HARWOOD, William Henry

Born at Colchester in Essex and educated at the Royal Grammar School there before being apprenticed to Messrs Smith and Shenstone, chemists. After completing his indentures he decided to take up entomology full time and devoted himself mainly to the Lepidoptera. His interest in Coleoptera started in the early 1880s when he also became interested in Hymenoptera-Aculeata, which became his favourite group. Later he took up other orders too, devoting much attention to species of economic importance in particular. He compiled the insect section of the VCH of Essex and published 'Callidium sanguineum L. in Essex' in EMM, 1914, p.119. He married Elizabeth Dixon in 1875 and had four children, two of his sons Philip and Bernard Smith (see above) becoming active entomologists. He died at Sudbury in Suffolk. Harwood’s collection passed to his son Philip (see above). Specimens collected by him in Essex in 1883-1884 are in the Hall collection at Oldham Museum (Information from Simon Hayhow). There are obituaries in EMM, 54, 1918, pp.40-41; Ent. News, 29, 1918, 40; and Proc.SLENHS, 1918-1919, p.37. (MD 3/03)