Charles Oldham

Who was Charles Oldham?

Charles Oldham was born in 1868, the son of a Manchester merchant. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and followed a career with the Commercial Union Insurance Company first in Manchester and later in London until retirement in 1927.

He spent his spare time on his passion for natural history and was a well-regarded field naturalist. Throughout his life he contributed notes and articles to journals and he was co-author of The Birds of Cheshire and A Practical Handbook of British Birds. At various times he was vice-president of the Linnean Society, the Ray Society, the British Ornithologists' Union, the British Ecological Society and the Malacological Society. He was secretary of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society and its president from 1920 to 1922. He also served on the council of the Conchological Society, the British Ornithologists’ Club and the Freshwater Biological Association.

He was the first person to show evidence that Black-necked Grebes breed in Britain.

He co-wrote articles and books on ornithology with Thomas Coward, a former schoolmate.

He died in Berkhamsted age 73.