Ivan Donald Margary

Ivan Donald Margary, (1896–1976) was a British historian who became the leading authority on Roman roads in Great Britain. He wrote numerous works on Roman roads of which his most influential and complete was Roman Roads In Britain.

Biography Ivan Donald Margary was born at 21 Kensington Palace Gardens, Knightsbridge , on 23 November 1896. In his youth he lived with his family in Bruton Street, just off Berkeley Square.

He was educated privately and then matriculated into Exeter College, Oxford in 1913 to study chemistry. From 1914 to 1919, he served in the 3rd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment of the British Army during the First World War. He was injured multiple times, including a broken ankle and being shot in the back and neck. at Godstone, Surrey.

Margary's primary gift to the study of Roman roads was the development of a catalogue system known as Margary numbers,

Ivan Donald Margary died at 'Yew Lodge', Felcourt on 18 February 1976 . His will included many generous bequests to charitable organisations, including the Society of Antiquaries.

Honours and awards In 1932, Margary was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. He declined all other nominations for recognition.

Selected works Roman Roads in Britain, Phoenix House, London. Vol. 1 (South, 1955) and Vol.2 (North, 1957)