THE MAN WHO DESIGNED THE CEMETERY CHAPEL

by REX NEEDLE

One of the major stumbling blocks in writing the history of the cemetery chapel has been in identifying the architect, an important factor in the listing process. This was a long and difficult task because the records of the Bourne Burial Board originally responsible for the building had been lost.

However, research revealed that it was designed by Edward Browning in 1854 after he had drawn up plans for a similar building at Stamford. He was the son of Bryan Browning (1773-1856) who was in practice at Stamford during the 19th century and was responsible for many famous buildings in the area including the Town Hall at Bourne.

Edward Browning (1816-1882) also trained in the profession and became equally successful, working from his father's offices at No 16 Broad Street, Stamford, where he soon gained a reputation as one of the area’s leading ecclesiastic architects, responsible for much renovation work on local churches, including Bourne Abbey, the parish church at Uffington and the small Victorian apsidal chapel at St Andrew's Church, Sempringham. He also designed the stone bridge erected over the River Welland in 1849,the National School in Eastgate in 1857, now demolished, and the Ostler memorial fountain dedicated to local benefactor John Lely Ostler (1811-59), erected in Bourne market place in 1860 but moved to the cemetery in 1962 because of traffic problems.

Several architects were invited to submit plans for the cemetery chapel building and lodge house by the Bourne Burial Board and Browning’s designs were accepted by members at their meeting on Wednesday 15th February 1854, his architect's fee to be 5% of the total cost. The site, almost four acres of meadow on the west side of South Road, had already been purchased from local landowner Philip Duncombe Pauncefort Duncombe for £420 and at a meeting on Thursday 30th March, members agreed to spend £1,600 on establishing the cemetery although it was later realised that a further £400 would be needed to meet the final cost, bringing the total bill to £2,000.

This included the purchase of land, building the chapel and lodge house, fees and enfranchisement, drainage, levelling and roads, legal expenses for the conveyancing of the land and a brick or stone wall required by the vendor, and was equivalent to a penny rate per annum spread over 20 years although some of the cost was expected to be defrayed by voluntary subscriptions from the wealthier people of the town.

After prolonged discussions and argument with members of the Vestry Meeting [predecessor of our local council system], the board agreed that two acres of the land be set aside for consecration and use by the Church of England, including the approaches, gardens, chapel, lodge and frontage, and the remainder to be left unconsecrated for the dissenters or non-conformists and others required to use it. The Vestry Meeting also gave the burial board the necessary sanction to borrow the money required to finance the project from the Public Works Loan Commission at an interest rate of 5% per annum.

Browning's designs were subsequently approved by the Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Rev John Jackson, and the building work was put out to tender, four being received, from Messrs Ruddall and Thompson of Peterborough (£975), Messrs Swann and Bradshaw of Stamford (£940), Mr J T Jeffs of Stamford (£857) and Mr Moses Peal of Stamford (£845), the latter being the successful bid. Mr Peal's tender for building the protecting wall around the cemetery at a cost of 3s. 9d. per superficial yard was also accepted.

Browning originally included a bell tower, some 70 feet high, as he did for the design of the cemetery chapel at Stamford, but it was scrapped to cut costs. But both buildings have the same circular window, a doorway with a pointed arch and a door with decorative hinges although the Stamford chapel has retained its tower.

An understanding of the financial climate of the time is necessary to appreciate the need for such economy. The establishment of a cemetery was forced on parishes throughout England by the Burial Board Act of 1854 which authorised the setting up of public burial boards outside London to cope with the demand for grave space because many churchyards had become full and money for the project had to be paid for by a levy in rates upon parishioners by the burial board.

At its monthly meeting on 7th February 1855, the board appointed a gatekeeper for the cemetery, Charles Christopher, who would live at the lodge rent free but without salary, his only duty being to ensure that the grounds were not damaged by intruders.

Work was finally finished by Saturday 26th May 1855 when the new cemetery was consecrated by the Bishop of Lincoln and the following Friday, 1st June, all other burial grounds in Bourne attached to churches were closed by Act of Parliament and the town cemetery has been in use ever since.

The Bourne Burial Board existed from 1854 until 1899 when its responsibilities were taken over by Bourne Urban District Council but this too ceased to exist on 12th March 1974 when it was swallowed up under a re-organisation of local government by the newly constituted South Kesteven District Council and a mass of its records and paperwork were destroyed, dumped in a skip outside the offices in North Street and carted off to the rubbish tip. The only records of the burial board known to have survived are a ground plan of the cemetery and architect’s sketches of the twin chapel building and the lodge [demolished in 1960], both to be built in stone and Collyweston slate in the Victorian Gothic manner, and are now in the Lincolnshire Archives.

Edward Browning became an Associate of Royal Institute of British Architects, and also had an active role in the community as a respected justice of the peace and Mayor of Stamford from 1862-63. After retiring in 1881, he moved to Upper Tooting, London, with his family where he died on 14th April 1882, aged 65.

His identity as the chapel architect and accompanying information was subsequently passed on to English Heritage as part of the application for spot listing the chapel which was subsequently listed Grade II on 4th April 2007 to prevent the town council from demolishing it, thus paving the way for its restoration, preservation and future use, perhaps in another role.

Reproduced from A PORTRAIT OF BOURNE

© REX NEEDLE 2009

Photos:

1. The cemetery chapel at Stamford showing the similarities with the Bourne chapel - photo by Rex Needle.

2. The Ostler Memorial in the town cemetery, also designed by Edward Browning - photo by Rex Needle.

3. Architect‘s impression of the cemetery chapel and lodge from 1854 - courtesy Lincolnshire Archives.

4. The cemetery chapel in 1900 - archive photo.

5. The cemetery chapel at Bourne - photo by Rex Needle.