Sir William Holburne and his Collection
Thomas William Holburne (usually called William) was born near Swansea in 1793 and in 1802 he and his family moved to Bath. As a member of a military family, William joined the navy at the age of eleven and saw action at Trafalgar aboard HMS Orion. He later served in places like Toulon, the West Indies, Brazil, and the Mediterranean before returning home in 1815.
His time in the navy gave William a love of travel. When he inherited the family title and the bulk of the family fortune in 1820, following the death of his elder brother, William embarked on a Grand Tour which is where his passion for collecting began.
In 1830, Holburne and his three sisters moved into a new house in Cavendish Crescent, Bath, where they lived for the rest of their lives. Over time, William filled the house with a wide-ranging collection of art and decorative objects. He died in 1874 and in 1882 his last surviving sister, Mary Anne Barbara, left his collection to the city in order to establish a museum in Bath.
His time in the navy gave William a love of travel. When he inherited the family title and the bulk of the family fortune in 1820, following the death of his elder brother, William embarked on a Grand Tour which is where his passion for collecting began.
In 1830, Holburne and his three sisters moved into a new house in Cavendish Crescent, Bath, where they lived for the rest of their lives. Over time, William filled the house with a wide-ranging collection of art and decorative objects. He died in 1874 and in 1882 his last surviving sister, Mary Anne Barbara, left his collection to the city in order to establish a museum in Bath.