The Forbes Witherby's
Henry Forbes Witherby 1836-1907
Built Holmehurst, Burley circa 1903 – now The White Buck Inn (from 1964). Died 1907 leaving £32,239 11s 9d (about £3.5 million today) to his wife and two sons.
His widow Emily (1838-1915) lived there until her death in 1915. The 1911 Census shows Emily living at Holmehurst with three servants, including a cook and butler.
The family publishing firm Witherby & Co, London was established by Thomas Witherby (Henry's Great Grandfather) in 1740 specialising in law and commercial stationery. They began publishing ornithological works at the start of the 20th century.
Article on the history of Witherby and Company Limited.
Retired to Burley from the family publishing business in 1899 to focus on his interest in painting.
Page 18 Hardcastle: Black and white photo of 1906 oil painting by Forbes Witherby of John King in his Burley cottage.
Page 18 Hardcastle: Black and white photo of 1906 oil painting by Forbes Witherby of John King in his Burley cottage.
A watercolour by Henry Forbes Witherby was auctioned by Ewbank's of Woking in 2019:-
Both Henry and Emily are buried at St John the Baptist Church, Burley:
Harry Forbes Witherby MBE 1873-1943 Obituary in Nature Magazine 1st Jan 1944
Second son of Henry and Emily Forbes Witherby. With his younger brother George they formed a subsidiary HF and G Witherby specialising in books on British ornithology.
Noted ornithologist, author and publisher, and founding editor in 1907 of the magazine British Birds, which is still published monthly:
britishbirds.co.uk
Worked in the family publishing business until retiring in 1936, and returning after the war.
In 1894 (aged 21) published Forest Birds. Their Haunts and Habits, a number of descriptions being from the New Forest.
Digital archive version of Forest Birds: https://archive.org/details/forestbirdstheir00with/page/n9/mode/2up
In 1894 (aged 21) published Forest Birds. Their Haunts and Habits, a number of descriptions being from the New Forest.
Digital archive version of Forest Birds: https://archive.org/details/forestbirdstheir00with/page/n9/mode/2up
Major work was the five volume The Handbook of British Birds (1938-1941)
Donated his extensive collection of stuffed birds to the British Museum and the collection is now at the Natural History Museum in Tring.
Witherby's lark from Somalia (Alaemon hamertoni) was named for him, in 1905, but is now more commonly known as the lesser hoopoe-lark. Two other bird sub-species have been named after him - the endangered Eastern Iberian Emberiza schoeniclus witherbyi (common reed bunting) and Erithacus rubecula witherbyi (European Robin).
Donated his extensive collection of stuffed birds to the British Museum and the collection is now at the Natural History Museum in Tring.
Witherby's lark from Somalia (Alaemon hamertoni) was named for him, in 1905, but is now more commonly known as the lesser hoopoe-lark. Two other bird sub-species have been named after him - the endangered Eastern Iberian Emberiza schoeniclus witherbyi (common reed bunting) and Erithacus rubecula witherbyi (European Robin).
George Witherby 1878-1958
(see above).
He and his wife Florence (22/12/1892 - 22/3/1964) are buried in an adjacent grave to his parents at St John the Baptist Church, Burley.
He and his wife Florence (22/12/1892 - 22/3/1964) are buried in an adjacent grave to his parents at St John the Baptist Church, Burley.