Thomas Archer

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For the pastoralist with the same name, see Thomas Archer (pastoralist).
Thomas Archer's garden pavilion at Wrest Park.
Thomas Archer's garden pavilion at Wrest Park.

Thomas Archer (16681743) was an English Baroque architect, whose work is somewhat overshadowed by that of his contemporaries Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. Archer was born in Tanworth-in-Arden in Warwickshire and attended Oxford University. He went on a Grand Tour and was influenced by the work of Bernini and Borromini.

His churches include St John's, Smith Square, Westminster, badly damaged in World War II, St. Paul's, Deptford and St Philip, Birmingham, now Birmingham Cathedral. Archer's secular works included Roehampton House in Surrey, Welford Park in Berkshire, and the Cascade House and the west front and broadly bowed pilastered north front at Chatsworth House. Between 1709-1711 Archer designed a Baroque Garden pavilion for Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent at Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedfordshire. After 1712 Archer designed Hurstbourne Priors in Hampshire for John Wallop (later Earl of Portsmouth). He remodelled St Mary's Church at Hale, Hampshire which also contains Archer Memorial designed by himself and carved by Sir Henry Cheere.[1]


He was a founding governor of the Foundling Hospital in London in 1739, but was not involved in the construction of the resulting building, completed circa 1750. The architect for that project was a Mr. Theodore Jacobsen.

Contents

[edit] Documented works

Thomas Archer's garden pavilion at Wrest Park, 2007
Thomas Archer's garden pavilion at Wrest Park, 2007

[edit] Attributed works


[edit] References

  1. ^ The Puzzle of St Mary's Church - Hale. Judith Leigh © Cathedral Communications Limited 2005.

[edit] External links

[edit] Further reading

  • Whiffen, Marcus:Thomas Archer: Architect of the English Baroque, Hennessey & Ingalls, Santa Monica 1973, ISBN 0912158239
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