Robert Croft Bourne (15 July 1888 – 7 August 1938) was a British rower who competed in the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, be ...

, and a

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1924 to 1938.

Biography

Bourne was born at Bodington, London, the son

Gilbert Charles Bourne Gilbert Charles Bourne FRS (5 July 1861 – 9 March 1933) also known as 'Beja' Bourne, was a British zoologist. Bourne was admitted as an undergraduate of New College, Oxford, before becoming a Fellow of Merton College, Oxford and Linacre Pro ...

who had rowed in the winning Oxford crews in the Boat Race of 1882 and 1883. As a child, Bourne lost the sight of one eye in a game of rounders at school. He was educated at Eton College where he won the School Sculling in 1906, and then at

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

. At Oxford, he stroked the winning Oxford boats in the Boat Race in 1909, 1910, 1911 and 1912, being president in the last two years. He also won the University Sculls in 1910 and the University Fours in 1911 and went head of the river in 1911–12. He was the strokeman of the New College

eight 8 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 8 or eight may also refer to: Years * AD 8, the eighth year of the AD era * 8 BC, the eighth year before the AD era Art *The Eight (Ashcan School), a group of twentieth century painters associated with the As ...

which won the silver medal for Great Britain rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics. He was a member of the winning crew in the

Stewards' Challenge Cup The Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine t ...

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thre ...

in 1912, 1913 and 1914. Bourne became a barrister. In the First World War, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Herefordshire Regiment. He had one hand crippled and a lung seriously injured at Suvla Bay in the Dardanelles in August 1915. As he had only one good eye, he was moved from active service to the Claims Commission. In 1920 he became J.P. for Herefordshire and in 1921 a member of the city council. Bourne was elected Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford at a by-election in June 1924, and served as a Deputy Speaker of the Commons from 1931. He died in office in August 1938 aged 50, suddenly dropping dead while walking on the moors near Strontian, Argyll. At the subsequent by-election the seat was held for the Conservatives by Quintin Hogg. Bourne married Lady Hester Margaret Cairns, daughter of

Wilfred Cairns, 4th Earl Cairns Lieutenant-Colonel Wilfred Dallas Cairns, 4th Earl Cairns, CMG, DL (28 November 1865 – 23 October 1946) was a peer of the United Kingdom and a Rifle Brigade officer. Life Born in 1865, he succeeded as the 4th Earl Cairns on the death of ...

, on 7 June 1917.''Burke's Peerage 2003'', page 641 Their children included the lawyer and civil servant Sir Wilfrid Bourne.

References

External links

* * The Rowers of Vanity Fair {{DEFAULTSORT:Bourne, Robert Croft 1888 births 1938 deaths Military personnel from London People educated at Eton College Alumni of New College, Oxford English male rowers British male rowers Olympic rowers of Great Britain Rowers at the 1912 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1931–1935 UK MPs 1935–1945 Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Herefordshire Light Infantry officers British Army personnel of World War I Olympic medalists in rowing Oxford University Boat Club rowers British sportsperson-politicians Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics

Biography

See also

References

External links