Bourne in 1900

In the summer of 2000, the Bourne branch of the Lincolnshire Family History Society staged an exhibition at the Corn Exchange to mark the millennium year consisting of photographs, documents, diagrams, maps and charts comparing the town with what it was like 100 years before.

The event entitled Bourne in 1900 was mainly the work of the chairman, the late Martin Frisby-Boor, whose untiring efforts involving research, writing and printing, lasted for some months prior to the opening day. When it was over, the documents were filed away in boxes and after he died in December 2005, deposited with the Civic Society at the Heritage Centre in South Street. The following is a transcript of the introduction to the exhibition which greeted visitors as they entered:

LINCOLNSHIRE FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY
BOURNE BRANCH
Registered Charity No. 1000724

PRESENTS
BOURNE 1900

An exhibition illustrating Bourne and its people 100 years ago


If we could visit Bourne at the beginning of the twentieth century and then return to compare it with our own time we would be doubly surprised. First by the changes wrought in the last hundred years and then by how much still survives.

The population was only about 40% of its size at present. None of the modern housing estates existed, Bourne's expansion being marked by such buildings as the recently completed terraces of Woodview and the villas along West Road.

Yet the centre of Bourne would still be totally recognisable. Railway lines criss-crossed the town, separating off the Eastgate area which had an existence almost independent of Bourne itself.

No motor cars existed but horse-drawn traffic, bicycles and hand carts were plentiful, especially when, twice a week, country came to town bringing produce for trade in the market.

There was no electricity supply but there was gas lighting for the streets and coal for the fires.

There were no telephones but there was the telegraph and the telegram era was at its height.

There were virtually no foreign holidays but there were day trips, by rail, to Skegness and other east coast seaside resorts.

And most children left school and started work at the age of 12.

Perhaps surprisingly, considering the smaller population, there were many more local traders than today. In the 1900 trade directory we find that Bourne had 15 inns, pubs and a temperance hotel, a dozen or so bakers, 10 butchers, 20 grocers and general stores as well as finding room for three chimney sweeps, a watercress grower, a taxidermist and an umbrella repair man.

Employment was largely agricultural together with such allied industries as corn milling and merchandising, malting and brewing and the manufacture and repair of agricultural implements. Further employment was provided by the railway, the gas and water companies, brick and tile manufactures, coach and carriage building and the production and supply of mineral waters.

It is this Bourne, just beyond living memory, its people, where they were and what they were doing as the nineteenth century became the twentieth that will be illustrated in the exhibition.

In the Bourne of 100 years ago:

Where did the people live?
How did they earn their living?
What did they do in their spare time?
How and where were their children educated?
How and where did they travel?
Who protected them?
Where did they worship?
Some of the answers to these and more questions will be found in this
exhibition.

Great events, including a major war, were happening in the world. How did Bourne and its people respond to these events?

Some of the international, national and local events of the year 1900 will be featured as well as some of the more trivial and amusing events.

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