Bourne, Henry

Henry Bourne. Life dates: c.1857-1936. ‘odd job man’, handyman. Active at WHMM: c.1908-c.1936 [earliest/latest noted in sources]

work at WHMM:

Carried out ‘odd jobs’, accompanied visitors around the museum. Bid at auction sales (according to Britchford, Symons 26-27.) Worked in library at [Willesden), 1929 (see WA/HMM/LI/Rep/4, image 3)

From oral history of Mary Cathcart Borer, Symons 1987, p12:

There weren’t many visitors to the museum in those days… For day after day the place was quite empty of anyone but staff. Those who did come were mostly extremely interesting, many of them bringing material from their travels abroad which they knew would interest Sir Henry. … In between times, life could be very quiet and uneventful. In the Hall of Statuary, behind the front hall, were displayed some extremely comfortable dental chairs, and I remember that old Bourne, one of the general odd-job men who would go round with visitors turning the lights on and off, used to have his afternoon nap in one of them: his snores echoed alarmingly through the empty museum.

WHMM archive materials:

• WAHMM/RP/Jst/B/24. Report of 29 April 1936 (image 249). Johnston Saint reporting to HSW on Mr Bourne's death.

You will be sorry to hear that Mr. Bourne died quite suddenly and peacefully yesterday, at 6.50pm. He had been away for some time with bronchial trouble complicated by cardiac weakness and right up to the end appeared to be making good progress. He was in his 79th year and had had 28 years service with you here. I shall be attending the funeral and will send a wreath on your behalf.

sources:

• Symons 1987, 12.

Tags: museum staff; practical staff; library staff