Timothy Bourne
Mayor of Oxford 1696/7 and 1707/8
Timothy Bourne (or Boarne or Bourn) (1652–1732), was the son of W. Bourne, a gentleman of Wendlebury.
Bourne was an Oxford saddler, and New College leases show that he lived at the south corner of Sewy’s (now Shoe) Lane.
Timothy Bourne married Martha Wilcox in 1675, and they had the following four daughters:
- Martha (baptised at St Martin’s Church on 27 August 1676)
- Elizabeth (baptised at St Martin’s Church on 13 January 1677/8)
- Mary (baptised at St Martin’s Church on 12 April 1685)
- Katherine (baptised at St Martin’s Church on 20 September 1696, and recorded as having been born the previous day).
According to the inscription on his tomb, he and Martha also had a son, and one more daughter.
Bourne was appointed Constable for the North West ward in September 1680 and came on to the Common Council on 1 October 1683. The Mayor, William Walker, asked if Bourne could have a Bailiff’s place; this was agreed, and Bourne was able to take his place immediately, having already served as head constable.
Bourne was elected Senior Bailiff in 1692. On 11 February 1696 he was elected to a vacant place as one of the Mayor’s eight assistants, and the following September he was elected Mayor for the first time, appointing Richard Hedges as his Child.
In 1696 Bourne paid tax on nine windows on his home in Shoe Lane in St Martin’s parish and on 20 windows in St Aldate’s.
In 1701 Bourne was appointed barge commissioner, and in September 1707 he was elected Mayor a second time, appointing John Fulks, a tailor, as his Child.
In 1720 he was appointed a Justice of Peace for the City.
Bourne and his wife were living at Rewley in St Thomas’s parish at the time of his death. He died on 2 December 1732 at the age of 80, after serving nearly 50 years on the council, and was buried at St Thomas’s Church on 5 December 1732. His widow, Martha Bourne, died on 20 January 1736/7 at the age 84 and was buried with him on 22 January 1736/7. His grave in the churchyard (to the right of the entrance porch) has a crest, and the following inscription:
Timothy Bourne of Rewley in this Parish, Gent, son of W. Bourne of Wendlebury in this county, Gent, who married Martha, the Daughter of Mr. John Wilcox of this City, with whom he lived 57 years, by whom he had issue one son and six daughters. He was twice Mayor, and in the Commission of the Peace for many years, died Dec 2, 1732, aged 80: Martha his wife — Jan 20, 1736, aged 84.
See also:
- MS. Wills Oxon W. 210.149; 117/3/22