Church graveyards were becoming overcrowded by the mid-19th century. Interments took place on top of one another in many places, sometimes two and three times, and the Burial Act of 1855 was passed by Parliament sanctioning burials outside churchyards and so the cemeteries we know today came into being while the Cremation Act of 1902 was passed to regulate the burial of ashes.

The word cemetery comes from the Greek koimeterion, meaning a dormitory or place to sleep, while the Persians called their cemeteries "the Cities of the Silent". The name was originally given to the underground burial places of the Romans who generally placed their tombs alongside public roads. In early times, Christians held their religious ceremonies in cemeteries and this started the practice of consecrating the ground to be used for the dead. The burial ground in most parishes is the churchyard unless closed to further interments and so alternative land is made available. In Bourne, where there was a similar situation, burials in the churchyard of the Abbey Church ended in 1855 with the opening of the town cemetery in South Road. 

The brick wall from 1854 (left) and one of the stone boundary markers (right).

The newly-formed Bourne Burial Board purchased four acres of land in South Road in 1854 for £420 from Sir Philip Duncombe Pauncefort Duncombe. However, a condition of sale was that the board would erect "a good and substantial stone wall" round the three sides of the cemetery which were contiguous to other land owned by Sir Philip, "such wall to be of the height of five feet above the level of the ground, and of a strength in proportion thereto, to the satisfaction of the said Sir Philip Duncombe Pauncefort Duncombe, his heirs and assigns". This wall was sturdily built of red brick and still stands today. There were also two chapels, one for the established church and a second for other denominations in the town. A clerk was appointed at a salary of 15s. a week and a ground keeper who was paid £2 10s. a week. Messrs William Emmitt and Henry Torkington were appointed auditors to the Burial Board at a salary of one guinea each per annum.

The cemetery was opened in 1855 and stone markers bearing that date were erected around the boundaries of the site. The consecration was originally planned for March that year but was deferred because a fence had not been erected on the eastern boundary, but this work was eventually completed and the ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Lincoln on Saturday 26th May, as reported by the Stamford Mercury the following Friday:

The Order in Council for the closing of the several burial grounds in Bourn comes into operation today [1st June 1855] and that portion of the new cemetery allotted to the interment of persons in connection with the Established Church was consecrated by the Bishop of Lincoln on Saturday last. His Lordship arrived shortly after 2 o'clock at the residence of the Rev J Dodsworth (the chairman of the Burial Board) and at three, attended divine service at the church, conducted by the Vicar. The registrar read the petition of the Burial Board for the act of consecration to which the Bishop gave his consent. The Psalms specially appointed for the occasion were the 39th and the 90th, and the lessons were taken from Genesis 23, and 1 Thes. 4th c. from the 13th verse, all being applicable to the termination of the span of human life, and the provision of a burial place for the dead. At the close of the service, the Bishop was conveyed in a carriage to the cemetery, wither the clergy, the churchwardens and the Burial Board had preceded him. After a short consultation in the lodge between the Bishop and the Board, his Lordship and the escort perambulated the boundary of the ground (reading the 49th and 115th Psalms), and thence to the episcopal chapel. His Lordship having taken his seat, the chairman of the Burial Board presented the instrument of donation, and the sentence of consecration having been read, the Bishop signed it and ordered it to be registered. These formalities concluded, his Lordship read an exhortation and four appropriate prayers, which were succeeded by part of the 39th Psalm, led by the church choir, and the service was terminated by the Bishop dismissing the congregation with the blessing. There was a very large attendance, including most of the neighbouring clergy and all the dissenting ministers of the town, and the site and buildings underwent the criticism of the spectators. The entrance gates are not yet finished and some other matters are in the course of completion. The sunk fence wall, on the east of the cemetery, for which the consecration had been deferred, is a great improvement. The chapels are somewhat similar to those at Stamford and are nearly alike in the interior; they are floored with Minton, Staffordshire, tiles, and have stained deal roofs but the impact or string-course under the plate of the roof is plain in the dissenters' chapel while that in the episcopal chapel is inscribed in illuminated letters with the sentences: "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord" &c; "O death where is thy sting?"; "Oh grave where is thy victory?"; "I know that my redeemer liveth." &c.

