Thomas Henry Wyatt

Thomas Henry Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt by George Landseer [1]
Born	(1807-05-09)9 May 1807 Loughglinn House, County Roscommon
Died	5 August 1880(1880-08-05) (aged 73) London
Occupation	Architect
Spouse	Arabella Montagu Wyatt
Awards	Royal Gold Medal (1873)

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 for 1870–1873 ^[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, Matthew Digby Wyatt.

Personal and family life

Wyatt was born at Lough-Glin House, County Roscommon. ^[5] 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), the second daughter of his uncle Arthur who was an agent to the Duke of Beaufort. This consolidated Wyatt's practice in Wales. ^[5]

He lived at and practised from 77 Great Russell Street. He died there on 5 August 1880, and is buried at St Lawrence's Church, Weston Patrick, Hampshire. ^[5]

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

Career

Training

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

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

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

• the Institution of Civil Engineers
• The Athenaeum
• Governesses Benevolent Association
• Middlesex Hospital
• Lunacy Commissioners
• Incorporated Church Building Society
• Diocese of Salisbury

Architectural works

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 much 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

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

Date	Name	Location	Notes
1836–38	Christchurch	Shaw	since rebuilt
1839–40	Christ Church [7]	Derry Hill	with Brandon
1843	St Mary	Codford St Mary
1843	St Mary and St Nicholas	Wilton
1843	Holy Trinity	Crockerton
1843	Christ Church	Worton	with Brandon
1844	Holy Trinity	Dilton Marsh
1844	St John the Baptist	Horningsham	with Brandon, body of church
1844	St Andrew [8]	Newton Tony	with Brandon
1845	All Saints	Woodford
1845	St Mary	Chittoe
1845	St Michael [9]	Melksham
1845	St Alfred the Great	Monkton Deverill	older tower
1846	St John the Evangelist	West Ashton
1847	All Saints	Westbury	alterations, west window
1840–50	St Nicholas	Cholderton	with Brandon
1849–50	St Martin	Salisbury	with Brandon, restoration
1851	Christchurch	Cadley, Savernake
1851	All Saints	Charlton-All-Saints
1851–53	St Paul [10]	Fisherton Anger, Salisbury
1852	St Michael	Hilperton
1853	St Mary [11]	Maddington
1854	All Saints	West Harnham
1854	All Saints	Burbage	south aisle 1876
1854–55	St Andrew	Nunton
1855	St Mary	Shrewton
1851–53	St Paul's	Salisbury
1856	St Andrew	Littleton Drew
1857	St Nicholas [12]	Berwick Bassett
1858	St Andrew	Laverstock
1858	Holy Trinity	Stourpaine
1860–61	St John	Bemerton	built for the Pembrokes of Wilton
1860	St Mary	Boyton	restoration
1850–61	St Mary Magdalene	Woodborough	rebuilding
1861	St Katherine	Savernake Forest
1862	All Saints	Sutton Mandeville
1862	St Andrew	South Newton
1862	St Nicholas	North Bradley
1862–63	SS Peter & Paul	Marlborough
1863	All Saints	Chitterne
1863–64	St Giles	Wishford
1864	St Nicholas	Little Langford
1866	All Saints	Winterslow
1866	St Mary	Alvediston
1866	Holy Trinity	Fonthill Gifford
1867–68	St Michael	Winterbourne Earls
1868	St Michael	Little Bedwyn	vestry and restoration
1871	Christ Church	Warminster
1875	St Mary	Upavon
1875	St Leonard	Semley
1878	St John the Baptist	Hindon
1879	All Saints	Fonthill Bishop

Houses

Date	Name	Location	Notes
1848	Rectory, St. Mary	Broughton Gifford

Public buildings

Date	Name	Location	Notes
1835	Assize Courts	Devizes
1851	Roundway Hospital	Devizes
1878	The Bleeck Memorial Hall	Warminster	Warminster Athenaeum

Monmouthshire

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:

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1835/6 St Paul's Church, Newport 1842 Holy Trinity, Abergavenny 1842/43 St Mary, Llanfair Gilcoed 1845/6 St Peter Goetre 1846 St Dingat Dingestow 1848/9 St Michael Glascoed 1847/48 St Catherine Govilon 1867/8 Church of St Cadoc, Raglan, Monmouthshire	1838 Malpas Court, Newport [14] 1838 Llandogo Priory 1858?? Cefntilla Court, Llandenny	1869 National School Goetre	1877 Club, Monmouth

London

Knightsbridge Barracks

The Knightsbridge Barracks were built in 1878/9.

