Edward John Bolus

Edward John Bolus (born 5 May 1879) was a poet and writer, civil servant, and clergyman. He spent his civil service career in India, which appears prominently in his writing.

Life

Early years

Born 5 May 1879 to Harriet S. Bolus and her husband Edward, a schoolmaster in Stoke Newington in London,William Baker, Merchant Taylors' School Register, 1871–1900 (London: Clay, 1907), p. 368 John studied at the Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood,The India List and Office List (London: India Office, 1905), p. 444. and was in 1891 and 1892 elected to a Drapers' Company scholarship by the London School Board."London School Board." The Times, 22 July 1892, p. 14. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018."THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD." Standard, 22 July 1892, p. 3. British Library Newspapers, Accessed 18 June 2018. He attended university “extension lectures" at Hugh Myddelton School in 1894 on "The Government of Great Britain and the Rights and Duties of English Citizens"."University Extension Lectures." Londoner, 15 Mar. 1895, p. 6. Nineteenth Century Collections Online, Accessed 18 June 2018. In June 1898 Bolus gave the Greek oration at the Marchant Taylors' speech day, as well as acting as Cleon in an original-language performance of a scene from The Knights by Aristophanes."Speech Day at Merchant Taylors' School." Standard, 13 June 1898, p. 5. British Library Newspapers, Accessed 18 June 2018.

He was then elected to a Jodrell Scholarship at The Queen's College, Oxford in November 1897University Intelligence', The Times, issue 35369 (24 November 1897), p.11. (and perhaps again in June 1898),"HOSPITAL SUNDAY." Morning Post, 13 June 1898, p. 5. British Library Newspapers, Accessed 18 June 2018. matriculating for a BA in Classics in 1898.John Richard Magrath, The Queen's College, 2 vols (Oxford: Clarendon, 1921), II, 357, 376 In 1900 he took a first class in the Classics Honour Moderations,"University Intelligence." Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, 23 Apr. 1900, p. 10. British Library Newspapers, Accessed 18 June 2018. and in 1902 a second class in the final honour school."University Intelligence." Times, 31 July 1902, p. 8. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018. In 1901–2, he was also secretary and then president of the Queens College Eglesfield Debating Society.College Correspondence', The Oxford Magazine, 20.3 (30 October 1901), 46–48 (p. 47).College Correspondence', The Oxford Magazine, 20.8 (4 December 1901), 133–35 (p. 134)

Civil servant

In 1902–3 Bolus took the civil service examination,"Civil Service Of India." Times, 17 Oct. 1903, p. 14. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018 and on 14 November 1903 arrived in India, where he served in Bombay and in due course Pune as assistant collector and magistrate. By 1905 he was a second assistant in Land Revenue and General Administration,The India List and Office List (London: India Office, 1905), p. 95. and by 1 October 1915 an assistant collector, based in Pune.Oral Evidence of Witnesses Examined by the Committee Appointed by the Government of Bombay to Consider and Report on the Question of the Extension of the Principles of Local Self-Government in Regard to Local Boards: Volume II. Bombay Presidency (Bombay: British India Press, 1916), p. 95. dspace.gipe.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/10973/3700/3/GIPE-059446.pdf. He was mobilised in 1914, and his highest acting rank was Capt. 26th (Sind) Bn. of the Indian Defence Force.

While in India, Bolus sustained his Classical interests and was an active member of the (apparently short-lived) Bombay Branch of the Classical Association, "which owed its existence mainly to the enthusiasm of a learned Jesuit, Father Ailinger".Samuel Townsend Sheppard, Bombay (Bombay: Times of India Press, 1932), p. 158. On 6 April 1911 he gave a lecture to the Branch on "Plato as a Literary Artist".Classical Association Proceedings, 9 (January 1912), pp. 134, 200. It was no doubt his activities here that gave rise to his 1920 publication Bombaia, a long description of Bombay in Latin verse. He also appears to have been active in the Royal Asiatic Society: he appears in 1908 proposing one of several motions on the Bombay branch of the Society's journal subscriptions, arguing that "the Daily News be discontinued" and "that if it is necessary to include a Liberal Paper, the Chronicle be taken".Proceedings of the Bombay Branch, Royal Asiatic Society, and a List of Presents to the Library, Journal Of The Royal Asiatic Society, 23 (1908), i–xxiii (p. x).

