Miller Christy ‎

“ Doubleday was never married. He was throughout life a quaker. Among scientific men at large he cannot hold a high place; but, as a lepidopterist simply, he was, in the words of his friend Newman, ‘without exception the first this country has produced.’ He died on 29 June 1875, and was buried in the ground adjoining the Friends' meeting-house at Epping. His collections of British and European lepidoptera have probably never been excelled in their richness and variety. ”

“ In 1830 he made the acquaintance of George Stephenson, and afterwards took a prominent part in promoting the Leicester and Swannington railway. In 1836 he gave important evidence before a select committee of the House of Commons on agricultural distress. He was member of parliament for the borough of Leicester from 1848 until 1852, when he retired. From 1849 to 1858 he was chairman of the Midland railway. Throughout life he was a liberal in politics. He came of an old quaker family, still well known around Leicester, of which borough he was an alderman. ”

“ During the remainder of his life he continued frequently to contribute observations on the habits of mammals, birds, and insects to the various scientific magazines of the day. The ‘Entomologist’ and the ‘Zoologist,’ both conducted by his intimate friend Edward Newman [q. v.] ”