Probably born in Manchester and perhaps related to the above. Mentioned by Sharpe (1908). Published 'Occurence of Pissodes notatus near Manchester' in Ent.mon.Mag., 7, 1870, 80-81; and 'Captures of Coleoptera in the Manchester district during the past winter', ibid, 8 1872, 289.

A collection of c.1000 beetles in 13 store boxes was accessioned by the Manchester Museum in 1986, 1989. Johnson (2004), 8, records that many of the insects were mouldy and almost all without data, and that a single representative pin of better specimens was retained for historical reasons. He also notes that the word ‘Rye’ written on the back of many of the mounts indicated that these specimens were either checked or collected by E.C. Rye. (MD 12/01, 11/09)

Sold a collection of exotic Coleoptera, and British and exotic Lepidoptera at Stevens's auction rooms on 2 June 1897 (Chalmers-Hunt (1976), 133. (MD 12/01)

Born at Whiteparish in Wiltshire one of six children of Harriet Emma and Henry Britten. After living briefly in Scotland, the family moved to Cumberland where Harry started his career as a kennel boy. Later, after a time spent working on the railways, he became head keeper on a large estate.

It was in Cumberland that he first became interested in entomology, particularly Lepidoptera, but it was not long before he took up other orders including Coleoptera, Hemiptera and Arachnida. In the Coleoptera he was well-known for his work on the Ptiliidae and other small species. In 1913 he joined the staff of the HDO under Professor Poulton, where he spent five years in the company of J. Collins and A.H. Hamm, amongst others. He then joined the firm of Flatters and Garnett for a short period before moving, in 1919, to the Manchester Museum as Assistant Keeper of Entomology to T.A. Coward, the acting Keeper, a post which he held until his retirement in 1937.

Described by one of his many admirers as a 'big kindly man obviously meant for the moors and open spaces', it was as a collector and practical museum worker, rather than as a writer, that Britten made his reputation. Amongst the papers which he did publish, his revision of Ptenidium, with E.A. Newbery (Ent.mon.Mag., 46, 1910,178-183); his account of the Ptiliidae of the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Seychelles (Trans.Linn.Soc.Zool., 19, 1926, 87-92) and his paper on Choleva (Ent.mon.Mag., 54, 1918, 30); and many short notes in the Lancashire Naturalist, the Lancashire and Cheshire Naturalist, and the North Western Naturalist, the last including a list of the Coleoptera of the Isle of Man (1943-46), are perhaps the best known. He also wrote, in conjunction with his friend H. Hayhurst, a book Insect Pests of Stored Products, 1940.

Apart from the huge amount of material that Britten amassed in his official capacity at the Manchester Museum, he also accumulated a personal collection of British insects in 100 storeboxes. He took these with him on his retirement, but they returned to the Museum in 1951 on his death. Johnson (2004) records that this collection consisted of 20,000 specimens (many dissected and sexed) including five types (Choleva glauca, C. jeanneli, Ptiliolum subvariolosum, Bibloplectus academicus Pearce, B. Intermedius Pearce) together with extensive notebooks, diaries, record cards, lists and publications. Other specimens collected by Britten which I have seen are in the Liverpool and Doncaster Museums. Smith (1986), 105, lists 12 Ptiliidae from the Seychelles in the HDO and other non Coleoptera in the HDO.

Pedersen (2002),125, records correspondence with C.J.Wainwright dated 1923-1947 in the RES.

To the five obituaries listed by Gilbert (1977) may be added that by L.W. Grensted in Ent.mon.Mag.,90, 1954, 72.

Britten was a supporter of many natural history societies including the Manchester Microscopical Society, of which he was President; the Manchester Entomological Society, of which he held various offices including President; the North Western Naturalist's Union; the North Eastern Naturalist's Union; and the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society. In 1952 he was awarded an honorary M.Sc. by the Manchester University.   FRES (special Life Fellow), FLS. (MD 12/01, 11/09)