Brother of George Robert (see above). Not a Coleopterist in particular but as Assistant (1824-1840) and then Keeper (1840- 1874) of the Zoological Department at the British Museum, he was certainly involved not just with the Coleoptera collections but also with many Coleopterists. Gray was born at Walsall, Staffordshire, and intended to make his career in the medical profession. He was befriended at an early age, however, together with J.O.Westwood, by A.H.Haworth. The two 'students' arranged Haworth's collections of books and insects, and perhaps it was this experience that persuaded Gray to give up the medical profession and join the Museum. During the course of his career at the Museum Gray published more than 700 papers on all aspects of natural history but as far as I can ascertain very few were devoted to entomology and only one mentions Coleoptera 'Cicindela sylvatica occurred here [Esher] as early as 13th April this year' (EMM., 9, 1872, p.11) He achieved a good reputation for the many important accessions made to the collections during his time as Keeper, but his obituaries mention that he was very fond of controversy and that this appears to have made him a difficult colleague. Some of his purchases for the Museum were funded from his own pocket. Gray held prominent positions at one time or another with most of the London societies devoted to natural history studies. Gilbert (1977) lists eight obituaries and other notices. (MD 1/03)
Dates
1800 - 7 March 1875