Thomas de Grey, 6th Baron Walsingham (July 29, 1843 – December 3, 1919) was an English politician and amateur entomologist.
Walsingham was the son of Thomas de Grey, 5th Baron Walsingham, and was born on Stanhope Street in Mayfair, the family's London house. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.[1] He sat as Conservative Member of Parliament for West Norfolk from 1865 until 1870, when he succeeded to the title and estates of his father, and entered the House of Lords. From 1874 to 1875 he served as a Lord-in-Waiting (government whip) in the second Conservative government of Benjamin Disraeli. From 1870 on he also ran the family's estate at Merton, Norfolk, served as trustee of the British Museum and performed many other public functions.
Walsingham was a keen lepidopterist, collecting butterflies and moths from a young age, and being particularly interested in microlepidoptera.[2] His collection was one of the most important ever made, which after his purchase of the Zeller, Hofmann and Christoph collections contained over 260,000 specimens. He donated it to the Natural History Museum, along with his library of 2,600 books.
Walsingham was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1887, and was a member of the Entomological Society of London, serving as President on two occasions. He married three times, but left no heir, and was succeeded as Baron by his half-brother.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by George William Pierrepont Bentinck John Brampton Gurdon |
Member of Parliament for West Norfolk 1865 –1870 With: Sir William Bagge |
Succeeded by Sir William Bagge George William Pierrepont Bentinck |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Wrottesley |
Lord-in-Waiting 1874–1875 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Jersey |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by Thomas de Grey |
Baron Walsingham | Succeeded by John Augustus de Grey |