Bourne, James (1773-1854) James Bourne was born in Dalby, Lincolnshire, the younger son of a country gentleman. He was educated in Louth, lived in Manchester for a time and settled in London in the late 1790s. While still in his teens he became an ardent Methodist and it was through prayer that he discovered his vocation as a draughtsman. Largely self-taught, he soon became extremely proficient. Around 1800-2 he contributed views of Dalby, Louth and other places in Lincolnshire for engraving in the Copper-Plate Magazine. He was introduced to the Countess of Sutherland (a talented amateur artist) and Lord Spencer and became a successful drawing-master, spending his summers with aristocratic families in the country as a kind of ‘artist in residence’. He is often described as ‘the Rev. James Bourne’ but (unlike other early Methodists) he was not an ordained clergyman in the Church of England; his status was that of a professional artist and he supported himself and a large family by drawing. In 1838 he apparently abandoned painting for religious activities and at the end of his life was the Methodist minister at Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire. Bourne visited the Lake District in 1798 (the tour traced in his privately published but undated Interesting Views of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire describes Pocklington as the ‘late proprietor’ of Pocklington’s Island, sold in 1797, and makes no mention of any ‘improvements’ to the Bowder Stone and its environs, acquired by Pocklington in 1798) and he exhibited View in the village of Coniston at the RA in 1800 (no. 503). The sketches made on his tour enabled Bourne – or someone very closely associated with him – to make the charming small topographical watercolours that were inserted into his Interesting Views. Bourne’s later tours included ones to the West Country in 1799 and Lincolnshire in 1803 and, although he showed a dozen English and Welsh views at the RA between 1805 and 1809, none of these depicted the Lakes.

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Reference Bourne, James (1773-1854)

There are 6 works by Bourne, James (1773-1854) in the Trust's collection, e.g.:
1994.58.1		Bourne, James. - Windermere. - 1789 (c). - Sepia wash. - 260 x 368mm
GRMDC.B55		Bourne, James. - Interesting views of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire. - c.1802?. - Published as part of a series 'Interesting Views of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmoreland and Lancashire'. - 271 x 365mm. - 12 loose watercolours. - Includes watercolour of 'Grasmere Lake'.
GRMDC.B55.11		Bourne, James. - Bassenthwaite Lake from near Ouse Bridge: A Nocturne. - c.1802?. - Published as part of a series 'Interesting Views of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmoreland and Lancashire'. - Watercolour. - 128 x 203mm
2015.15.8		artist Bourne, James (1773-1854) , Esthwaite Lake, Watercolour on paper
2015.15.9		artist Bourne, James (1773-1854) , Grasmere, Watercolour on paper