Dr. English was born in Goderick, Ontario, educated in London, Ontario, and received his medical education at Western University, in London and his M.D. from the University of Toronto in 1886. He followed postgraduate studies in England, returning to London in 1887 to begin the practice of medicine. For some years, he lectured on sanitary sciences at the Western University Medical School and later was Chairman of the Board of Health in London.
In 1908, he accepted the supervision of the Ontario (psychiatric) Hospital in Hamilton, where he remained for 20 years. In 1927, he moved to the Psychiatric Hospital in Brockville, Ontario, and retired from there in 1931. Dr. English was a founder of the Ontario Neuropsychiatric Association (President, 1924). He contributed to the literature. He died while on a trip to England, and his memoriam published in the American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), was written by George H. Stevenson (President, APA, 1940–41).
Dr. English served as President of the American Psychiatric Association (1930–31)). His presidential address was on the subject of the Feeble Minded Problem in which he recommended that the Association express approval for the procedure of sterilization in order to reduce the numbers of the defective population.