Revd. Arthur Bold was born in Liverpool, 1772. In 1802, he obtained a M.A. at Christ Church college. Oxford. The following year he was given the living of the Parish of Stoke Poges by Lord Francis Godolphin Osborne of Baylis house, Stoke Poges (Bold’s Patron). Shortly after moving to Stoke Poges, he moved to a new vicarage a little futher away from St Giles’ church which had been designed by James Wyatt for John Penn of Stoke Park. Penn had not liked the view from his mansion house of the old vicarage near the church.
C21 known as Elegy House, Park Road, Stoke Poges
Revd Bold is remembered in Stoke Poges for two acts for the poor. He opposed John Penn of Stoke Park, the Lord of the Manor when it came to the issue of enclosure of land. He and the 25 year old Richard Howard-Vyse of Stoke Place, Stoke Poges, secured 200 acres for the poor compensation for the enclosure. The second act was leaving £50 for the education of children in the Parish.
Revd Bold owned the land which is now the site of the Village Centre. The former Council owned Bold’s Court for poor pensioners in Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges was named after him. He died whilst the vicar in 1931 at the age of 58, leaving a widow. The following year the Patron’s son, The Hon. Sidney Godolphin Osborne became the curate and the year after became the vicar (the grandfather of the 12th & last Duke of Leeds).