Thomas Henry Wyatt

Thomas Henry Wyatt (9 May 1807 – 5 August 1880) was an Anglo-Irish architect.[2] He had a prolific and distinguished career, being elected President of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1870–73[3] and being awarded its Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 1873.[4] His reputation during his lifetime was largely as a safe establishment figure, and critical assessment has been less favourable more recently, particularly in comparison with his younger brother, the better known Matthew Digby Wyatt.

Thomas Henry Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt by George Landseer[1]
Born(1807-05-09)9 May 1807
Died5 August 1880(1880-08-05) (aged 73)
London
NationalityBritish
OccupationArchitect
AwardsRoyal Gold Medal (1873)

Personal and family life edit

Wyatt was born at Lough-Glin House, County Roscommon. His father was Matthew Wyatt (1773–1831), a barrister and police magistrate for Roscommon and Lambeth. Wyatt is presumed to have moved to Lambeth with his father in 1825 and then initially embarked on a career as a merchant sailing to the Mediterranean, particularly Malta.

He married his first cousin Arabella Montagu Wyatt (1807–1875). She was the second daughter of his uncle Arthur who was an agent to the Duke of Beaufort. This consolidated his practice in Wales.[5]

He lived at and practised from 77 Great Russell Street. He died there on 5 August 1880 leaving an estate of £30,000. He is buried at St Lawrence's Church, Weston Patrick.

The Wyatts were a significant architectural dynasty during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Career edit

Training edit

Wyatt's early training was in the office of Philip Hardwick where he worked until 1832, and was involved in work on Goldsmiths Hall, Euston Station and the warehouses at St Katharine Docks.

Practice edit

He began practice on his own account in 1832 when he was appointed District Surveyor for Hackney (a post he held until 1861). By 1838 he had acquired substantial patronage from the Duke of Beaufort, the Earl of Denbigh and Sidney Herbert, and David Brandon joined him as a partner. This partnership lasted until 1851.

Wyatt's son Matthew (1840–1892) became his father's partner in 1860.

Positions edit

Wyatt was appointed as consulting or honorary architect to a number of bodies including:

Architectural works edit

Newnham Paddox House in Warwickshire, designed by Wyatt for the Earl of Denbigh, built 1876-79, demolished 1952

Wyatt worked in many styles ranging from the Italianate of Wilton through to the Gothic of many of his churches.

His practice was extensive with a large amount of work in Wiltshire largely as a result of his official position and the patronage of the Herbert family, and in Monmouthshire through the Beaufort connection

Wiltshire edit

Wyatt secured much work in Wiltshire, including the building of 20 churches, after offering his services at no cost to the Salisbury Diocesan Church Building Association in 1836. Julian Orbach considers the large new church at Wilton – "on a heroic scale" – to have made Wyatt's reputation.[6]

Below is a selective list of some of Wyatt's major works.

