 Alexander Macleay (1767-1848), public servant and entomologist, was born at Wick, a fishing village in Ross-shire, Scotland.He moved to London in 1786, marrying Elizabeth Barclay there in 1791.Macleay, who was employed in the civil service (1795-1825) was well known in British and European natural history circles, having amassed by 1805 one of the most significant insect collections in Britain.