Clergyman

Around 1926 Bolus left the Civil Service, trained as a priest at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and in that year was ordained a deacon in the Church of England by the Bishop of London, being posted to St Matthew's, Bayswater."Ecclesiastical News." Times, 4 Oct. 1926, p. 19. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018.Lewis Sydney Steward O'Malley, The Indian Civil Service, 1601–1930 (London: Murray, 1931), p. 284. By 1930 he was priest to Pamber and Monk Sherborne (which were in the gift of The Queen's College and were merged in that year),Crockford's Clerical Directory (1930), p. 125 [s.v. Bolus, Edward John, Hants & Berks Gazette, 18 October 1930] and in 1931 he graduated as a Bachelor of Divinity from the college."University News." Times, 16 Feb. 1931, p. 9. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018. In 1932, he became a non-resident member of the Royal Asiatic Society.Notes of the Quarter, The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 3 (July, 1933), 718–721, 728–765 (p. 719). He was an active amateur golfer during 1936–39, at least,"The Cheshire Amateur Championship." Times, 6 July 1936, p. 7. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018."The French Amateur Championship." Times, 21 July 1936, p. 5. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018."Match At Bramshot." Times, 1 June 1937, p. 8. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018.FROM OUR BOXING CORRESPONDENT. "Boxing." Times, 11 Oct. 1937, p. 7. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018.From Our Golf Correspondent. "Golf." Times, 17 May 1938, p. 8. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018.From Our Golf Correspondent. "Golf." Times, 20 May 1939, p. 4. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018FROM OUR GOLF CORRESPONDENT. "Golf." Times, 25 Sept. 1936, p. 5. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018. and in the same period he was active in attending dinners and parties for groups such as the Oxford Society,"Oxford Society's Growth." Times, 8 July 1938, p. 11. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018. his college,"Court Circular." Times, 10 Dec. 1930, p. 17. The Times Digital ArchiveAccessed 18 June 2018. the Civil Service,"Court Circular." Times, 3 June 1939, p. 15. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018]. and the Royal Asiatic Society."Receptions." Times, 16 Oct. 1936, p. 19. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018.

He remained the resident curate at Pamber Heath into the 1940s. In 1943, he was posted from being rector of Monk Sherborne to being rector of Weyhill.>"Ecclesiastical News." The Times, 31 July 1943, p. 7. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018. In 1947, he became vicar of Horton-cum-Studley, in Oxfordshire, returning him to near his old college,"Ecclesiastical News." The Times, 7 June 1947, p. 6. The Times Digital Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018. and promptly formed a village cricket club, becoming its chairman.Tim Hallchurch, A History of Horton cum Studley (Horton cum Studley: Oxford Consultants, 2003), p. 227. He held the post until his retirement in 1952, also chairing the Parish Council from 1950 to 1952.Tim Hallchurch, A History of Horton cum Studley (Horton cum Studley: Oxford Consultants, 2003), pp. 144, 227, 294.]

On 2 May 1949, he married Vivien Helen MacDiarmid, widow of Hugh MacDiarmid."Births." Daily Telegraph, 4 May 1949, p. 6. The Telegraph Historical Archive, Accessed 18 June 2018.

Retirement

In 1952, Bolus retired to Umtali, Rhodesia, appearing in the Royal Asiatic Society's 1959 list of members as resident at 9 Stevens Avenue, Morningside, Umtali, S. Rhodesia.Fellows and Members, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland: List of Members (London: Royal Asiatic Society, 1959), pp. 6–21 (p. 7); .

Publications

Edward John Bolus, Poems (Bombay: [n. pub.], 1913)Merchant Taylors' School, Merchant Taylors' School (London, England); Merchant's Taylors' Company, 1923 E. J. Bolus, A Sehwan Reverie (Sehwan: Civil and Military Gazette Press, 1918) Eduardus Ioannes Bolus, Bombaia (Bombay: Pearson, 1920) John Bolus, Shires and Spires (London: Richards, 1921)Shires and spires. According to the review in The Spectator, "Mr. Bolus has considerable metrical power and does not lack a sense of humour"Anon., "Poems Worthy of Consideration", The Spectator, 24 December 1921, p. 25 E. J. Bolus, The Influence of Islam (London: Williams, Temple Bar Pub. Co. Ltd, 1932) [characterised by Arthur Stanley Tritton with the comment "this book will only annoy a Muslim and is not accurate enough for a Christian"].Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 65 (1933), pp. 130–31, doi:10.1017/S0035869X00072531.

References