James Bolton (1735 – 7 January 1799) was an English naturalist,

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their genetics, genetic and biochemistry, biochemical properties, their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ethnomycology, their use to humans, including as a so ...

, and

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

Background

James Bolton was born near Warley in the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1735, the son of William Bolton, a

weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainment ...

. James initially followed in his father's trade, but later became a self-taught art teacher and finally a publican in his home village of Warley.Edmondson, J. (1995) New insights into James Bolton of Halifax. ''Mycologist'' 9: 174-178 He married Sarah Blackburn in 1768 and the couple had four children. He and his family lived all their lives in the Halifax area. James and his older brother, Thomas Bolton (1722–1778), were keen naturalists, Thomas having a particular interest in

entomology Entomology () is the science, scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such ...

and ornithology. Edward Donovan named the dragonfly ''

Cordulegaster boltonii The golden-ringed dragonfly (''Cordulegaster boltonii'') is a large, striking dragonfly and the longest British species, the only member of its genus to be found in the United Kingdom. Identification They are easily identified by their distincti ...

'' after a specimen collected by Thomas Bolton. The two brothers contributed to the natural history section in ''The History and Antiquities of the Parish of Halifax in Yorkshire'', published in 1775 by John Watson. James Bolton subsequently developed his interest further by writing or illustrating a number of important natural history books.

Ferns and flowering plants

In 1785, Bolton provided the illustrations for Richard Relhan's ''Flora Cantabrigiensis''. In the same year, he also published the first of his own works, part one of ''Filices Britannicae'', an illustrated account of British ferns in two volumes. James Bolton not only drew the illustrations, but etched them himself. Moreover, he did not merely collate existing information on ferns, but undertook original research and field work. The book includes a description and illustration of a new fern species, now known as ''

Woodsia alpina ''Woodsia alpina'', commonly known as alpine woodsia, is a fern found in northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia.Margaret Bentinck, Duchess of Portland (1715–1785) to illustrate plants in her museum collection. James Bolton's additional illustrations of native and exotic flowering plants were never published. A number of his original watercolours, however, are extant, including ''Fifty Flowers Drawn from Nature at Halifax'' (1785–1787) at the Natural History Museum, an album from 1794 called "Twelve Posies Gathered in the Fields" held at Liverpool Museum, and a collection of botanical paintings in the

Lindley Library The Lindley Library in London is the largest horticultural library in the world. It is within the headquarters of the Royal Horticultural Society, Library The main part of the library is based at 80 Vincent Square, London, within the headquarters ...

at the Royal Horticultural Society. In 1788 the genus '' Boltonia'' ('' Compositae'') was named in his honour by Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle.

Fungi

Bolton's chief interest was in fungi, which he assiduously collected, carried home in his

vasculum A vasculum or a botanical box is a stiff container used by botanists to keep field samples viable for transportation. The main purpose of the vasculum is to transport plants without crushing them and by maintaining a cool, humid environment. C ...

and illustrated. He also corresponded with many of the notable mycologists of his day, including Jean Bulliard, James Dickson,

John Lightfoot John Lightfoot (29 March 1602 – 6 December 1675) was an English churchman, rabbinical scholar, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge. Life He was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of ...

, and Carl Willdenow. The result was the publication of the first English-language work devoted to fungi, Bolton's three-volume ''An History of Fungusses growing about Halifax'', published 1788–1790, with a supplement in 1791. The work was dedicated to Henry Noel, 6th

Earl of Gainsborough Earl of Gainsborough is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation ended in extinction when the sixth Earl died without heirs. However, the title was re ...

(1743–1798), who was one of Bolton's patrons and helped fund the project. As with the earlier book on ferns, Bolton not only undertook the illustrations, but also did the etchings for the work, which were then hand-coloured. Among the species covered, many were newly described, including such familiar fungi as the Wood Woollyfoot '' Gymnopus peronatus'' (Bolton) P. Kumm., the inkcap '' Coprinellus domesticus'' (Bolton) Vilgalys ''et al.'', the Cramp Ball '' Daldinia concentrica'' (Bolton) Ces. & De Not., the bracket '' Daedaleopsis confragosa'' (Bolton) J. Schröt., the agaric ''

Lepiota cristata ''Lepiota cristata'', commonly known as the stinking dapperling or the stinking parasol, is an agaric and possibly poisonous mushroom in the family Agaricaceae. A common and widespread species—one of the most widespread fungi in the genus ''L ...

'' (Bolton) P. Kumm., and the Fairy-Ring Champignon ''

Marasmius oreades ''Marasmius oreades'', also known as the fairy ring mushroom or fairy ring champignon, is a mushroom native to North America and Europe. Its common names can cause some confusion, as many other mushrooms grow in fairy rings, such as the edible ' ...

'' (Bolton) Fr. The book was translated into German, as ''Geschichte der merkwürdigsten Pilze'', and published in four volumes (1795–1820) with notes by Willdenow. An additional album of 233 unpublished paintings of fungi, known as ''Icones fungorum circa Halifax nascentium'', is held in the Special Collections Library of the United States Department of Agriculture. A collection of 36 "fungi illustrations" (c. 1780) is also held at the Natural History Museum and some additional sketches are in the library of the Earl of Derby at Knowsley Hall. Few of Bolton's fungal collections survive, but some of his specimens are in the mycological herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and others in the Edward Robson herbarium at

Sunderland Museum Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is a municipal museum in Sunderland, England. It contains the only known British example of a gliding reptile, the oldest known vertebrate capable of gliding flight. The exhibit was discovered in Eppleton qua ...

Songbirds

Bolton's final published work was ''Harmonia ruralis'', an "essay towards a natural history of British songbirds", issued in two volumes (1794–6). Birds and their nests were drawn from life, whilst the text contained many of Bolton's first-hand observations. The popularity of the subject matter led to two subsequent but posthumous editions in 1830 and 1845.

Works

Bolton, James – Historia fungorum, 1795 – BEIC 6847977

* *''An History of Fungusses, Groving About Halifax'', 4 voll., Huddersfield, 1788-1791. ** ** ** **

James Bolton today

An exhibition devoted to James Bolton and his works was held at the Liverpool Museum in 1995-6 and he was one of the artists featured in the ''Nature Observed'' exhibition at the University of London in 2006. Bolton's fern and fungi books, with their descriptions of new species, remain of scientific value today, whilst his bird studies from ''Harmonia ruralis'' have retained their attraction - and have been reproduced as prints, on table mats and coasters, and even on tea towels.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolton, James English botanists English mycologists English naturalists 1735 births 1799 deaths Botanical illustrators British pteridologists English ornithologists 18th-century English people 18th-century British artists 18th-century British botanists