MEMOIR OE ROBERT WIGHAM. 
299 
Robert Wigham was born on the 6th January, 1785, at "\\ hitley 
Head, in the parish of Tanfield, in the county of Durham. As 
the adjoining parish is Wickham, it seems probable that his 
surname was of local origin, and was formerly spelled in that 
way. When quite a young man he removed to Norwich, where 
he was soon established in business as a tobacco manufacturer. 
Entomology was at first his favourite study ; and his mother, who 
then resided in Newcastle, being in needy circumstances, he would 
often dispose of his good captures that he might contribute to her 
comfort; but he soon studied botany also, and furnished the list 
of plants and insects for ‘Stacy’s History of the County of Norfolk,’ 
published in 1829. The editor of that work speaks of him as 
“an indefatigable, scientific, practical botanist and entomologist. ’ 
In 1831, and probably earlier, he was corresponding with 
Sir William Hooker; and Sir Joseph Hooker has kindly sent me 
copies of two letters which are in his possession. We may gather 
from these letters that he was assiduous and careful in collecting 
facts, and glad to communicate them to his correspondents. 
NOBWICH 15th Aug at. 1831. 
Dear Sir 
I received your pamphlet for which I thank you and send you 
specimens of 11. snhaudum. I yesterday spent the day at Seething with 
Mrs. Holt and found another habitat for the plant on the road near 
Framingham. 1 enclose a specimen and a few seeds of La/hym* aphaca. 
The Axpidium cristatum I expect to be able to send you soon. I have 
been introduced to the Revd. Mr. Francis through whose interest I shall be 
able to procure it. 1 have not done much in botany this year as I am now- 
in business for myself and have been moving my situation from St. Stephen's 
to the Old Haymarket No. 10, which has kept me very busy for some time. 
Please give my very best respects to your father, he will be very pleased to 
know I am doing very well in business having been now about a year 
engaged in it 
Yours respectfully 
If WIGHAM 
I shall be glad to send you anything you want at any time and hope you 
will not hesitate to name your desiderata. 
The next letter is of much later date, and is concerned chiefly 
with Phallus iosmos, a fungus which Curtis had mentioned in 
‘ British Entomology ’ as growing in abundance on the sand-hills 
near Lowestoft, in the middle of October, and which he found to 
