George Myers (builder)

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Blue plaque to George Myers at his home in 131 St George's Road, London SE1

George Myers (1803-1875) was an English builder, best known for his work with the architect and designer Augustus Pugin.

[edit] Biography

Myers was born in 1803 in Kingston-upon-Hull. He first met Pugin in 1827 while working as an apprentice to the Master Mason of Beverley Minster, William Comins. Myers completed his apprenticeship in 1829, and returned to Kingston-upon-Hull where he set up as a builder, specialising in factories, mills and terraced housing, with his business partner Richard Wilson. In 1837, Pugin commissioned them to build St Mary's Catholic Church in Derby for him.

Myers followed Pugin to London, settling in St George's Road, Southwark in 1842. From here he executed many important commissions for Pugin, including Newcastle, Birmingham, Nottingham and Southwark cathedrals. He also worked for many other archictes, and it has been estimated that he built on average three churches a year.

In 1853, after the death of his eldest daughter the previous October, Myers moved to Montague House, Clapham Road, Lambeth. Myers retired in 1874. In March 1874 Myers suffered a serious stroke. He died of exhaustion on 25 January 1875, and was buried at West Norwood Cemetery. His business had passed to his sons on his retirement, but it was already running down, and finally ceased trading in 1876.^[1]

[edit] Legacy

Myers is commemorated by a blue plaque at his home in 131 St George's Road. He is also listed in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography^[2], and is the subject of the biography Pugin's Builder: The Life and Work of George Myers by Patricia Spencer-Silver (ISBN 0859586111).