FORDHAM, William John

Born at Hankow in China where his father, the Rev. John S. Fordham was a Methodist missionary. He was educated at King's College, Pontefract, and at Sheffield University where he trained to be a doctor of medicine, qualifying at the early age of 21. After a period of general practice in Sheffield, Fatfield in Co. Durham, and Bubwith, near Selby, he returned to Sheffield University in 1919 to take a Diploma in Public Health and subsequently took up public health appointments in Sheffield and Gateshead. In 1928 he contracted encephalitis and was obliged to retire from active life. He moved to Barmby Moor, near Pocklington, just on the borders of Allerthorpe Common, where he died fourteen years later aged sixty. Fordham was interested in most insects but his favourite orders were Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera. During his long illness he set himself the task of compiling locality lists for these orders subsequently described by G.B.Walsh as ‘almost certainly the most complete lists ever compiled in Britain’ (EMM., 79, 1943, p.48). The list of Coleoptera served as the basis for the distributional information given by Joy (1932). Fordham's collecting, which was extensive particularly in Yorkshire, and his diagnostic work, were hampered by poor sight, and he relied extensively on a wide range of specialists for determinations. Fordham was recorder of Coleoptera for the Yorkshire Naturalist's Union and published many notes in the Naturalist as a result. This journal also published his list of the Hymenoptera Aculeata of Yorkshire written with Rosse Butterfield. Most of his other published material also concentrated on Yorkshire but he did write ‘Insects in the Swansea area’ in EMM., 62, 1926, pp.38-39, and ‘Silpha subrotunda Steph. in the Isle of Man’ (ibid., 53, 1917, pp.234-235). Fordham also acted as Secretary to the Coleoptera Committee of the Yorkshire Naturalists Union and was first President of the Wallace Entomological Club based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Fordham's collections suffered badly during the War. Peter Skidmore notes (14.8.1978) that the collections which passed to Hull Museum were destroyed at that time, and Ian Wallace tells me that the Fordham collection of Coleoptera at Liverpool (34.91), including material collected 1882-1942, was also bombed. Wallace believes that the collection must have contained a number of syntypes and paratypes. Other insects collected by Fordham still survive at Liverpool, however, as does a folder of his correspondence. Walsh implies that all Fordham's collections passed to Hull. I have also seen specimens bearing Fordham’s name in the general collection at Doncaster Museum. FRES. The account by Walsh already mentioned is the only recorded obituary. (MD 12/02)