Born at Tanfield Lea, Durham, the eldest son of George Bold, a tradesman. Received his early education at the village school. Following his parents removal to Newbottle he attended the Kepier Grammar School at Houghton-le-Spring, where he remained until his parents moved again to Long Benton. He then went to a school in Newcastle where he subsequently joined the business of Thomas Pattinson, a grocer and seedsman. He stayed with Pattinson until 1867 when the onset of partial paralysis, which affected him for the last seven years of his life, prevented him from taking further part in active labour. Bold died at his residence at Long Benton, following an attack of bronchitis.
As a school boy Bold was of studious habits, and devoted much of his time to reading. Ornithology in particular fascinated him and he contributed a number of articles on this subject to Zool. Entomology, however, eventually took over from this interest. Joseph Wright, writing his obituary in Natural History Transactions of Northumberland, Durham, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 8, 1883, 1-14, noted that ‘like most beginners, he started with Lepidoptera but soon turned to the Coleoptera, which henceforth became his special study. He also gave much attention to the Hymenoptera and Hemiptera ... on his entering the service of Mr Pattinson he came to lodge in Newcastle, visiting his parents at Long Benton regularly at each weekend; and sometimes also in the long summer evenings walking out to see them. In these visits he always kept his favourite pursuits before him, and in his walks ... always added something fresh to his collections. These visits to home were always pleasant, for his brothers George and Edwin, though they did not devote themselves to the study of Natural History, yet in their rambles in the neighbourhood, they never forgot him, and on his visits home there was always some fresh insect for him, or some new locality for those already known... The banks of the Tyne, the Teams, and the Derwent, and their neighbourhood afforded him a grand hunting ground. The Ouse Burn was also a favourite spot with him ... on holiday times ... the lake at Gosforth, and Prestwick Car became the scene of his visits. He also... explored the sea coast both northward and southward ... His summer holidays were usually spent with Mr John Addison of Banks House, Lanercost, and made admirable use -of these opportunities in exploring the at that time almost unknown entomology of the banks of the Irthing, in the neighbourhood of Lanercost, Naworth and Gilsland.’
In 1843 Bold joined the Wallis Society founded by James Hardy, another Coleopterist, with whom he became very friendly, Wright noting that 'they contrived to meet once or twice a week, and to compare and examine their captures'. It was this information which subsequently led to their joint publication of the Catalogue of the Insects of Northumberland and Durham, 1846-52. Other friends were Thomas Pigg, also an entomologist, and John Hancock whom he 'occasionally accompanied on his visits to the sea coast'. On the formation of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club both Bold and Hardy became members, and Bold ‘entered into the work of the Club with characteristic energy’. In particular he was active on the Entomological Committee. He was also a Hon. Member of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle.
Although Bold published more than seventy articles, etc., on Coleoptera, the Catalogue was undoubtedly his best known work. Wright records a conversation with James Hardy about their working methods in compiling it: ‘the contributions to the Catalogue were pretty equally shared between us.’ Bold apparently provided most of the literary references and ‘with respect to the gathering of the material we seldom interfered with each other’s collecting ground, and I believe never but once worked together in company when we visited Prestwick Car’. Bold apparently confined himself to the southern areas and Hardy took the northern ones. Following the onset of Bold’s paralysis and his inability to get out, he published a revision of the Catalogue which increased its size by almost one third, and was entirely his own work.
Bold’s collection is now in the Hancock Museum, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where it has been amalgamated with those of T.F. Marriner and Gardner in three cabinets and some fifteen store boxes. Although many of the specimens are without documentation, David Sheppard, to whom I am grateful for information about Bold, informs me that most of the Bold specimens can be distinguished. His Journal, to which there are various references by Wright, and some letters, are in the Library of the Northumbrian Natural History Society, of which Bold was at one time Hon. Entomological Curator.
Apart from the obituary by Wright (which includes a complete bibliography) there is another in Ent.mon.Mag., 11, 1874, 20-21. (MD 10/01)