The town fire brigade in 1900

There was a fire brigade in Bourne as early as 1815, administered by local fire insurance companies who owned a manual water pump, but its services were confined to those who paid insurance premiums. Legislation in 1874 required the parish to provide such safety precautions and by the end of the century this responsibility was in the hands of the local authorities, in our case Bourne Urban District Council.
In 1900, the council bought a horse drawn steam pump which was housed under one of the arches at the Town Hall. The appliance was manned by twelve volunteers and capable of delivering two or more jets and firemen proudly posed with it wearing smart new uniforms with brass helmets, leather belts and boots. A pair of grey horses used to haul the fire engine were stabled in the yard of the Bull Inn next door [now the Burghley Arms] and were shared by a local undertakers who used them to pull their hearse.