Churches edit

DateNameLocationNotes
1836–38ChristchurchShawsince rebuilt
1839–40Christ Church[7]Derry Hillwith Brandon
1843St MaryCodford St Mary
1843St Mary and St NicholasWilton
1843Holy TrinityCrockerton
1843Christ ChurchWortonwith Brandon
1844Holy TrinityDilton Marsh
1844St John the BaptistHorningshamwith Brandon, body of church
1844St Andrew[8]Newton Tonywith Brandon
1845All SaintsWoodford
1845St MaryChittoe
1845St Michael[9]Melksham
1845St Alfred the GreatMonkton Deverillolder tower
1846St John the EvangelistWest Ashton
1847All SaintsWestburyalterations, west window
1840–50St NicholasCholdertonwith Brandon
1849–50St MartinSalisburywith Brandon, restoration
1851ChristchurchCadley, Savernake
1851All SaintsCharlton-All-Saints
1851–53St Paul[10]Fisherton Anger, Salisbury
1852St MichaelHilperton
1853St Mary[11]Maddington
1854All SaintsWest Harnham
1854All SaintsBurbagesouth aisle 1876
1854–55St AndrewNunton
1855St MaryShrewton
1851–53St Paul'sSalisbury
1856St AndrewLittleton Drew
1857St Nicholas[12]Berwick Bassett
1858St AndrewLaverstock
1858Holy TrinityStourpaine
1860–61St JohnBemertonbuilt for the Pembrokes of Wilton
1860St MaryBoytonrestoration
1850–61St Mary MagdaleneWoodboroughrebuilding
1861St KatherineSavernake Forest
1862All SaintsSutton Mandeville
1862St AndrewSouth Newton
1862St NicholasNorth Bradley
1862–63SS Peter & PaulMarlborough
1863All SaintsChitterne
1863–64St GilesWishford
1864St NicholasLittle Langford
1866All SaintsWinterslow
1866St MaryAlvediston
1866Holy TrinityFonthill Gifford
1867–68St MichaelWinterbourne Earls
1868St MichaelLittle Bedwynvestry and restoration
1871Christ ChurchWarminster
1875St MaryUpavon
1875St LeonardSemley
1878St John the BaptistHindon
1879All SaintsFonthill Bishop

Houses edit

DateNameLocationNotes
1848Rectory, St. MaryBroughton Gifford

Public buildings edit

DateNameLocationNotes
1835Assize CourtsDevizes
1851Roundway HospitalDevizes
1878The Bleeck Memorial HallWarminsterWarminster Athenaeum

Monmouthshire edit

The Hendre was built in 1837/9 near Monmouth for the Rolls family.

Llantarnam Abbey was built in 1834/1835 for Reginald Blewitt: a large mansion in the Elizabethan style, built on a dissolution site. Once again an abbey, in possession of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

The Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Monmouth was renovated by Wyatt.[13]

Usk Sessions House was built in 1875–1877.

Other works:

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther

London edit

Knightsbridge Barracks edit

The Knightsbridge Barracks were built in 1878/9.

Other edit

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther

Somerset edit

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther

Cambridgeshire edit

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther

Lancashire including Liverpool edit

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther
  • 1875 St Michael, Dalton
  • 1864–67 New Liverpool Exchange (rebuilt 1939)[14]

Glamorgan and rest of Wales edit

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther

Herefordshire edit

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther
  • 1873 Bredenbury Court, Hereford

Hampshire edit

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther

Gloucestershire edit

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther

Elsewhere edit

ChurchesHousesPublic BuildingsOther
Westerdale Hall, February 2008

Bibliography edit

  • The Wyatts, an Architectural Dynasty J M Robinson ISBN 0-19-817340-7

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Thomas Henry Wyatt, National Portrait Gallery, London, Retrieved 8 September 2009
  2. ^ a b "Thomas Henry Wyatt, Architect". The Builder. 39 (1958). London: Building (Publishers) Ltd.: 193–194 14 August 1880. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  3. ^ APSD entry
  4. ^ List provided by RIBA
  5. ^ Thomas Henry Wyatt, DSA Architect Biography Report, accessed December 2011
  6. ^ Orbach, Julian; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (2021). Wiltshire. The Buildings Of England. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. pp. 70–71. ISBN 978-0-300-25120-3. OCLC 1201298091.
  7. ^ Historic England. "Christ Church (1253593)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  8. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Andrew, Newton Tony (1135699)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Michael (1021707)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Paul (1355796)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  11. ^ Historic England. "Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Shrewton (1023996) (1023996)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  12. ^ Historic England. "Church of St. Nicholas (1365565)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  13. ^ "History of St Thomas the Martyr". Monmouth Parishes. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  14. ^ Historic England. "Exchange Buildings (1245031)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  15. ^ "britishlistedbuildings". Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  16. ^ "The Late Mr. Thomas H. Wyatt". The Building News and Engineering Journal. 39. London: The Building News: 204–205. 20 August 1880. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  17. ^ Pevsner & Sherwood, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, 1974, p. 847

External links edit