John and Benjamin Green were a father and son who worked in partnership as architects in
North East England during the early nineteenth century. John, the father was a civil engineer as well as an architect. Although they did carry out some commissions separately, they were given joint credit for many of their projects, and it is difficult to attribute much of their work to a single individual. In general, John Green worked on civil engineering projects, such as road and rail bridges, whereas Benjamin worked on projects that were more purely architectural. Their work was predominantly church and railway architecture, with a sprinkling of public buildings that includes their masterpiece, Newcastle's
Theatre Royal.
Drawings by John and Benjamin Green are held by the
Laing Art Gallery
The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, is located on New Bridge Street West. The gallery was designed in the Baroque style with Art Nouveau elements by architects Cackett & Burns Dick and is now a Grade II listed building. It ...
in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Biographies
John Green
![Lit and Phil](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Lit_and_Phil.JPG)
John Green was born on 29 June 1787 at Newton Fell House, Nafferton, two miles north of
Ovington, Northumberland. He was the son of Benjamin Green, a carpenter and maker of agricultural implements. After finishing school, he worked in his father's business. The firm moved to the market town of
Corbridge
Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, west of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle and east of Hexham. Villages nearby include Halton, Northumberland, Halton, Acomb, Northumberland, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.
Etymology
Corbridge was kno ...
and began general building work with young John concentrating on architectural work. About 1820, John set up business as an architect and civil engineer in nearby
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
.
![Holy Trinity Church, Cambo - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Holy_Trinity_Church%2C_Cambo_-_geograph.org.uk_-_147493.jpg)
John Green married Jane Stobart in 1805, and they had two sons, John (c.1807–68) and Benjamin (c1811-58), both of whom became architects. Little is known about the career of John, but Benjamin worked in partnership with his father on many projects.
In 1822 John Green designed a new building for the Newcastle
Literary and Philosophical Society
The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne (or the ''Lit & Phil'' as it is popularly known) is a historical library in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and the largest independent library outside London. The library is still avai ...
. The building, which houses the society's substantial library, is still in use today. He also designed a number of farmhouses, being employed on the
Beaufront estate near
Hexham and also on the
Duke of Northumberland
Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke o ...
’s estates.
John Green was principally a civil engineer, and built several road and rail bridges. In 1829–31 he built two wrought-iron suspension bridges crossing the
Tyne (at Scotswood) and the
Tees (at
Whorlton). The bridge at Scotswood was demolished in 1967 but the one at Whorlton still survives. When the
High Level Bridge at Newcastle was proposed ten years later, John Green submitted plans, but those of
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS HFRSE FRSA DCL (16 October 1803 – 12 October 1859) was an English civil engineer and designer of locomotives. The only son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railways", he built on the achievements of his father ...
were accepted by the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Green also built a number of bridges using an innovative system of laminated timber arches on masonry piers, the Weibeking system, based on the work of Bavarian engineer C.F. Weibeking. The two he built for the
Newcastle and North Shields Railway
The Newcastle & North Shields Railway opened in June 1839 from a temporary terminus in Carliol Square in Newcastle upon Tyne to North Shields. The railway was absorbed by the Newcastle & Berwick Railway in November 1844. The Newcastle & Berwick ...
, at the
Ouseburn
The Ouseburn is a small river in Newcastle upon Tyne, England that flows through the city of Newcastle upon Tyne into the River Tyne. It gives its name to the Ouseburn Valley and the Ouseburn electoral ward for Newcastle City Council elections ...
and at
Willington Quay
Willington Quay is an area in the borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear in northern England. It is on the north bank of the River Tyne, facing Jarrow, and between Wallsend and North Shields. It is served by the Howdon Metro station in Howdon. ...
remain in use, though the timbers were replaced with wrought iron in a similar lattice pattern in 1869. In 1840 he was elected to the
Institution of Civil Engineers
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters are located in the UK, whi ...
