Lionel became a student at a later age than the average student, at Guy's Hospital, London, qualifying M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. in 1897. He then held appointments at the Royal Isle of Wight Hospital and at the Leicester Infirmary, and later proceeded to South Africa, where he was for a time a civil surgeon to the Field Forces. He was invalided in 1901 after a severe attack of typhoid fever. On the outbreak of the Great War he was reaccepted for service despite being much over the age limit at the time, and in view of his previous experiences. He gained a commission in the R.A.M.C. and entered the war in France on 28th August 1914. He served with No 4 Clearing Hospital. Eventually pleuritic effusion caused him to be relegated to home service and the remainder of his life, until three months before he died, was spent as registrar at the Military Hospital, Devon. Lionel died of acute tuberculosis in Bournemouth. He was the sixth son of Judge James and Mrs Stephen of Lincoln; and he husband of A Stephen of 2 Queen Anne's Gardens, Bournemouth.