MD Edin 1861; LRCS Edin 1861, FRCS 1891.
Little was born in January 1840 near Lockerbie. He received his medical training at Edinburgh University and qualified at the young age of 19. After qualifying, Little practised in Stourbridge and Durham. In 1863 he was appointed house surgeon and secretary to the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. Little shared lodgings with Daniel John Leech and remained great friends. Little spent some time in general practice and in consulting work in Manchester before succeeding Thomas Windsor on the honorary staff of the Eye Hospital in 1867. He was also chairman of the medical board of the Hospital. In 1878 Little succeeded Windsor as lecturer in ophthalmology at Owens College Manchester, a post he held until 1899. He also succeeded Windsor as ophthalmic surgeon to MRI, a post he held from 1882 to 1900, and was consulting surgeon to Hulme Dispensary. Little published some writings on cataract surgery which were valued by ophthalmic surgeons. Little was elected president of the Ophthalmological Society of Great Britain, the first provincial surgeon to hold the position. He was also president and treasurer of MMS. Little resigned from the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital shortly before his death in Congleton on 27 November 1902.