Biographical dictionary
The Biographical Dictionary of British Coleopterists was compiled by the late Michael Darby. The Dictionary can be accessed below, and see also the additional information provide by Michael:
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| Name | Dates | Biography | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRASER, J.M. | Collections of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera made by him were sold after his death at Stevens on 11-12 July 1887. (MD 12/02) | ||
| FRASER, Michael G. | Son of G de C. Fraser (see above). Dr Uhthoff-Kaufmann writes: ‘Squadron Leader. We first met in 1944, corresponded regularly for some years and collected (together with the late Evelyn Duffy - another friend of mine) in Formby, Lancs., Flintshire and Jodrell Hall, Ches. (where I then lived). Michael Fraser ... was a very dedicated Coleopterist who discovered inter alia, Arhopalus tristis in old pine stumps in the dunes near his home in Formby. He also spent much time searching the timber yards of the Liverpool Docks for foreign Coleoptera and their larvae which he raised in a special heated cage he invented, and especially, Plagionotus arcuatus in numbers, which he liberated when mature in suitable habitats in the hope of re-establishing the species in this country. Besides his important papers on S. scalaris [EMM., 86, 1950, pp.33-36 and 73] quoted in extenso by E.A.J.Duffy in his monumental Opus (1953), he also wrote interesting notes on Ergates and Trinophylum cribratum. I regret to say that I lost touch with him and his wife in the early 1950s’. Cermbycidae collected by Fraser are in the Kauffmann Collection and the General Collection at Manchester. (MD 12/02) | ||
| FRASER, Mr | The NHM purchased more than two hundred beetles from N. Africa from him in the 1840s as follows: 141 from Tunis (1846.103) £50.14; 12 plus other insects from N. Africa (1847.10); 20 plus other insects from Tangier (1847.107) £51.8; and 3 plus other insects from Tunis (1848.23). (MD 12/02) | ||
| FREEMAN, D. | A Doctor. Mentioned by Johnson and Halbert,(1902) p.542. (MD 12/02) | ||
| FREEMAN, Miss C. | Maiden name of Mrs Garneys. She is mentioned in the Ent.Ann., 1865, p.40 and by Morley, C.(1899) pp.81, 85 and iv. (MD 12/02) | ||
| FREKE, P.E. | Mentioned by Johnson and Halbert,(1902) p.542. (MD 12/02) | ||
| FRENCH, Charles | 10 September 1840 - 21 May 1933 | Well known Australian entomologist who was born in Lewisham but emigrated and lived in Melbourne where he was on the staff of the Botanic Garden. According to The Leader (Melbourne), 18 January 1879, French started collecting in 1868 and by 1879 had amassed 8000 native specimens and also foreign material eg. Japanese. (I am grateful to my wife for this reference). His publications were particularly based on insects as pests. He gave 55 Coleoptera from Melbourne to Norwich in 1892 and a further 14 specimens to the NHM in 1910 (1910-297). Gilbert,P.(1977) lists 5 obituaries. (MD 12/02) | |
| FREWIN, G.Leslie | Duff (1993), p.6, notes that Frewin ‘was practically the only active coleopterist in Somerset from 1968-1975... his collection was left to Taunton Museum. Most of Frewin’s microcoleoptera were identified by Colin Johnson... while other material was confirmed by D.K.Kevan. His fine collection, which also contains much European material, is housed at his present home in Chard, where he has lived since 1988. A set of filing cards accompanies the collection... A few additional records originate from a storebox of duplicate and unnamed material examined by the writer.’ (MD 10/03) | ||
| FREWIN, J(G?).L. | b. 1902 | I am grateful to Andrew Duff who has supplied me with a copy of the following note written by Mr Frewin: 'Born 1902 Scotland. 1916 met my mother's cousin J.H.Keys a well known Devonshire Coleopterist. He fired me with enthusiasm and gave me 50 duplicates to start me off. Lived Edinburgh 1907 - 1934, Inverness 1934 - 1962 where I collected in various terrains in Nairn, Elgin, Inverness, Aberdeen, Ross and Cromarty. Met Prof Balfour Browne and D.H.Kevan both of whom gave me much help in naming my specimens. Retired 1962 to Talworth, Chard and moved into Chard 1988. Collected in Somerset and Dorset mostly. Had to give up in 1983 owing to arthritis'. Frewin published three notes in the EMM., ‘Octhebius lenensis Popp. in E. Ross and E. Inverness’ (89, 1953, p.32); ‘Otiorrhynchus porcatus Hbst in Inverness’ (92, 1956, p.146) and ‘Stenus simillimus Berwick in Dorset’ [second British record] (104, 1968, p.134). (MD 12/02) | |
| FRIPP, Henry Edward (d.1892) | 1816-1892 | West country entomologist who published in the period 1869-1879 a number of articles on insect sight and ability to detect sound. An earlier article in Popular Science Review, 5, 1866, pp.314-326 dealt with the light emission by the Glow worm. Gilbert, P.(1977) mentions an obituary notice and bibliography in Proc. Bristol Soc. Nat. Hist., 7, 1892, pp.1-3, which I have not seen. (MD 12/02, 10/03) |