the Metamorphosis in the Second Type of the Cirripedes, Viz. the Lepades: Completing the Natural History of These Singular Animals, and Confirming Their Affinity with the Crustacea, 1835
Memoir on the Star-fish of the Genus Comatula, Demonstrative of the Pentacrinus Europaeus Being the Young of Our Indigenous Species, 1836
Statement of the Case of Jas. Mitchell, Esq., Late Surgeon, on the Civil Establishment of New South Wales, 1838
Figures and Descriptions of Canadian Organic Remains, Decade IV Page 67 "Genus Comatula"'', 1859
Death
In 1835, he was transferred to Sydney, Australia as Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals in New South Wales, a position he held till he retired in 1844. He Died at his home in Sydney, New South Wales on 21 January 1847.
