Stephen Reynolds was born in Devizes, Wiltshire in 1881. He was educated at Manchester University where he took a degree in chemistry. Reynolds lived for a time in Paris but attempts to become a writer ended in failure and he moved back to England.

Reynolds took an interest in working class life and in 1909 his book, A Poor Man's House was published. A second book, Seems So! A Working-Class View of Politics followed two years later.

Unable to make a full-time living as a writer, Reynolds found work as Inspector of Fisheries for the South West Area.

Stephen Reynolds died in 1919.