# Walter de Gray Birch

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For other people with the same name, see [Walter Birch (disambiguation)](/source/Walter_Birch_(disambiguation)).

Walter de Gray Birch Birch at the Turin Academy of Science in 1900, age 58. Born (1842-01-01)1 January 1842 Died 8 March 1924(1924-03-08) (aged 82) Occupations Curator, Editor, Librarian Academic background Education Charterhouse School Alma mater Trinity College, Cambridge Academic work Discipline History, Philology Sub-discipline Anglo Saxon Studies, Heraldry Institutions British Museum, Department of Western Manuscripts

**Walter de Gray Birch** [FSA](/source/Fellow_of_the_Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London) (1 Jan 1842 – 8 March 1924)[1] was an English historian, editor and author. He is best known for his *[Cartularium Saxonicum](/source/Cartularium_Saxonicum) — A Collection of Charters Relating to Anglo-Saxon History*, which supersedes [John Mitchell Kemble](/source/John_Mitchell_Kemble)'s *Codex Diplomaticus Aevi Saxonici*.

## Early life and education

Walter was born on [New Year's Day](/source/New_Year's_Day) 1842, the son of Dr [Samuel Birch](/source/Samuel_Birch_(Egyptologist)), Keeper of the Department of Oriental Antiquities at the British Museum, and Charlotte F. Gray, sister of [John Edward Gray](/source/John_Edward_Gray).[2] He was educated in [Charterhouse School](/source/Charterhouse_School) and [Trinity College, Cambridge](/source/Trinity_College%2C_Cambridge), and started work as curator of western manuscripts in the British Museum in 1864, age 22,[1][3] transcribing and cataloguing Anglo-Saxon charters.[4]

## Career

Birch was a prolific author whilst in his position as curator of western manuscripts at the [British Museum](/source/British_Museum). He was a [Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries](/source/Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London), Member of the [Royal Academies of Seville](/source/Real_Academia_de_Bellas_Artes_de_Santa_Isabel_de_Hungr%C3%ADa) and [Turin](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accademia_Reale_di_Torino) and honourable member of the [Hispanic Society of America](/source/Hispanic_Society_of_America). He held the positions of Honourable Secretary, Editor, vice-president, and Treasurer for many years of the [British Archaeological Association](/source/British_Archaeological_Association).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

During his tenure at the British Museum he transcribed and published most of the surviving [Anglo Saxon Charters](/source/Anglo-Saxon_charters) as the [Cartularium Saxonicum](/source/Cartularium_Saxonicum) in three volumes between 1885 and 1893, plus an index to named persons in 1899.[5]

In 1902 he left the British Museum to become personal librarian and curator to the [4th Marquess of Bute](/source/John_Crichton-Stuart%2C_4th_Marquess_of_Bute).[1]

## Death

Birch died in [Monte Carlo](/source/Monte_Carlo) on 8 March 1924.[1]

## Notable works

His large output includes:

- John Mitchell Kemble. Walter de Gray Birch (ed.). *The Saxons in England: A History of the English Commonwealth till the Period of the Norman Conquest*. Vol. (2 vols).

- Walter de Gray Birch (1902). *A History of [Neath Abbey](/source/Neath_Abbey)*.

- Walter de Gray Birch. *History of the Scottish Seals*. Vol. (2 vols).

- Walter de Gray Birch. *Domesday Book: A popular account of the Exchequer Manuscript so called*. Vol. (2 vols).

- Birch, Walter de Gray (1885). [*Cartularium saxonicum: a collection of charters relating to Anglo-Saxon history: AD 430-738*](http://archive.org/details/cartulariumsaxo01bircgoog). Vol. 1 Pt.1. London: Whiting.

- Birch, Walter de Gray (1885). [*Cartularium saxonicum: a collection of charters relating to Anglo-Saxon history: AD 741-839*](http://archive.org/details/cartulariumsaxo02bircgoog). Vol. 1 Pt.2. London: Whiting.

- Birch, Walter de Gray (1887). [*Cartularium saxonicum: a collection of charters relating to Anglo-Saxon history: AD 840-928*](http://archive.org/details/cartulariumsaxo04bircgoog). Vol. 2 Pt.1. London: Whiting.

- Birch, Walter de Gray (1887). [*Cartularium saxonicum: a collection of charters relating to Anglo-Saxon history: AD 928-947*](http://archive.org/details/cartulariumsaxo05bircgoog). Vol. 2 Pt.2. London: Whiting.

- Birch, Walter de Gray (1893). [*Cartularium saxonicum: a collection of charters relating to Anglo-Saxon history: AD 948-959*](http://archive.org/details/cartulariumsaxo00bircgoog). Vol. 3. London: Whiting.

- Birch, Walter de Gray (1899). [*Inder Saxonicus: An Index to All the Names of Persons in the Cartularium Saxonicum*](http://archive.org/details/cartulariumsaxon00bircuoft). London: Phillimore & Company.

## See also

- [List of Anglo-Saxon Charters](/source/List_of_Anglo-Saxon_Charters)

- [Peter Sawyer](/source/Peter_Sawyer_(historian))

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_1-3) ["DR. W. de Gray Birch"](https://www.nature.com/articles/113468b0). *Nature*. **113** (2839): 468–468. March 1924. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/113468b0](https://doi.org/10.1038%2F113468b0). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1476-4687](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1476-4687).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Walter De Gray Birch - Celebrating Hampshire's Historians - Hampshire Field Club & Archaeological Society"](https://hantsfieldclub.org.uk/ihr100/profiles-a-b/birch.html). *hantsfieldclub.org.uk*. Retrieved 4 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Birch, Walter de Gray, 1842-1924 (curator) | ArchiveSearch"](https://archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk/agents/people/5991). *archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk*. Retrieved 4 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Cartularium Saxonicum"](https://www.waterstones.com/book/cartularium-saxonicum/walter-de-gray-birch/9781108045094). Waterstones. Retrieved 29 May 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Walter de Gray Birch | Kemble"](https://dk.robinson.cam.ac.uk/node/171). *dk.robinson.cam.ac.uk*. Retrieved 4 January 2026.

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