Basic Biographical Details Name: | Sydney Smirke | Designation: | | Born: | 20 December 1797 | Died: | 8 December 1877 | Bio Notes: | Sydney Smirke was born in London on 20 December 1797, the fifth and youngest son of Robert Smirke RA, painter and illustrator, and his wife Elizabeth. He was baptised on 14 Jan 1798. He was educated at Eywood, Herefordshire, studying under a private tutor with Lord Oxford's eldest son. At the age of about eighteen he entered the office of his eldest brother Sir Robert Smirke and studied at the Royal Academy Schools, winning the Gold Medal in 1819. This enabled him to visit Italy and Sicily. In 1827 he obtained a clerkship of the Kings' Works, engaged on St James's Palace, at which point his career temporarily diverged from that of his brother. The post was abolished in 1832, but in the following year he obtained his first major commission, the reconstruction of the Pantheon in London's Oxford Street, and gradually built up a large practice, partly from clients passed on to him by his elder brother, enabling him to marry Isabella Dobson, daughter of the architect John Dobson of Newcastle.
Sydney Smirke succeeded to his brother's practice in 1846, retaining the Surveyorship of the Inner Temple, the Duchy of Lancaster, the British Museum and the General Post Office. He was admitted FRIBA surprisingly late on 29 April 1844, his proposers being Sir William Tite, Thomas Henry Wyatt, Edward Buckton Lamb and the Catholic architect Joseph John Scoles. He received the Royal Gold Medal in 1860 and was Professor of Architecture 1861-65 at the Royal Academy where he reconstructed their buildings between 1867 and 1872, his last major work. He died at Tunbridge Wells on 8 December 1877, leaving estate of £80,000. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | London, England | Business | | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Gilbert Robert Blount | | | Assistant | | | James Wylson | Before 1843 | c. 1845 | Senior Clerk | | | Sydney Smirke | 1855 | 1862 | Apprentice | |
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Francis Thomas Dollman | 4 January 1846 | for Associateship | | George Fowler Jones | 17 February 1888 | for Fellowship |
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | 1843 | Luton Hoo | | | Bedfordshire | England | Reconstruction after fire. |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | | | Crook, J Mordaunt | | Sydney Smirke: The Architecture of Compromise | | Fawcett, Jane (ed.): 'Seven Victorian Architects' | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 5 December 1877 | | | Obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Courtesy of Dr Aileen Reid | Information per 'Contact Us' on website | | Sent June 2011 |
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