Background
Nickalls was born in Chicago around 1836 as a British subject, the son of Patteson Nickalls (1798–1869) and Arabella née Chalk (1799–1893) and brother of Tom Nickalls.
Nickalls was born in Chicago around 1836 as a British subject, the son of Patteson Nickalls (1798–1869) and Arabella née Chalk (1799–1893) and brother of Tom Nickalls.
He became a stockbroker in London. At the 1885 United Kingdom general election he stood unsuccessfully for parliament as a Liberal at Sevenoaks. He was knighted at Osborne House on 11 August 1893.
At the 1900 United Kingdom general election he stood unsuccessfully for parliament as a Liberal at Dartford.
In 1901 he addressed a pro-Boer meeting at Maidstone which was broken up by his opponents, and which caused unpopularity for Nickalls at the Stock Exchange. Nickalls married Florence Womersley (1847–1896) in London in 1867.
The sons were all leading polo players who were educated at Rugby School and New College, Oxford and played polo for Oxford University. Nickalls lived at Chislehurst and died in 1910 at the age of 73.