author
Evelyn Philip Shirley
1812–1882
A Victorian antiquary and genealogist with a deep interest in family history, local tradition, and the past of the British Isles. He also served in Parliament, bringing the eye of a careful researcher to the records and stories he preserved.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in London on 22 January 1812, Evelyn Philip Shirley was a British landowner, politician, antiquary, and genealogist. He was educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, and later inherited Ettington Park in Warwickshire, a family seat closely tied to his sense of history and lineage.
Shirley sat as a Conservative Member of Parliament for County Monaghan from 1841 to 1847 and for South Warwickshire from 1853 to 1865. Alongside public life, he devoted much of his energy to historical and genealogical study, becoming known for work that reflected both scholarly patience and a strong personal interest in ancestry, estates, and local history.
He is especially remembered for books on family descent and antiquarian subjects, including Stemmata Shirleiana. His writing belongs to a 19th-century tradition that tried to gather scattered records into lasting form, making him a useful figure for listeners interested in genealogy, historical memory, and the world of Victorian scholarship.