Jeffry Wyatville Explained

Honorific Prefix:Sir
Birth Name:Jeffry Wyatt
Birth Date:1766 8, df=yes
Birth Place:Burton upon Trent
Death Place:London
Significant Buildings:Windsor Castle

Sir Jeffry Wyatville (3 August 1766 – 18 February 1840)[1] was an English architect and garden designer. Born Jeffry Wyatt into an established dynasty of architects, in 1824 he was allowed by King George IV to change his surname to Wyatville (frequently misspelled Wyattville).[2] He is mainly remembered for making alterations and extensions to Chatsworth House and Windsor Castle.

Life

Jeffry Wyatt was born on 3 August 1766 in Burton upon Trent, the first surviving child of Joseph (1739–1785) and Myrtilla Wyatt, who died shortly after Jeffry's birth. He was educated at the grammar school in Burton upon Trent. Shortly after the death of his father, Wyatville began his architectural training in his uncle Samuel Wyatt's office.[3] He remained with Samuel until 1792 when he moved from the Midlands to his uncle James Wyatt's office in Queen Anne Street, London.[4] He later completed the gothic Ashridge in Hertfordshire after his uncle James's death in 1813. Wyatville sent designs to the Royal Academy every year from 1786 to 1822 and less frequently thereafter.[5] There is no evidence that Wyatville ever undertook foreign travel as part of his education, probably because of the Napoleonic Wars.[6] Wyatville was elected Associate of the Royal Academy on 4 November 1822,[7] then, on 10 February 1824, he was elected a Royal Academician of the Royal Academy, his diploma work being a drawing of the unexecuted design for Brocklesby Hall.[7]

His largest commission, the remodelling of Windsor Castle begun in 1824, when Parliament voted £300,000 for the purpose.[8] The eventual cost was over £1,000,000 (a quarter of which covered furnishing).[8] A competition was held between four invited architects,[9] Wyatville, Robert Smirke, John Nash and John Soane, the architects (with the exception of Soane who withdrew from the competition) submitted their designs, in June Wyatville was announced as the winner. The foundation stone was laid on 12 August 1824 by King George IV[8] at what would become the George IV gateway. Wyatville took up residence in the Winchester Tower in the castle in 1824 and would use it for the rest of his life. Eventually the Upper Ward of the Castle would be reconstructed. It was while at Windsor that he designed Golden Grove at Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire for the 1st Earl Cawdor, completed 1834, and its 'sister house', Lilleshall Hall in Shropshire, for the 1st Duke of Sutherland, completed 1829.

He was knighted by George IV in 1828. He was buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on 25 February 1840 following his death on 18 February.[10] His memorial stone is in the north-east corner behind the high altar, and bears this inscription:[11]

In the vault beneath are deposited the remains of Sir Jeffry Wyatville R.A. under whose direction the new construction and restoration of the ancient and royal castle of Windsor were carried out during the reigns of George the 4th William the 4th and of Her Majesty Queen Victoria he died February 18th A.D. 1840 in the 74th year of his age.

List of architectural work

His designs include:[12]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Derek Linstrum, "Wyatville (Wyatt), Sir Jeffry (1766–1840)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008. 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/30116. 23 June 2008. Linstrum. Derek.
  2. page 48, Sir Jeffry Wyatville Architect to the King, Derek Linstrum, 1972 Oxford University Press
  3. page 6, Sir Jeffry Wyatville Architect to the King, Derek Linstrum, (1972), Oxford University Press
  4. page 7, Sir Jeffry Wyatville Architect to the King, Derek Linstrum, 1972 Oxford University Press
  5. [Algernon Graves]
  6. page 8, Sir Jeffry Wyatville Architect to the King, Derek Linstrum, 1972 Oxford University Press
  7. Bingham, Neil, (2011) Page 54 Masterworks: Architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts, Royal Academy of Arts,
  8. page 86, Windsor Castle, Sir Owen Morshead Librarian to the Queen, 1952 Phaidon Press
  9. page 17, For the King's Pleasure: The Furnishing and Decoration of George IV's Apartments at Windsor Castle, Hugh Roberts, 2001, The Royal Collection;
  10. “He was a delightful man, good, simple like a child, indefatigable, eager, patient, easy to deal with to the greatest degree, ready to adopt a wish if practicable, firm to resist a faulty project.” (Handbook of Chatsworth and Hardwick by William S. Cavendish, sixth Duke of Devonshire, 1845, London, privately printed).
  11. page 51, Sir Jeffry Wyatville Architect to the King, Derek Linstrum, 1972 Oxford University Press
  12. pages 228–258, Sir Jeffry Wyatville Architect to the King, Derek Linstrum, 1972 Oxford University Press
  13. Book: Birtchnell, Percy. Percy Birtchnell. A Short History of Berkhamsted. 1960. The Bookstack. 1-871372-00-3. 30–32.
  14. Book: Jane Roberts. Royal Landscape: The Gardens and Parks of Windsor. 1997. Yale University Press. 978-0-300-07079-8. 347–.

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