Gilbert White's House and the Oates Collection
(vero;2025-Jan-30)
Gilbert White was born in Selborne (Hampshire) in 1720, studied the arts at Oriel College in Oxford and became a fully ordained curate in 1749, taking up curacies in Hampshire and Wiltshire. He returned to Selborne after the death of his father in 1758 and lived there until his death in 1793 at the age of 72. He was a renowned naturalist, observing live birds and animals in their own habitats and became famous for his book "The natural history and antiquities of Selborne", a compilation of letters written to fellow naturalists Thomas Pennant and Daines Barrington, published in 1789. It is believed to be the 4th most-published book in the English language after the Bible, the works of Shakespeare and Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress and has never been out of print. Click on this link to view, read or download the book from the Internet Archive Website.
Better still, the museum has also put the whole handwritten manuscript with edits and alterations by Gilbert White on their website: click here to view, read or download this little gem.
When the house came up for sale in the 1950's, it was decided to transform it in a museum. A trust was set up and funded by Robert Washington Oates, a book collector and fan of natural history under the condition that the museum would not only commemorate Gilbert White but also Frank and Lawrence Oates, two fine specimens of the Victorian Era (click on their names below to access pages dedicated to each them).
- Frank Oates (1840-1875), uncle of Lawrence, was a naturalist, ornithologist and explorer and travelled (among other places) across South Africa to the Victoria Falls. He died aged 35 of a fever on the return trip from the Falls.
- Lawrence Oates (1880-1912), nephew of Frank, was a British Army Officer turned polar explorer on the Terra Nova Expedition led by Captain Scott (1911-1913). He died aged 32 on the way back from the South Pole.
The museum opened in 1955; click here for schedule and access information. Admission price for an adult was 19.50£ when we visited in January 2025. The ticket covers both the house and the Oates collection and is an annual pass, so we will surely revisit in the spring or summer to enjoy the gardens.
Go back to Hinton Ampner, go on to Frank Oates and Lawrence Oates or go up to Hampshire
$ updated from: Basingstoke and Around.htxt Mon 03 Mar 2025 16:11:13 trvl2 — Copyright © 2025 Vero and Thomas Lauer unless otherwise stated | All rights reserved $