, and in 1841 he was awarded the institution's
Telford Medal
The Telford Medal is a prize awarded by the British Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) for a paper or series of papers. It was introduced in 1835 following a bequest made by Thomas Telford, the ICE's first president. It can be awarded in gold ...
for his work on laminated arch design.
John Green died in Newcastle on 30 September 1852.
Benjamin Green
![Grey's Momument and Momument station - Newcastle upon Tyne - England - 130804](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Grey%27s_Momument_and_Momument_station_-_Newcastle_upon_Tyne_-_England_-_130804.jpg)
Benjamin Green was a pupil of
Augustus Charles Pugin
Augustus Charles Pugin (born Auguste-Charles Pugin; 1762 – 19 December 1832) was an Anglo-French artist, architectural draughtsman, and writer on medieval architecture. He was born in Paris, then the Kingdom of France, but his father was Sw ...
, father of the more famous
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...
. In the mid-1830s he became a partner of his father and remained so until the latter's death in 1852. The two partners differed somewhat. John has been described as a 'plain, practical, shrewd man of business' with a 'plain, severe and economical' style, whereas Benjamin was 'an artistic, dashing sort of fellow', with a style that was 'ornamental, florid and costly'.
The Greens worked as railway architects and it is believed that all the main line stations between Newcastle and
Berwick upon Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
were designed by Benjamin. In 2020
Morpeth Station was restored to Green's original designs following a £2.3M investment. They also designed a number of Northumbrian churches, the best examples being at
Earsdon
Earsdon is a village in the borough of North Tyneside in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. It sits on the border of Northumberland, which it is historically part of, and is approximately two miles from Whitley Bay. The village had a populati ...
and
Cambo.
The Green's most important commissions in Newcastle were the
Theatre Royal (1836–37) and the column for
Grey's Monument
Grey's Monument is a Grade I listed monument in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was built in 1838 to commemorate Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (also known as Earl Grey), who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 18 ...
(1837–38). Both of these structures were part of the re-development of Newcastle city centre in neo-classical style by
Richard Grainger
Richard Grainger (9 October 17974 July 1861) was a builder in Newcastle upon Tyne. He worked with the architects John Dobson and Thomas Oliver, and with the town clerk, John Clayton, to redevelop the centre of Newcastle in the 19th century. ...
, and both exist today. Although both of the partners were credited with their design, it is believed that Benjamin was the person responsible.
![Penshaw Hill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Penshaw_Hill.jpg)
Another well-known structure designed by the Greens is
Penshaw Monument
The Penshaw Monument (officially the Earl of Durham's Monument) is a memorial in the style of an ancient Greek temple on Penshaw Hill in the metropolitan borough of the City of Sunderland, North East England. It is located near the village of ...
(1844). This is a folly standing on
Penshaw
The village of Penshaw , formerly known as ''Painshaw'' or ''Pensher'', is an area of the metropolitan district of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically, Penshaw was located in County Durham.
Name and etymology
The ...
Hill in County Durham. It was built as a half-sized replica of the renowned
Temple of Hephaestus
The Temple of Hephaestus or ''Hephaisteion'' (also "Hephesteum" or "Hephaesteum"; grc, Ἡφαιστεῖον, ell, Ναός Ηφαίστου, and formerly called in error the Theseion or "Theseum"; grc, Θησεῖον, ell, Θησείο), ...
in Athens, and was dedicated to
John George Lambton, first
Earl of Durham
Earl of Durham is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1833 for the Whig politician and colonial official John Lambton, 1st Baron Durham. Known as "Radical Jack", he played a leading role in the passing of the Gr ...
and the first Governor of the
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on th ...
. The monument, being built on a hill is visible for miles around and is a famous local landmark. It is now owned by the
National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
.
Benjamin Green survived his father by only six years, and died in a mental home at
Dinsdale Park, County Durham on 14 November 1858.
Major works
Presbyterian Chapel, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1822 (demolished 2011)
Literary and Philosophical Society, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1822–1825
St Peter's Church,
Falstone
Falstone is a small village in Northumberland, England, just east of Kielder Water. The village is from the Anglo–Scottish border. The name ''Falstone'' means "speckled stone". Much of the village is clustered around its two churches, St. P ...
