In 1916 Rowland Burdon 7th, a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps serving on the front line knew the parents of Victor Barrington Kennet were anxious about his fate so Captain Burdon wrote an enquiring note, attached it securely to a football, flew over German lines, constantly under fire, dropped the football, and returned to base again under fire. The sad answer was that Victor had been killed. Shortly after this incident, Captain Burdon was injured and invalided home then stationed at RFC Bramham Airfield as an instructor.
On 15 January 1917, the funeral of the badly burned body of Rowland Burdon 7th took place. He had been flying a new machine along with his passenger when about to land at Bramham airfield the wing of the aeroplane tipped a tree in a nearby wood, crashed to the ground in flames, killing both Captain Burdon and his passenger.
The last of the Burdons?
In 1944, Rowland Burdon 6th died. His memorial window in St James’ Church, Castle Eden include the words; “In loving memory of Rowland Burdon 1857-1944, sixth and last surviving of his name and of other members of the Burdon family who were also Lords of the Manor of Castle Eden from 1758.”
His death, last of the Lords of the Manor was not the last of the Burdons, however. Cotsford Mathews Burdon, Rowland 6th ‘s brother emigrated with his family to New Zealand in 1902. He too had a son who was a hero. Randal Burdon returned to England to study law in 1914, enlisted in the army at the outset of WW1, was badly wounded twice, was awarded the Military Cross, became a Captain in the Connaught Bengal Lancers and served in India in 1918 before returning to New Zealand as a sheep farmer and an author.
Introducing the New Zealand Burdons
Castle Eden Dene had been managed and much loved by several members of the Burdon family. The interest in woodland has gone further in New Zealand. Rowland David Burdon, “is a research scientist, who has been an international leader in the field of Forest genetics. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, also of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry and the International Academy of Wood Science.” (Mary Burdon)
Agricultural matters
The New Zealand Burdons were and are involved in farming or land activities, similar to the Castle Eden Burdons. Rowland Burdon 4th was President of the Agricultural Society in Durham. When Rowland Burdon 6th was MP for Sedgefield between1918 and 1922, one of his concerns was agricultural matters stressing the need for a Government Agricultural Policy. His wife, Mary Arundell, represented Easington on the Durham County Women’s War Committee becoming highly involved in the recruitment of women to work on the land.
Politics
Rowland Burdon 4th was the Tory MP for Durham between1790 and 1806. Rowland Burdon and Ralph Milbanke MP Whig took a petition to parliament to build a bridge across the River Wear between Wearmouth and Sunderland. This was to enable the flourishing of reciprocal accommodation between the ports and transportation over a bridge would be superior to ferries. The Act was passed in 1792. Rowland Burdon possibly designed the bridge but definitely funded £30,000 for the construction. The bridge, then the largest single span bridge in the world, was opened on 9 August 1796 by HRH Prince William of Gloucester in front of at least 50,000 people. The image of the then famous bridge appeared on pottery made on Wearside.
Philip Burdon was an MP for the National Party in New Zealand between 1981 and 1996 serving as Minister for Trade for six years. He was also President of the Asia New Zealand Foundation as well as a businessman recognised in the Hall of Fame for services to food production, business leadership and public policy. In the Queen’s Honours list of 2002, Philip’s wife Rosalind was awarded the New Zealand order of Merit for Arts and Community. There are echoes here of Rowland Burdon 4th who was a great appreciator of art, both Angelica Kaufman and the sea-painter Carmichael used to visit Castle Eden.
In 1758, Rowland Burdon 3rd prioritised the restoration of the ruined St. James’ Church, Castle Eden. This was even before work on his dwelling the castle commenced.
Christchurch Cathedral
Philip Burdon was heavily involved in the restoration of Christchurch Cathedral. In 2011 an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude killed 185 people and destroyed or severely damaged one third of the buildings in Christchurch, including the Cathedral. Philip Burdon teamed up with former Labour political adversary Jim Anderton to fight for the restoration of the cathedral. Bishop Victoria Matthews was determined that the cathedral should be replaced with a modern designed building and the Synod agreed. The Great Christchurch Buildings Trust was established to restore the ruined cathedral. There was public funding, including a large donation from Philip. Jim Anderton died but Philip continued the five-year battle until the Synod agreed and the restoration is expected to be completed by 2027.
The New Zealand Burdon family appear to have inherited traits from the Castle Eden Burdon family. Rowland frequently appears as a forename. There are political interests, campaigning even with political opponents, be it for a bridge or a cathedral, agriculture, trees, bravery during wartime and even links with art and the community. The Lords of Castle Eden may be long gone, but the spirit of the Burdons lives on in New Zealand.
(Mary Burdon married into the Burdon Family and corresponded from New Zealand.)
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