Gilbert White

Gilbert White was born in 1720 in the village of Selborne, Hampshire, in his grandfather's vicarage, and spent most of his life there. He studied at Oriel College, Oxford, where he became a fellow, and was ordained in the Church of England. He served as a curate in several parishes, including Selborne itself for many years, but never became its vicar. At his family home, The Wakes, he kept a garden and a careful diary of the weather, plants, birds and animals around him. For years he corresponded with two naturalists, Thomas Pennant and Daines Barrington, describing what he observed, and these letters became The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789). The book records observations such as the habits of swifts, swallows and earthworms, and it distinguished three similar species of leaf warbler by their songs. Written in clear and charming prose, it has never been out of print and helped inspire generations of amateur naturalists. He also kept a pet tortoise named Timothy, whose habits he recorded. He died at Selborne in 1793.

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Faith: An Anglican clergyman who served as curate of Selborne. Source: Wikipedia