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Charles Terry and The Historic Guide to Bath |
About the book
Terry's list appears as an Appendix in The Historic Guide to Bath by Rev. G. N. Wright, published by R. E. Peach, Bath, in 1864. This seems to be a very scarce book now so we have reproduced the original list here for you to view: Terry's 1864 List. This was digitised from a copy in the library of Mark Yeates. We assume that any copyright on this work has expired and it is now in the public domain.
In the preface to this book, the Rev. Wright states:
The Publisher has been enabled, through the courtesy of the literary gentlemen, whose names accompany their respective contributions, to enrich the "Historic Guide" by the addition of Four interesting essays, which will be found in the Appendix; they are:-
- The Geology of the neighbourhood of Bath, by Charles Moore Esq., F.G.S.
- A Synopsis of the Roman Remains which have been found in Bath by the Rev. H. M. Scarth M.A.
- A Sketch of the Flora of Bath, by the Rev. Leonard Jenyns, M.A., F.L.S.
- The Zoology of the Neighbourhood of Bath, by Charles Terry, Esq., M.R.C.S.
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Terry is in good company here. Moore (1814-1881) was a highly respected geologist and palaeontologist and his fossil collection, now in the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, contains many Types. Jenyns (later Bloomfield, 1800-1893) was a lifelong friend of Charles Darwin and actually declined the offer to go on the Beagle - suggesting it should be offered to him.
The book is obviously intended for the visiting public and has a raft of local adverts at the back. |
Charles Terry (c1825-?)
What little we know of Charles Terry is summarised here. He was born about 1825 in Bath. After being awarded MRCS (Member of the Royal College of Surgeons) in 1849 and LSA (Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries) in 1850 he practiced medicine at Bath. About 1860 he was Resident Medical Officer to the Bath Minster Water Hospital and lived at 18 Alfred St. He was still at Alfred St. in 1871 where he lived with two servants. He remained unmarried, at least until the 1891 census (when he was 66). He was living at 6 Gay St., Bath in 1881 and at Tore Hill Grove, Bath in 1891. The date and place of his death are unknown.
His introduction to the list is quoted below (from Ref. 1 pages 415-6):
By CHARLES TERRY, Esq., M.R.C.S.IN compiling the following brief sketch of the Zoology of Bath, the writer has limited himself to a radius of little more than six miles from the city. But this small space, consisting of open down, old quarry grounds, hill sides, dotted with plantations and underwood, and luxuriant well-timbered valley, watered by innumerable streams, and intersected for nearly its whole length by the river Avon, is the favourite habitat of birds and insects. The spot is well worth a visit from the naturalist, who may here enrich his collection by some rare specimens; want of space has compelled the writer to confine his account of insects to that of one tribe, the Lepidoptera, which more generally engages the attention of collectors from the beauty and variety of its members, and for whose use there is appended to each specimen the name of the month in which the perfect insect makes its appearance.
The list also includes sections on birds and mammals, with the bird accounts being acknowledged as provided by Mr. Sainsbury, of Sydney Buildings.
References:
- Wright, Rev. G. N., 1864, The Historic Guide to Bath, Bath.
- Librarian of the Royal College of Surgeons (personal communication quoting from an '1860 Medical Directory'). No other information on file at the RCS.
- Census Returns, 1871, 1881 and 1891, Public Records Office. Note that Terry wasn't found (with certainty) on the 1851, 1861 or 1901 Returns.
- Jenyns (Bloomfield), L., 1887, Chapters in My Life, Published privately, pp54-56.
Mark Yeates, Last Revised (minor style changes) 07th May 2006
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