Basic Biographical Details

Name: Herbert Baker & Masey
Designation:  
Born: 1899
Died: 1906
Bio Notes: Herbert Baker (later Sir Herbert) was born in Cobham in Kent on 9 June 1862, one of ten children of Thomas H Baker, JP. He was educated at Tonbridge School and articled to his uncle Arthur H Baker in September 1881 and remained for three years whilst attending classes at the Architectural Association. He remained with Baker after his apprenticeship as clerk of works at Llanberis Church, North Wales, a project which lasted a further year and a half. He then transferred to the office of Ernest George & Peto as improver and subsequently assistant and remained there until 1890 during which period he attended the Royal Academy Schools. While at their office he met Edwin Lutyens with whom he went sketching in the country. Baker won the Ashpitel Prize and passed the qualifying exam in 1889 and was elected ARIBA on 13 January of the following year, his proposers being his uncle, Harold Ainsworth Peto and Ernest George. He was elected Fellow ten years later on 18 January 1900, his proposers being on this occasion H S Greaves, Ernest George again and W Emerson.

When in 1891 Baker's brother Lionel went out to South Africa to set up a fruit farm, Baker went out to advise on its situation. He soon met Cecil Rhodes who asked him to restore his home, Groote Schuur and to rebuild it again after a fire in 1893. In Baker Rhodes saw a man who could share his dreams of a great and permanent culture for South Africa. Baker was appointed Diocesan architect for Cape Town in 1893 and as such was responsible for a number of churches in the city.

Baker formed a partnership with his former assistant Francis Edward Masey in 1899. Masey had born in 1858 or 1859, the son of Phillip Edward Masey of London. He had been articled to his father from 1875 and had assisted in the office of Alfred Waterhouse from 1878 to 1896, emigrating to South Africa in the latter year and joining Baker's office. Together Baker and Masey designed a great variety of buildings - not only churches, but offices, banks and villas. They also supervised the construction of the Union Castle Line building and the Mount Wilson Hotel in Cape Town on behalf Dunn & Watson.

Rhodes died in 1902 and Lord Milner who had the task of rebuilding in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony after the Boer War engaged Baker & Masey on a number of projects including Government buildings, churches, houses and agricultural and mining settlements. In 1906 they took on a third partner, Franklin Kaye Kendall, who had joined the practice in 1899 as assistant. Masey left to set up his own practice in Rhodesia in 1909 and Baker formed a new partnership with Frank Leonard Hodgson Fleming who had been assisting since 1903.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Johannesburg, South AfricaBusiness   
Item 2 of 2Cape Town, South AfricaBusiness   

Employment and Training

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 4(Sir) Herbert Baker18991906Partner 
Item 2 of 4Francis Edward Masey18991906Partner 
Item 3 of 4James MorrisApril 1903May 1909Chief Draughtsman 
Item 4 of 4Arthur James Marshall19041914Assistant 

References

Currently, there are no references for this . The information has been derived from: the British Architectural Library / RIBA Directory of British Architects 1834-1914; Post Office Directories; and/or any sources listed under this individual's works.