Thomas Marsham was an English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 entomologist, specializing on beetles.

Biography

He married a Miss Symes of Ufford, Northants, and had two daughters. He was Secretary to the West India Dock Company for many years and during the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

 became an officer in the volunteer corps of the Home Guard in 1802.
He was a founder member of the Linnean Society and its Secretary from 1788-98 and Treasurer from 1798-1816.
He was a friend of James Francis Stephens

James Francis Stephens

James Francis Stephens was an English entomologist.-Biography:Stephens was born in Shoreham-by-Sea and studied at Christ's Hospital.He was employed in the Admiralty office, Somerset House, from 1807 to 1845...

, William Kirby and Alexander Macleay

Alexander Macleay

Hon. Alexander Macleay MLC FLS FRS was a leading member of the Linnean Society and a fellow of the Royal Society.Macleay was born on Ross-shire, Scotland, eldest son of William Macleay, provost of Wick...

 .

Works

• Observations on the Phalaena lubricipeda of Linnaeus and some other moths allied to it' Transactions of the Linnean Society, 1, 1791, pp. 67-75.
• System of Entomology, Hall's Royal Encyclopaedia (1788), reprinted 1796.
• Entomologia Britannica, sistens Insecta Britanniae indigena secundum Linneum deposita. Coleoptera., 1802. A collaborative work listing 1,307 species. Further voloumes on other orders were intended but never published-a common fate of early works. It is Marsham’s magnum opus
  Masterpiece
  Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
  
  .
• 'Observations on the Curculio trifolii Transactions of the Linnean Society 6, 1806, pp. 142-146. (With Markwick and Lehmann);
• Some observations on an insect that destroys the wheat, supposed to be a wireworm Transactions of the Linnean Society, 9, 1808, pp. 160-161.
• Description of Notoclea, a new genus of Coleopterous insects from New Holland Transactions of the Linnean Society, 9, 1808, pp. 283-295.
• Some account of an insect of the genus Buprestis, taken alive out of wood composing a desk, which had been made above twenty years; in a letter to Mr Macleay' Transactions of the Linnean Society, 10, 1811, pp. 399-403.

Collection

Marsham's collection, purchased by James Francis Stephens

James Francis Stephens

James Francis Stephens was an English entomologist.-Biography:Stephens was born in Shoreham-by-Sea and studied at Christ's Hospital.He was employed in the Admiralty office, Somerset House, from 1807 to 1845...

, is in the Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...

along with some manuscripts.