benefited. Two of the earlier societies—the Entomological Club and the Entomological Society of
London (later the Royal Entomological Society)—were of particular significance to the history of
Essex entomology. The eminent Quaker naturalist Edward Newman played a key role in both
societies. The Entomological Club was founded in 1826 and established the Entomological
Magazine, with Newman as its first editor in 1832. By 1836 the Club possessed reference collections
and a library. Newman was also instrumental in the founding, in 1833, of the Entomological
Society of London, and was one of its presidents.
The Doubledays
Amongst Newman's closest friends and collaborators were two Essex entomologists (and fellow
Quakers) Edward and Henry Doubleday. The Doubleday brothers were born and spent their early
years together at Epping, where their parents ran a hardware and grocery business. Robert Mays.
Henry's biographer, tells us of the wide-ranging interests and delight in the natural history of
Epping Forest and its vicinity which were shared by the brothers. Henry remained in Epping,
taking over the family business when their father died in 1847. Edward, the younger brother, had by
then left home, spending some two years in the U.S.A. collecting specimens for the British
Museum. He subsequently held a post in the Museum, working mainly on Lepidoptera until his
early death at the age of 38 in 1849.
In Volume I of the Entomological Magazine (1832-2) Newman's regular 'Entomological Notes'
include some discussion of the classification of the dragonflies ('Libellulites') and are notable for
his view that Dr. Leach's genus Libellula (then a very large and heterogeneous grouping) would
eventually resolve into three genera, and for his listing of the species of one of these genera.
Sympetrum, which bears his name to this day (Newman, 1832-3). Newman also ventured to
question Vander Linden as to the status of a type of dragonfly taken by 'my friends' H. and E.
Doubleday at Epping. This was the variety praenubila of Libellula quadrimaculata. Newman
mistakenly regarded it as a separate species.
Volume III of the Entomological Magazine contains the first significant local list of Essex
Odonata. This is contained in a letter from Edward Doubleday (E. Doubleday, 1835), dated May
21st, 1835. In the letter, Doubleday describes a locality to the east of Epping adjoining the woods
(including Ongar Park Woods) owned by Capel Cure of Blake-hall. Here there is a small portion of
forest, with 'many open boggy places' and vast numbers of gravel pits. Doubleday's list includes the
following dragonflies: Anax formosa(= Anax imperator), Aeshna teretiuscula (= Brachytron pratense),
Gomphus vulgatissimus. Cordulia aenea. Libellula quadrimaculata, and Agrion rubellum (= Ceriagrion
tenellum). Doubleday also lists Libellula praenubila as a separate species, carefully expounding his
reasons for considering it such. C. tenellum is an acid-bog species, for which there are no 20th
century Essex records, so that it is noteworthy that Doubleday reports it as occurring 'in profusion'.
B. pratense and C. aenea are also now extremely scarce in Essex, so that Doubleday's reference, with
respect to the latter species, to the hundreds which swarmed over these pits' makes depressing
reading for the present-day naturalist. Unfortunately. Doubleday gives us no further details about
the status of G. vulgatissimus whose presence near Epping even in those days is somewhat
surprising.
The Entomological Magazine was soon discontinued, to be replaced, also under Newman's
editorship, by the Entomologist, which first appeared in 1840. This magazine, too, was very short-
lived, but did carry two reports on Essex dragonflies. The first of these was a report by Edward
Doubleday (E. Doubleday, 1841) on the capture by one Marsh of a 'single specimen of the rare
dragonfly Sympetrum rubicundum'. on 1st June, 1841. This is probably the species now known as
Leucorrhinia dubia, yet another species of acid bog dragonfly not recorded in Essex in the 20th
century. This is followed by a note from Henry Doubleday dated September 16th. 1841 (H.
Doubleday, 1841), in which he discerns 'something strange' in the sudden appearance and
disappearances of certain Sympetrum species. S. flaveolatum (= S. flaveolum) and S. basale
(probably = S. sanguineum) appeared in profusion some five years previously, but since then either
disappeared altogether (the former species) or became scarce (the latter). The appearance of S.
rubicundum (presumably the same one referred to by Edward, though the date is now given as May)
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