He took his degree at Aberdeen University, and migrated thence to London, studying at Highbury College for the Congregational ministry.
The name is commonly applied to the southern part of the borough, which, however, includes the districts of Holloway in the north, Highbury in the east, part of Kingsland in the south-east, and Barnsbury and Canonbury in the south-central portion.
The borough has only some 40 acres of public grounds, the principal of which is Highbury Fields.
Among its institutions are the Great Northern Central Hospital, Holloway, the London Fever Hospital, the Northern Polytechnic, and the London School of Divinity, St John's Hall,;,Highbury.
His hobby for orchid-growing at his house "Highbury" near Birmingham also became famous.