In 1904, the cemetery was extended up to 5½ acres and in 1999 when land for further burial plots was exhausted, a further two acres were added beyond the brick wall and this is known today as the new cemetery. 

By the end of the century, there were around 70 burials at the cemetery each year although this number was beginning to decline because people were living longer, mainly due to improved health and living conditions. The Stamford Mercury reported on Friday 28th January 1898 that in the previous four weeks, there  had been seven interments, the youngest being 73 years of age and the oldest 85, and so the average age was 80½ years. The report added: "Since the cemetery was opened in 1855, the average yearly burials has been 73. From 1855 to 1877, the average number of burials was 76. For the past 20 years, the average annual interments has been 69, although during the same period, the population has considerably increased. There were 53 interments in 1897."

Ornamental iron railings in black and gold have been added to the low stone wall fronting the road but the chapel building for pre-burial services is no longer used for its original purpose. Fashions have changed. Whereas funerals often took place at the cemetery when the chapels were frequently in demand, they are now held in church or crematorium, and so they fell into disuse. Both are now closed to the public although one is used as an office for the cemetery supervisor and since the summer of 2001, a suitable place to stack the Christmas lights, while the other is used as a store for his machinery, lawnmowers and other equipment. There was also a stone built lodge at the entrance but this was demolished around 1960 and a modern bungalow built on the site for the cemetery supervisor.

Without continual attention, it was inevitable that the chapel building would deteriorate and the subsequent damage affecting the structure includes dampness in the walls and a weakening of the stonework and a structural survey undertaken in September 2004 revealed the cost of repairs to be £80,000. The building is now in such a dangerous state that public access is barred due to falling masonry and official visitors who are allowed in may only do so wearing protective clothing because the building has been declared a hard hat area.

The remains of 10,000 people are now buried in the cemetery which is administered by Bourne Town Council and is open every day from sunrise to sunset. The majority of the great and the good from the town and surrounding area who have since died are buried here and the graveyard contains an interesting mix of headstones and memorials, the early ones in stone and slate while black, white, red and grey marble and polished granite predominate for later burials. There is also a rose garden and a garden of remembrance for those who were cremated together with a large number of memorial seats, rose bushes, trees and shrubs marked with dedication plaques while the paths that crisscross the grounds are lined with well trimmed holly and yew trees and an occasional conifer with laurels around the boundary. 

The new section of the cemetery opened in 1999 

A Garden of Remembrance for the fallen was also opened near to the entrance in November 1976 when the vicar, Canon John Warwick conducted a short service. The Mayor, Councillor Ray Cliffe planted the first cross and the cemetery keeper, John Bushell, laid a wreath on behalf of Ancien Combatant, the French equivalent of the Royal British Legion. The ceremony has been observed on Remembrance Day every year since in memory of those who fell during the two world wars and subsequent conflicts

One of the oldest families to be buried in the cemetery is William Mays (1794-1889) and his descendants and whose line ended with the motor racing pioneer Raymond Mays (1899-1980) who did not marry. Four headstones stand together to remember this business dynasty through three generations but Raymond, the most famous of them all, is not with them. He was cremated after his death in 1980 and his ashes were not preserved. 

Among the graves that can be found here are those of property owner John Lely Ostler (1811-1859), one of the town's Victorian benefactors in whose honour the Ostler memorial fountain was erected in the market place a year after his death but has since been moved into the cemetery because it was causing traffic problems, and the two men responsible for the town's aerated water industry during the 19th century, Robert Mason Mills (1819-1904) and his son-in-law Thomas Moore Baxter (1854-1920), lying side by side with their respective wives, united in death as they were in their business life. Nearby is the grave of a prominent member of a local 19th century family of land owners John Hurn Dove who died in 1860 at the age of 71 while in the adjoining plot are his two sisters Sarah, aged 69, and Harriett, aged 71, who died within four days of each other six years later. 

The graves of the Mays family (left) and of Sir Maurice Heath (right) whose remains 
are buried with the Gibsons and their daughter.

