One of the most familiar faces in Bourne was that of John Smith, well known firstly as head of an old established grocery firm and secondly as a long serving councillor and twice mayor, in 1978-79 and again in 1996-97.

He had a life long interest in politics and first became a member of the old Bourne Urban District Council in 1973 and the following year he was elected as a founder member of the newly constituted Bourne Town Council. In 1995, he was elected to South Kesteven District Council where he has served as chairman of the planning committee and since modernisation, he has been part of the executive, first holding the cabinet portfolio for economic development and later for healthy environment.

John Annible Smith was born at Croylands, 8 Mill Drove, Bourne, on the 27th July 1938, to John Charles Smith and his wife Hannah (née Annible) whose maiden name he was given. John senior was a grocer with a shop in North Street and Hannah came from a family of bakers at Crowland, Lincolnshire, and had formerly worked as secretary to one of the directors of Wherry and Sons in Bourne.

John junior began his education at a preparatory school run by Miss Tyler in North Road followed by the Abbey Road Primary School and then Bourne Grammar School and after attaining his A levels in the sixth form, he was called up for two years of National Service which he completed with the Royal Air Force at West Kirby, Hereford and Hendon.

On demobilisation, he returned to the family business but was soon acquiring more knowledge by attending the Beeches College at Bournville set up by the Cadbury confectionery company for training in the grocery trade and later with the firm of W & A Gilbey Ltd in London where he became versed in wines and spirits. He also completed various other courses organised by the Grocers' Institute (later to become the Institute for Grocery Distribution) and after passing the required examinations he was elected as a Master Member of the Institute of Grocery Distribution.

John was the fourth generation of the Smith family to work in the grocery business which had been established in 1857. His great grandfather, also John Smith, came from a farming background at Claypole, near Newark on Trent, and was set up in business by his father at the shop in North Street, Bourne. He married Elizabeth Peasgood from a well known local family on Christmas Day at Market Deeping in 1857 by special dispensation. The shop then passed to his son, Charles Aquila Smith, then to John's father, John Charles Smith, before John took over from him.

During this period the shop developed into a high class grocers and delicatessen with many specialist items and wines and spirits. John retired at the end of 1998 and the shop has now been converted into a public house but appropriately known as Smith's of Bourne.

In 1970, John married Judith Rose who he met at the local branch of the Young Conservative Association. They had one son, David, who decided to pursue his interest in IT and after graduating from Queen Mary and Westfield College at London University, works for Glaxo Smith Kline UK. He is married to Helen and they have two children.

John always took a great interest in the local community, participating in sports clubs, voluntary and other organisations having been a past chairman of the former Rutland and Stamford Constituency Young Conservative Association, chairman of Bourne Round Table (1986-87) and chairman of Bourne United Charities, a governor of Bourne Abbey Church of England Primary Academy and Bourne Grammar School and member of Bourne Twinning Association. He was also a life long worshipper at the Abbey Church where he became server and cross bearer and later a member of the local ministry team and the parochial church council.

John was immensely proud of the town of Bourne and its past history. "I also have a passionate desire for its future prosperity and that of all its citizens", he said. "I am therefore most anxious to do all I can to ensure that it becomes an even better place in which to live."

He died at his home in Gladstone Street, Bourne, on Wednesday 8th April 2015, aged 76, following a long illness and his wife later paid tribute to his work in a statement to The Local newspaper. “John was a greatly cherished husband, father and father-in-law,” she said. “His home and his family were so important to him. He was very much a part of the Bourne community and worked very hard on behalf of the town and the council.”

A spokesman for Bourne Town Council said that John was renowned for his absolute integrity and his transparent conscientiousness and added: "He could be relied upon to offer a considered and practical view on issues that arose, delivered in his mild-mannered but determined style, without exception setting to reflect on the very best interests of the town he loved. His passing will be a very great loss to Bourne and its council and his intelligence, patience and ability to see beyond the superficiality of an issue will be sadly missed.”

A packed congregation which included representatives from all of the various organisations with which he had been associated attended a memorial service at the Abbey Church on Monday 20th April which was followed by cremation at Peterborough.

REVISED MAY 2015

See also

Judy Smith     Hannah Smith     John Smith of Bourne

First citizens since 1894