Petheram was born in 1835 in Lympsham, Somerset,1911 England Census the son of William Petheram of Pinhoe. In 1862 he was qualified as Special Pleader and passed from Middle Temple in 1869. He joined service as Chief Judge of the Chief Court of North-Western Provinces in India. Petheram first served as Chief justice of Allahabad High Court in 1884 to 1886 then became the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court on 24 March 1886 after Sir Richard Garth and retired in November 1896. In 1887-90 he was also the Vice Chancellor of the Calcutta University. In 1864, he wrote a book named The law and practice relating to discovery by interrogatories under the Common law procedure act, 1854.