A more recent burial is the ashes of Air Marshal Sir Maurice Heath KB E, CB, CV O, (1909-1998), former Chief of Staff, Allied Air Forces, Central Europe. He had also distinguished himself in the late 1950s after his appointment as chief of British Forces in the Arabian peninsular, a new command directly responsible to Whitehall when he was involved in the aftermath of the Iraqi revolution and the murder of the country's young King Faisal. Heath had been born in London and married Mary Gibson, daughter of local corn merchant Richard Boaler Gibson and his wife Frances, in 1938 after meeting her at a dance at RAF Wittering. Lady Heath died in July 1988 and is also buried in the grave in Bourne cemetery as are her parents. 

A survey of the graves in the cemetery was carried out by the Bourne branch of the Lincolnshire Family History Society and the results published in 1997 provide an interesting insight into those who are buried here.

The wording on many of the stone memorials, especially those from the 19th century, has been eroded by wind and weather but a local record of those who are buried here is kept in the cemetery office while a more detailed compilation exists at the offices of the Town Council and on computer at the county records office in Lincoln. A photograph from 1900 shows their pristine condition when none of them were then more than 50 years old (see box below) and so today, we are able to compare what they were like when first erected. Another example was uncovered in October 2002 after a burial in the older part of the cemetery. A headstone on an adjoining plot had toppled many years before and was lying on its face and this detracted from the appearance of the new grave and so relatives asked if it could be restored to give the spot a more respectable appearance. It was a hard task because these old stone memorials are extremely heavy but cemetery staff managed to lift it and place it back in its original position but they made a startling discovery when the front was revealed because it looked as good as new.

The memorial had been made in 1889 by Atton and Sons, stonemasons of Station Street, Spalding, for a local man who had died that year. However, there may have been a fault in the stone because in the subsequent years, it cracked near the base and toppled over, leaving the engraved side face down on the earth. This probably occurred fifty years ago, perhaps even longer, because the back of the memorial that has been exposed to the elements, is now eroded and covered with lichen but the front when lifted was as sharp and as clear as the day it had been carved. The inscription reads: "In affectionate remembrance of Eliza, the beloved wife of John Collins, who fell asleep December 23rd 1889 in her 52nd year. Peace perfect peace. Also of John Collins, husband of the above, who passed away January 6th 1908 in his 75th year. At rest."

Imagine what it would be like for social historians and descendants researching their family trees if they were able to read every tombstone with such clarity! Stone is now rarely used for memorials and black marble has become the favoured material because it does seem to be more durable. They look good and are easy to read and it is to be hoped that they will survive the years much better than their stone predecessors. 

Cemetery supervisor Peter Ellis (left) and his groundsman David Flear
with the two prize winning plaques.

Maintenance work in recent years has been of a particularly high standard under the current supervisor Peter Ellis and in the summer of 2002 his work was rewarded when the cemetery was judged to be one of the best in Britain. It was named for the Cemetery of the Year Awards, a nation-wide competition sponsored by the Confederation of Burial Authorities and judged during the year with several secret visits by appointed officials. They were looking for recent improvements and ongoing work that would enhance the appearance of the site and meet the wishes of the local community and the Bourne cemetery was voted top in the country in the 12 acres and under category. The judges said in their adjudication: "This is everyone's ideal of a cemetery with a picture postcard entrance consisting of a lodge, a lavender and rose bed, chapel and entrance drive, and surrounded by old headstones and yew trees. There is also a great deal of excellent topiary on yews and other trees which give added interest to the area."

Peter Ellis and Councillor Mrs Shirley Cliffe, chairman of the town council's amenities committee which is responsible for cemetery administration, were in Scarborough on Monday 16th September to hear the announcement and to collect two engraved and gilt-lettered plaques that will be erected on a plinth at the entrance to the grounds.

The work of enhancing the cemetery continues and trees are to be planted in the new section that was opened in 1999. Lincolnshire County Council has contributed 30 yew and holly trees to line the main path which will be planted during the coming months.

REVISED JANUARY 2005

See also     A sad discovery at the cemetery

The cemetery headstone survey      John Lely Ostler