James Bridges (architect)

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James Bridges
Personal information
Name James Bridges
Nationality British
Birth date c1725
Birth place
Work
Significant buildings

James Bridges was an architect working in Bristol between 1757 and 1763. He was the son of a Hertfordshire clockmaker and arrived in Bristol after taking his father's clock, the Microcosm, on a tour of the American colonies: this gave rise to the story that he was an American. His design for rebuilding Bristol Bridge was ultimately accepted but was carried out by Thomas Paty after Bridges left Bristol, aggrieved by the treatment of his proposals.

James was the son of Henry Bridges, architect and builder of Waltham Abbey, Essex. James seems to have spent his early years traveling Britain and the American colonies with his father’s giant musical astronomical clock, the Microcosm. In Henry’s will of 1754 he thinks James is in Antigua.

James was a talented, personable and highly literate man who had traveled widely, possibly in Europe, but when he arrived in Bristol in the mid 1750s he never claimed any prior work. He probably trained with his father, whose work record is similarly lost to us. Given their home near Waltham Abbey Gunpowder works, it is possible they were gunpowder makers.

James proved to be one of the finest engineers and draftsmen of his age. He was also ever willing to learn, as he made several trips to London at his own expense to consult Robert Mylne and Sir Isaac Ware on his plans. Like his father, he seems to have been comfortably off. He or his friends and family must have put up bonds for his work. His successor on Bristol Bridge had to pay £10,000.

Contents

[edit] Houses

In Bristol he built The Royal Fort, a Capability Brown-style mansion for a merchant banker overlooking the city. Often attributed to three architects, it has his characteristic eye for detail and comfort. His model of it survives. It is now part of Bristol University. Similar detail is seen in Arnos Manor, at Brislington on the outskirts of the city, now Arnos Manor Hotel. It included a famous pleasure garden, incorporating remnants of St Werburgh’s church in the centre of the city which he was rebuilding at the same time. After the war the estate fell into neglect and the bath house was rescued and relocated at Portmeirion in Wales.

For the coronation of King George III he produced a spectacular fireworks display in Queen Square, unusual for its detail and the lack of any fatalities. He also did magic tricks, and seems to have got on well with people; the local newspaper Felix Farley’s Journal was a great supporter of him. But his main claim to fame was being given the job of surveyor to rebuild Bristol Bridge, after which the city was named.

[edit] Bristol Bridge

The bridge had become dangerous due to the increase in traffic and encroachments narrowing the roadway. He was given the job of rebuilding the four arch medieval bridge as a classical three arch bridge on the original foundations. The entrance to the bridge was also dangerous, so he was also given the job of rebuilding nearby St Nicholas’ church with its narrow gateway. But a number of locals waged a war against him, mocking his lack of classical education and claiming he was a carpenter and joiner, but his assessment of St Nicholas’ wooden tower as sound makes it clear he knew little of wood. It proved too much for him so in 1763 he left, the church and bridge unfinished, apparently for the West Indies and probably an early death. His work was finished by Thomas Paty whose family became the main builders in Georgian Bristol.

[edit] Assessment

Though little known even in Bristol, there is little doubt of his importance to the city. At a time when England was recovering from the ravages of the Reformation and Civil War, most buildings, especially in the provinces, were still of wood. James Bridges raised the standards which locals then followed. It is fascinating to consider what he could have achieved had he survived. An intriguing postscript to this is a print of an inhabited bridge with windvane topped towers, corn, coal and other warehouses by Mr Bridges of 1793. It was printed by PD of Bristol, possibly clock maker and engraver Phineas Daniel. It is beautifully and well designed, old fashioned baroque, and sited slightly upstream in the Avon Gorge from Brunel’s Suspension Bridge. A model of it was featured at the Royal Academy of Arts 1996/7 exhibition ‘Living Bridges’. It seems too much of a coincidence for this Mr Bridges not to be a relative of the missing James.

[edit] List of works

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[edit] References