Sir Henry Busby Bird

Henry Busby Bird was born on 28 Oct 28 1856, the eldest son of Thomas James Tolman of Islington. He was educated at the Mintern Street school and the City of London School.

Henry served in the retail trade as an employee for some time after his education ended and opened his own business H.B Bird and Co in 1888. The business was a cheesemongers and provisions merchant with premises at Holloway.  Later he moved his businesses to the Shoreditch and Bethnal Green, and they operated for around 50 years.

In 1876, Henry married the daughter of Reverend Stoodley of Yeovil, Emma Jane. They had four sons and one daughter and they were married for over 50 years. They resided in Upper Clapton for much of their married life.

Lady Emma Jane Bird served as Mayoress during Henry Busby Bird’s terms of office and was the only honorary free-woman of the Worshipful Basketmakers’ Company.

Sir Henry Busby Bird’s first association with municipal affairs dates to 1894, when he was elected a member of the Old Islington Vestry, on which he sat for 6 years. On the creation of the new London Borough Councils, he was returned as a member of the Shoreditch Body in 1900.

 In 1897, Shoreditch had become the first district in the country to combine refuse disposal and electricity generation in a single innovative, municipal undertaking.

Sir Henry Busby Bird also served as Vice Chairman of the Public Health Committee during 1900, and in 1902 he was elected to preside over the Electric Lighting Committee. Shoreditch was seen as progressive in its amalgamation of waste disposal, not only with the dust destructor that powered street lighting, but also other uses of electrical energy and appliances.

During this time the Electric Power Station at Haggerston was opened. At an inauguration dinner, Henry Busby Bird assured King Edward VII of the loyal devotion of Shoreditch to his throne and his person.

Sir Henry was appointed Mayor of Shoreditch in 1903 and served again in 1904, 1907, 1910 and continued to hold office until 1919. In all, Henry Busby Bird served 12 years as Mayor of Shoreditch, more than any other Councillor. He was knighted in 1919 for his services to the borough.

In 1911, Sir Henry formed the Shoreditch National Reserve, which eventually reached a strength of 1,200, of whom 1,000 were called to the colours at the outbreak of WWI. When this branch was inspected in Hyde Park, the Mayor was presented to the King and received the National Service Medal in recognition of his services. After a request from Lord Kitchener in 1915, Bird turned his attention to the formation of the 20th Battalion Middlesex Regiment for overseas service, with Col Burnard in command. Sir Henry was also instrumental on the formation of the 28th Battalion and the volunteer Battalion, from which he was given the  honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Sir Henry Busby Bird also interested himself deeply in the work of the Special Constabulary in Shoreditch and did some excellent service in connection with organisation of the local division.

During the Great War of 1914 -1918, Sir Henry was an extremely successful fundraiser for the war effort. The tireless energy of the Mayor during air raid alarms is noted, as was his tasking himself to help with the accommodation 600 people rendered homeless during bomb attacks, with the help from the Shoreditch Guardians.

As an organiser of the Shoreditch Loan Days during the First World War, Sir Bird had a remarkable success. During ‘Gun Day’ to raise money for the War Bonds, Henry Busby Bird was himself responsible for securing £84,000 in one hour alone. In total Sir Henry Busby Bird is said to have raised an incredible £4.5 million pounds in National War Bonds.

There was apparently no limit to the capacity of the Mayor’s work during the Great War, he was both a Chairman to the Tribunal and to the Food Control Committee. Henry had a reputation for impartiality, sound judgement, and good humour, as well as the ability to relieve the ‘prosiness and tedium’ of the public proceedings of the day. Sir Henry Busby Bird was also a prominent liveryman of Basket Makers’ Company. Throughout his time, he was admirably supported in his duties by his wife and Mayoress, Emma Jane Busby Bird.

Another of his signal acts was to organise a star concert, at which the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King and Queen) were present, in aid of a local Boys Club that needed around £300. Sir Henry’s work during the 8 days allocated raised over £500, another testament to his outstanding philanthropist work.

Throughout his life, Sir Henry Busby Bird was also a member of the Charity Trustee Board of Shoreditch Almshouses Committee, life governor of the Queen’s Hospital for Children, governor of the City of London Truss Society, of the London Fever Hospital and the Cheesemongers’ Benevolent Institution. He was also a Freemason and a member of the County of London Magistrates’ Club.

Early on in 1917, Henry became a horse and stables owner. He was best known for his racing horse Monarch, who, sadly, often came a close second. Bird was fined the maximum penalty of £50 and reprimanded for his horse Galloper King being ‘late for the races’ at Hurst Park in 1927. Bird was disappointed by this and dissolved his stables shortly thereafter.

The funeral of Emma Jane was held on 7 January 1929, with the final rites given by Revd. A J Kaye. The service was witnessed by a large and reverent gathering, which included many public representatives.

The funeral of Henry Busby Bird was held on 21 February 1929, just 6 weeks later. In the presence of a sympathetic gathering, numbering 300 – 400 people, his remains were laid to rest in a private grave in Abney Park Cemetery. Henry was aged 73. The beautiful floral tributes at his funeral numbered about 80 and included tokens from the new Mayor, London Aldermen, various Masonic lodges and other public bodies.

Reverend Digby said at his funeral -
”Nobody could know Sir Henry Busby Bird for long without feeling they had made a friend. He had no enemies, and those who fought him politically had only been too ready to recognise his charm, his courtesy and his kindness. His deeds of kindness were never advertised, and he never shouted them. If there was trouble or sorrow anywhere, he always played his part to alleviate it. He had fought his own way in the world and made his own position, never hesitating to say he had been poor himself, and there was nothing about him swollen-headed.”