Other

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1840/1 St Andrew, Bethnal Green 1846/7 St Matthias Bethnal Green 1850 Holy Trinity, Haverstock Hill 1863 St George's Garrison Church, Woolwich	1845 25/26, Kensington Palace Gardens 1870 Mansion, Park Lane 1871/3 Mansion Berkeley Street	1879 Consumption Hospital, Brompton	1841–48 City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery 1858 Adelphi Theatre

Somerset

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1846 St James, East Cranmore	1855–6 Orchardleigh House, Nr Frome 1858 Sutton Court, Stowey 1877 North Perrott Manor House		1878 North Perrott 1862–1864 Cranmore Tower, Cranmore

Cambridgeshire

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1872 St John, March 1880 St Peter, March 1872 St. Mary-in-the-Fen, Westry 1872 St. Peter, Wimblington		1842 Assize Courts, Cambridge

Lancashire including Liverpool

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1875 St Michael, Dalton		1864–67 New Liverpool Exchange (rebuilt 1939) [15]

Glamorgan and rest of Wales

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1838 St Mary's Church, Glyntaff [16] 1851/2 Merthyr Tydfil 1855/6 Glanogwen, Llanllechid, Caernarfonshire	Hensol Castle Nantlys, Tremeirchion

Herefordshire

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1877 St Andrew, Bredenbury	1873 Bredenbury Court, Hereford

Hampshire

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1849 St Thomas, Woolton Hill 1868 St Lawrence, Weston Patrick 1869 St Leonard, Oakley 1875 St Matthew, Otterbourne	1869 Brockenhurst House	1868 Town Hall, Ringwood [2] [17] 1873 Hall, Winchester Castle

Gloucestershire

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1853 St Mary, Acton Turville 1855 St Peter, Pilning, South Gloucestershire 1850 St John the Baptist Old Sodbury 1853 St Mary Magdalene Tormarton S porch 1855 St Johns West Littleton 1841/70 Holy Trinity Long Newnton 1864/65 St John the Baptist Shipton Moyne 1872 St Michael Didmarton	1838/51 Badminton House minor alterations 1876 Lypiatt Park additions Estcourt Park billiard room (demolished)

Elsewhere

Churches	Houses	Public Buildings	Other
1843/4 St George, New Wolverton, Buckinghamshire 1845 St. Andrew, Greensted, Essex alterations 1847/9 St Peter, Stanton Lacy, Shropshire 1849 St. Mary's Church, Atherstone, Warwickshire, restoration 1851/2 St Michael, Brynford, Flintshire 1865 St Michael and All Angels Church, Abbeyleix 1867 St Bartholomew's Church, Dublin 1867 St Margaret's Church, Horsmonden, Kent: restoration 1872 Jedburgh Old Parish Church [18] 1876 Holy Trinity, Martin, Lincolnshire 1876/77 St Luke's Church, West Orchard, Dorset 1877 Holy Cross, Swainby, North Riding of Yorkshire 1878 St Mary, Stalbridge, Dorset, complete restoration	1841+ Westerdale Hall, Yorks 1860 Carlett Park, Cheshire 1874 Jedburgh Old Parish Church Manse [19] 1873 Palmela "Conceição Velha" House, Cascais (Lisbon), Portugal 1875 Barcote Manor, Buckland, Berkshire 1876–79 Newnham Paddox House, Warwickshire Westerdale Hall, February 2008	1822 Bridge over the River Windrush, Witney, Oxon [20] 1850/3 St Johns Hospital, Buckinghamshire

Bibliography

• Robinson, John Martin (1979). The Wyatts, an Architectural Dynasty. Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780198173403.

See also

• Wyatt family

References

1. Thomas Henry Wyatt, National Portrait Gallery, London, Retrieved 8 September 2009
2. "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". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
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. Cadw. "Malpas Court (18285)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
15. Historic England. "Exchange Buildings (1245031)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 August 2020.
16. "britishlistedbuildings". Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
17. "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.
18. "Architects | Dictionary Scottish Architects | Part of Historic Environment Scotland". www.scottisharchitects.org.uk. Archived from the original on 1 March 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
19. "Architects | Dictionary Scottish Architects | Part of Historic Environment Scotland". www.scottisharchitects.org.uk. Archived from the original on 1 March 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
20. Pevsner & Sherwood, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, 1974, p. 847

External links

• Media related to Thomas Henry Wyatt at Wikimedia Commons
• Watercolour by Wyatt of his New Liverpool Exchange, 1860s or 1870s