RELATIVES of Sir Goldsworthy Gurney paid a visit to the Castle Bude from Australia recently, where they were shown around and able to relive some their ancestor’s heritage.

Elizabeth Christie and her daughter, Anthea, visited from Byaduck, Australia, to fulfill their lifetime wish to visit the Castle. Elizabeth is the great, great niece of Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, and Anthea the great, great, great niece.

Sir Goldsworthy Gurney was born in 1793, and is known as an inventor and influential scientist. At the age of 20, he had become a doctor, and later became a lecturer in chemistry at the Surrey Institute.

Following some years in London, he moved to Bude, where he built the Castle. Here, he made his discovery of limelight, which consisted of a very hot flame and the addition of lime, producing an extreme light, which he used to light his own home. In 1863 he was knighted by Queen Victoria, and he is now buried at Launcells.

Staff at the Castle Bude said it was ‘a pleasure’ to show Elizabeth and Anthea around.

Mark Berridge, Castle manager, said: “I was busy putting Christmas decorations up when they came over and told me they were descendants of Sir Goldsworthy Gurney and that they wanted to look at the model of his carriage. So I took them into the first of the two ‘Gurney rooms’ to show the model and the information about him. I asked whether they had seen a photo of his daughter and they said they hadn’t, so I took them into the second of the Gurney rooms where there is a picture of his daughter and some artefacts that belonged to him.”

It was at this point that Mark asked if he could take a photograph of Elizabeth and Anthea to put it on the Castle’s Facebook page. The pair were thrilled at this, thinking it would be a good opportunity to show family and friends at home.

Mark continued: “Elizabeth told me that it was one on her ‘bucket list’ to come and see the Castle and the family often talked about Sir Goldsworthy — Anthea confirmed that her mother went on about him a lot. I continued the tour and explained that we had just taken ownership of an 1828 aquatint etching of his carriage, which is in the archive store, and would they like to see it — again, highly delighted.

“I pointed to the painting on the gallery landing of ‘The Bell Ringers of Launcells’, having been to St Swithin’s Church to visit his grave, and the Budehaven painting showing the Castle in 1830. I showed them the wallpaper that Gurney himself had put in the Castle, which is still visible in one room. After showing them the etching, I walked them through the original corridor downstairs, which would have been the same when Gurney lived in the Castle. At this point they said they were getting goose bumps and a strange feeling, and they found it very emotional and spiritual.”

The tour ended in Café Limelight, where Elizabeth and Anthea bought some souvenirs and had lunch. Elizabeth also handed Mark a donation for the Castle and said it would ‘go towards looking after the Castle and keeping their family heritage alive’.