Charles David Heginbothom son of Dr. and Mrs. Edmund Heginbothom, was born at Bruton, Somerset, 18 April 1874, and died at his home, Walden Lodge, Devizes, 18 June 1950. He was a pupil at King's School, Bruton, where he was contemporary with Mr. E. W. Swanton, from whom he derived his interest in land and freshwater shells. He came to Devizes in December 1892, to join the solicitors’ firm of Messrs. Jackson and Jackson (now Jackson and Awdry), and retired in June 1936; he was appointed a tax commissioner in 1949. He married Elsie McKay, 26 October 1910; she died in 1944. He leaves a son and a daughter, Mr. Denis and Miss Margot Heginbothom.
The following quotation is from the Wiltshire Gazette, 22 June 1950:
“He was a born collector with an outstanding interest in natural history and an extensive knowledge in most of its branches. He made two collections of the land and freshwater shells of Wiltshire, one of which he presented to the Swindon Victoria Museum, the other remaining in his possession [bequeathed to the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, Devizes]. He kept his own records of nearly every wild flower in Britain, and was an acknowledged authority on birds and butterflies and moths.”
“With such interests Mr. Heginbothom became a valued member of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, serving on its committee for some years. It was not only to this body that he was able to give considerable assistance in natural history matters, for when approached by other organizations—nature tests for Girl Guides is a case in point—or by individuals, he was always ready with help and advice.”
"Bellringing was another of Mr. Heginbothom’s life-long interests and this took him throughout the Salisbury diocese and beyond. For 13 years he was chairman of the Devizes branch of the Diocesan Guild of Ringers. For many years he was a member of St. John’s tower, Devizes, being also for long in the choir, and a ringer at St. Mary’s. It was in connection with this work among the ringers, and the services held by them, that he first became licensed as a lay reader. He was then in demand for occasional services in country parishes, preaching regularly at Rowde and at Heddington among other churches, and for 20 years he held the position of a parochial reader with extension to the Archdeaconry of Wilts.”
Heginbothom published two papers in the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine: “Wiltshire Mollusc Collectors” (51, 457–463) and “The Mollusca of Wiltshire” (52, 250–255); he also contributed a list of the shells to Mrs. M. E. Cunnington’s book, Woodhenge (George Simpson and Co., Devizes, 1929). He was elected a member of the Conchological Society in 1943.
Miss Margot Heginbothom and Mr. C. W. Pugh, hon. secretary and librarian of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, have kindly supplied information for this obituary notice.