Eric W Classey, J.P., F.R.E.S. :: 1916 - 2008
Memory no.25
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Entomologist's Record
121 (2009) |
Obituary by Gerry Haggett |
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I first met Eric in October 1949, on a joint
expedition to the Isle of Wight in search of Sedina
buettneri. The nights were cold and mothing was hard
work, but to me, aged 19, it was a great adventure, memorably
enlivened by Eric's bubbling personality. Next year, I
was invited to join the same party on a trip to the Burren,
hoping to confirm the presence there of Calamia tridens,
then known as Leuceria virens, a specimen of which had
been taken by chance the previous year. The rain came
down in sheets, but again Eric was irrepresible, there were
fits of uncontrollable laughter, and we found virens
and much else. Shortly afterwards, I visited Eric at his
home in Feltham and saw his beautiful collection, immaculately
set, and upon which I tried to model my own setting.
Eric William Classey was bron on 2 November 1916 at Queens Park, London and educated, to the age of 14 at Essendene Road School in the same district. He was already keenly interested in Natural History, and after leaving school he worked for a time as a biological assistant at St Mary's Hospital Medical School. Soon after he became a setter at the British Museum (Natural History), and remained closely associated with the BM for the rest of his life. During World War II he worked on mosquitoes at the Entomological Laboratory at Mytchett in Surrey, and in his spare time he made himself familiar with the clearwings, Sesiiday. of the neighbourhood. After the War, he worked at Watkins and Doncaster at their shop in the Strand, like a spider at the centre of a web to which all serious entomologists were drawn. From this modest start there sprung a career and a personality that can only be described as extraordinary, and the man with whom his multitude of friends will always remember. The first issue of Entomologist's Gazette appeared on 1 January 1950, founded and edited by E.W. Classey and R.L.E. Ford. It combined a mixture of erudition and lightheartedness typified by a series called, "It happened at ...". This journal has flourised ever since, but the humour has been put aside. At about the same time, Eric set up his own business, E.W. Classey Ltd., ably assisted by his wife, Ivy, dealing in second-hand books, mostly on Entomology. Somehow, he managed to make a comfortable living while providing a real service to entomologists. his generosity in this respect was remarkable: he knew what his clients needed, made every effort to satisfy the need and, most remarkable of all, would tell his more impecunious clients, myself included, "I know you will want this book. It costs £100, but pay me when you can". He also gave away many of his own books. The business soon acquired a world-wide reputation. He used to collect postage stamps off his correspondence, and a few years ago he discovered that my wife, Jane, was interested in stamps. He subsequently sent her box after box for her to select from. |
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