16 Mar Gilbert White

Gilbert White – naturalist and ornithologist – is most famous for his ground-breaking work The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789). The book is as popular as ever, having been republished more than 300 times. It was a favorite of Charles Darwin and Virginia Woolf, among others.

White was born in 1720 in Selborne, Hampshire (50 miles southwest of London) and lived there most of his life. The family home – a unique national treasure – has been carefully restored and the garden has been recreated along the lines of White’s original design. White died in Selborne in 1793 at the age of 72. His grave and stained-glass memorial windows are to be found in the village church of St Mary’s.