Past present  RSS feed | About

The statue of Sir John Cordy Burrows now stands in Old Steine, not far from where he lived

In these days of great cynicism about our politicians, it's hard to imagine any councillor being held in enormous esteem by electors.

Yet there was no doubt of the tremendous affection felt by many Brightonians for Sir John Cordy Burrows in the 19th century. They pleaded for him to be knighted and the request was granted.

When he died in 1876, the civic funeral was one of the grandest ever to have been held in the town.

What was it about Burrows which made him both so popular and so powerful - his local nickname was King Cordy? Much was down to his energy and humanity.

He was not even a local man, having been born in Ipswich, the eldest son of a silversmith in 1813.

After being educated at Ipswich Grammar School, he left early and became apprenticed to a surgeon at Framlingham, Burrows studied at Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals in London.

He qualified as an apothecary in 1835 and the following year became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons who made him a fellow in 1852.

He moved to Brighton in 1837 and acted as assistant to a surgeon called Dix, a distant relation, before starting his own practice.

Burrows quickly became celebrated as a surgeon and also made a name for himself in Brighton through his sheer activity.

With a Dr Turrell he started the Royal Literary and Scientific Instruction in 1841 and was also involved in the founding of the Brighton Mechanics' Institution.

This organisation, which attracted other radical reformers such as the Reverend Frederick Robertson, was an important influence in Brighton during the early-Victorian era.

Burrows was secretary from 1841 to 1857 and later became the treasurer.

Burrows also proposed the beautiful fountain in Old Steine, designed by Amon Wilds, which is still there today. He raised the money for the fountain in 1846. He laid out and planted the gardens surrounding it, using his own money.

He was also shocked at the lack of sanitation in the slums which led directly to disease and death. He persuaded the town commissioners to take measures to improve conditions, including providing proper sewers.

Burrows was also one of the men who decided Brighton should buy the Royal Pavilion for the town once Queen Victoria had decided she no longer wanted it.

When Brighton obtained a charter in 1854, he topped the poll for the Pavilion ward. Only three years later he became mayor.

Burrows continued in office the following year, the first man to do so, and later completed a third term.

He had a fine art collection, as did many wealthy residents at the time, including another councillor, Captain Henry Hill.

Burrows presented a work by Hendrick Van Balen to the Brighton and Hove art gallery and was an enthusiastic collector of works by the marine artist RH Nibbs. When the picture gallery was renovated and reopened in 1873, Burrows gave a talk to the assembled throng on The Brain.

It was Burrows who chose the town's motto In Deo Fidemus (In God We Trust). He also opened the Aquarium during his third term as Mayor in 1871.

In that same year, the people of Brighton showed their gratitude to him through a testimonial which included two horses and an ornate carriage. They also sent a petition to the Queen calling for his services to Brighton to be recognised and he was knighted at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight in 1873.

Sir John was a fellow of the Linnean Society which specialises in biology. Among the many other organisations he belonged to were the Zoological and Geographical societies. He was also brigade surgeon of the Brighton artillery corps and chairman of the lifeboat committee.

When the churchyard at St Nicholas in Dyke Road became too full, Sir John helped promote the Extra Mural cemetery off Lewes Road.

He had a strong dislike of street organ players and itinerant hawkers, banning them wherever possible.

Sir John died at his home in the Old Steine, Brighton, in 1876. He was buried in the Extra Mural Cemetery he had helped to promote.

The funeral was one of the biggest ever held in Brighton with more than 30,000 people lining the streets and another 2,000 present for the ceremony.

Two years later, a statue of him was unveiled in the Royal Pavilion grounds and this was moved to Old Steine when the grounds were remodelled in 1984.

He married Jane Dendy in 1842.

She outlived him by a year. Their son, William, took over the medical practice.

There have been many other celebrated councillors in Brighton since his death but probably none as greatly loved.

2:25pm Wednesday 30th April 2008

Print   Email this