Born at Southport, Lancashire, Hayward studied architecture at South Kensington but gave it up for painting, and subsequently studied at the Warrington School of Art and under Stanhope FORBES at Newlyn. During WWI he served with Royal Field Artillery, and returned to Newlyn, being addressed as Captain Hayward.

He joined the Committee of the NSA, serving specifically on the Entertainments sub-committee, as his organisation skills were well known. After working at Newlyn and Paul, he moved to St Ives, and established a St Ives School of Painting (c1924) of which he was the named Principal - not the same School of Painting now in existence, begun in the 1930s with Leonard John FULLER in charge.

He worked from Treveneth and Shore Studio (Illus, Tovey, p110), and played an important role in STISA. After 1932 he refused to have anything more to do with that organisation, but continued to play a part in St Ives and Newlyn's artistic life through the formation of an exhibiting set calling themselves the CORNWALL GROUP. The HARVEYS (Harold HARVEY & Gertrude HARVEY), the PROCTERS (Ernest PROCTER & Dod PROCTER), Hugh GRESTY, Alison ROSE and Midge BRUFORD were those who banded together for some years.