Thomas Marsham (1748–26 November 1819) was an English

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

, specializing on

beetles Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, Elytron, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, wit ...

Biography

He married a Miss Symes of Ufford, Northants, and had two daughters. He was Secretary to the West India Dock Company for many years and during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

became an officer in the volunteer corps of the

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or military reserve force, reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the America ...

in 1802. He was a founder member of the

Linnean Society The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...

and its Secretary from 1788–98 and Treasurer from 1798-1816. He was a friend of

James Francis Stephens James Francis Stephens (16 September 1792 – 22 December 1852) was an English entomologist and naturalist. He is known for his 12 volume '' Illustrations of British Entomology'' (1846) and the ''Manual of British Beetles'' (1839). Early ...

, William Kirby and

Alexander Macleay Alexander Macleay (also spelt McLeay) MLC FLS FRS (24 June 1767 – 18 July 1848) was a leading member of the Linnean Society, a fellow of the Royal Society and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Life Macleay was born on Ro ...

Works

*Observations on the ''Phalaena lubricipeda'' of Linnaeus and some other moths allied to it' ''Transactions of the Linnean Society'', 1, 1791, pp. 67–75. *System of Entomology, ''Hall's Royal Encyclopaedia '' (1788), reprinted 1796. *''Entomologia Britannica, sistens Insecta Britanniae indigena secundum Linneum deposita. Coleoptera''., 1802. A collaborative work listing 1,307 species. Further voloumes on other orders were intended but never published-a common fate of early works. It is Marsham’s

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

. *'Observations on the ''Curculio trifolii'' ''Transactions of the Linnean Society'' 6, 1806, pp. 142–146. (With Markwick and Lehmann); * Some observations on an insect that destroys the wheat, supposed to be a wireworm ''Transactions of the Linnean Society'', 9, 1808, pp. 160–161. * Description of ''Notoclea'', a new genus of Coleopterous insects from New Holland ''Transactions of the Linnean Society'', 9, 1808, pp. 283–295. * Some account of an insect of the genus ''Buprestis'', taken alive out of wood composing a desk, which had been made above twenty years; in a letter to Mr Macleay' ''Transactions of the Linnean Society'', 10, 1811, pp. 399–403.

Collection

Marsham's collection, purchased by

, is in the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more ...

along with some manuscripts.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsham, Thomas 1748 births 1819 deaths Fellows of the Linnean Society of London British entomologists English coleopterists British lepidopterists