TEWIDOW BOURNE: BORN ABOUT 1700
MYSTERIOUS GROCER

The wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd, based in St. James’s Street, trace their origins to Widow Bourne, who founded a grocery in the same premises in 1698. Little is known about her life.

After hundreds of years Berry Bros & Rudd continues to flourish; it is now an international business, with six offices worldwide. In addition to its core wine business, it offers wine investment, wine storage, wine tastings, events, and educational courses on wine.

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LIFE

The following account of the life of Widow Bourne is extracted, with acknowledgement and thanks, from the website of the wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd at www.bbr.com.

Little is known about the mysterious woman who founded our business in 1698. We don’t know how or when she was widowed, or really anything of her life before she set up shop on St James’s Street. We do know, however, that she was a canny businesswoman.

St James’s Palace was built in the 16th century by King Henry VIII for Anne Boleyn, as a place where they could escape formal court life. When Whitehall Palace burnt down in 1698, however, St James’s became the principal residence of the monarch. The arrival of the royal court in St James’s transformed the area – which rapidly evolved to cater to its new, affluent residents. It is likely for this reason that the Widow Bourne chose No.3 St James’s Street for her new business.

At that time, wine and spirits weren’t on the agenda; the Widow ran an Italian Grocer’s, selling the most exotic and fashionable goods of the day – tea, snuff, spices and, most importantly, coffee, supplying the area’s popular Coffee Houses.

The Widow Bourne had at least two daughters, one of whom was Elizabeth, who married William Pickering. When the Widow died, William and Elizabeth took over the business.