Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Thomas
Designation:  
Born: 1813
Died: 9 April 1862
Bio Notes: John Thomas was born at Chelford, Gloucestershire in 1813. Left an orphan at the age of thirteen, he was apprenticed as a stonemason and was chiefly engaged in the stone-carving and the lettering of gravestones. At the end of his apprenticeship, c.1831, he joined his much older architect brother, William, in Birmingham, and from his office he designed and executed a gothic monument in Huntingdon. This caught the attention of Sir Charles Barry who engaged him to execute the Pugin-designed stone-carving of the Edward VI Grammar School in Birmingham. In the later 1830s he worked chiefly as a stone-carver for Edward Blore and for the North Midland Railway, but in 1841 Barry again sought him out for the Palace of Westminster where he was appointed Superintendent of stone-carving in 1846. Royal patronage followed in 1848 with the commission from Prince Albert for large bas reliefs of 'Peace' and 'War' at Buckingham Palace, followed by further work at Windsor and a sculptural programme for the Sultan's Palace at Constantinople. In Scotland Thomas was responsible for modelling the carving of Rhind's Life Assurance Building, Bryce's Masonic Hall and Matheson's Holyrood Fountain, all in Edinburgh, and Gibson's National Bank in Glasgow. For John Houldsworth he executed a large chimneypiece in 1859 but whether this was for his Glasgow house or Coodham, Ayrshire has still to be established. The actual carving of much of his work was entrusted to Alexander Handyside Ritchie whom he engaged for some of the work at the Palace of Westminster.

In parallel with his sculpture Thomas practised as an architect designing the giant Somerleyton Hall, Suffolk for Sir Morton Peto in 1844-51, the Dairy, Home Park, Windsor in 1860 and Huntington Hill House, Oxford in 1861. He died in London on 9 April 1862, his health reputedly undermined by difficulties with the Shakespeare memorial at the International Exhibition of that year.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness   
Item 2 of 3Birmingham, EnglandBusiness   
Item 3 of 3London, EnglandBusiness   

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 21844National Bank of Scotland and Square of Business ChambersShawlands GlasgowScotlandCompetition design - Gibson appointed
Item 2 of 21854Glasgow Necropolis, John Houldsworth of Cranstonhill Mausoleum  GlasgowScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Grove Dictionary of Art Grove Dictionary of Art   
Item 2 of 3Gunnis, Richard Dictionary of British Sculptors, 1660-1851   
Item 3 of 3Read, Benedict1962Victorian Sculpture Yalepp132-3, 224, 231-5, 244, 249-50