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A character in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Ursula Bourne

The parlourmaid dismissed on the afternoon of the murder, with a wedding ring in the goldfish pond and a reason for silence.

What they want

To keep a marriage secret until the man she married can afford to admit it.

The book

The Murder of Roger AckroydAgatha Christie, 1926

A village doctor tells the story of his neighbour's murder, and tells it honestly. That is the trick.

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At a glance

In the book
Parlourmaid at Fernly Park
Where she appears
Chapters 10 and 22 chiefly

Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Ursula Bourne is the maid who quarrelled with Ackroyd and was given notice on the afternoon he died. Her references are good and her manner is not a servant's, and Poirot notices both. She keeps her secret through most of the book, and it is the ring in the pond that gives her away.

How Ursula Bourne Is Portrayed

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • The bearingToo well spoken for a parlourmaid, which Sheppard and Poirot both note.
  • The quarrelHalf an hour with Ackroyd in the study that afternoon, and dismissed at the end of it.
  • The ringA wedding ring inscribed with a date, fished out of the goldfish pond.
  • The storyTold at last in Chapter 22, from the beginning.
Their ending, and the commentary — spoilers aheadHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

Ursula is Ralph Paton's wife. They married in secret, Ackroyd found out, and she was dismissed. She had nothing to do with the murder.

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