Winterbottom was born near St Hilda's church in South Shields. From 1797, he practised as a doctor in Market Square. He was a noted philanthropist and among his achievements was the founding of the Marine School in South Shields, the first school of its kind in Britain. He wrote of his travels in Africa and described the classic symptom of sleeping sickness - 'Winterbottom's sign'. After 1803 for 56 years Winterbottom never left Canny Shields, except for one day when he had to attend court in Durham.