Where are the Gurneys?

A group of visitors to the cathedral asked me “Do you know where our grandfather’s stove is?”

Fortunately I had just been given a 1958 Souvenir Guide to the cathedral, and you can see it on the right hand side of this picture – it’s the little dalek-like thing.

The vergers are the font (sic) of all knowledge here, and Andy said that indeed he remembered this stove, which after retiring from active use (its stovepipe hole can still be seen in the ceiling) did duty as a collecting box in the cloisters.

It is called a Gurney Stove, and our visitors were from the Gurney family, having recently visited The Castle, Bude, who have displays about the inventions of Sir Goldsworthy Gurney.  “Grace’s Guide To British Industrial History” contains lots more details on his life and inventions, and says his stoves were popular for heating the large spaces in cathedrals and are still installed in Ely, Durham and Peterborough.

Andy’s help and knowledge were key to understanding this. As volunteers and staff age we need to capture their knowledge somehow.  These oral histories are really important, especially as we are moving from paper/film into an e-only society.