, 1824-5
Westgate Hill Cemetery, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1825–1829, (lodge demolished 1970, railings and gates removed, piers and basic layout remains)
Ingram Farm,
Ingram, 1826
Whorlton Suspension Bridge,
Wycliffe, County Durham
Wycliffe is a village on the south bank of the River Tees in the North East of England, situated a short distance to the east of Barnard Castle. Wycliffe is in the civil parish of Wycliffe with Thorpe.
It is located within the historic bounda ...
, 1829–1831
Hawks Cottages,
Gateshead, 1830 (demolished 1960)
Scotswood Chain Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1831, (demolished 1967)
Church of St Mary and St Thomas Aquinas,
Blaydon, 1831–1832
Bellingham Bridge,
Bellingham, 1834
Holy Trinity Church, Dalton (near
Stamfordham), 1836
Vicarage of St Alban,
Earsdon
Earsdon is a village in the borough of North Tyneside in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. It sits on the border of Northumberland, which it is historically part of, and is approximately two miles from Whitley Bay. The village had a populati ...
, 1836
Church of St Alban, Earsdon, 1836–1837
St Mary's Roman Catholic Church,
Alnwick, 1836
Church of the Holy Saviour,
Newburn
Newburn is a semi rural parish, former electoral ward and former urban district in western Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. Situated on the North bank of the River Tyne, it is built rising up the valley from the river. It is situated ...
, 1836–1837
Poor Law Guardians Hall,
North Shields
North Shields () is a town in the Borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne and borders nearby Wallsend and Tynemouth.
Since 1974, it has been in the North Tyneside borough of Tyne and Wea ...
, 1837
Master Mariners Homes,
Tynemouth, 1837–1840
Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1837
Parish Hall of the Church of the Holy Saviour, Newburn, 1838
Column of Grey's Monument, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1838
Willington Viaduct,
Wallsend
Wallsend is a town in North Tyneside, England, at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 43,842 and lies east of Newcastle upon Tyne.
History Roman Wallsend
In Roman times, this was the site of the fort of Segedunum. This f ...
, 1837–1839
Ouseburn Viaduct
Ouseburn Viaduct carries the East Coast Main Line over the Ouseburn Valley through the East End of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Designed by architects John and Benjamin Green, it was originally built in the late 1830s for the Newcastle and North Shi ...
, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1837–1839
Church of the Holy Saviour,
Tynemouth, 1839–1841
Ilderton Vicarage,
Ilderton, 1841
The Red Cottage,
Whitburn, 1842
Holy Trinity Church,
Cambo, 1842
Holy Trinity Church,
Horsley-on-Rede, 1844
The Earl of Durham's Monument,
Sunderland, 1844
St Edwin's, Coniscliffe, Co. Durham, 1844 (restoration of mediaeval church)
40-44 Moseley Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1845
Witham Testimonial Hall,
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle (, ) is a market town on the north bank of the River Tees, in County Durham, Northern England. The town is named after and built around a medieval castle ruin. The town's Bowes Museum's has an 18th-century Silver Swan automato ...
, 1846
Old Railway Station, Tynemouth Rd,
Tynemouth 1846-7
Acklington Station,
Acklington
Acklington is a small village in Northumberland, England. It is situated to the south-west of Amble, inland from the North Sea coast. It is served by Acklington railway station. The name is Anglo-Saxon Old English 'farmstead of Eadlac's people'.
...
, 1847
Chathill Station,
Chathill, 1847
Belford Station,
Belford, Northumberland
Belford is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England, about halfway between Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed, a few miles inland from the east coast and just off the Great North Road, the A1. At the 2001 census it had a population of ...
, 1847
Morpeth Station,
Morpeth, Northumberland, 1847
Warkworth Station,
Warkworth, Northumberland
Warkworth is a village in Northumberland, England. It is probably best known for its well-preserved medieval castle, church and hermitage. The population of Warkworth was 1,493 in 2001, increasing to 1,574 at the 2011 Census. The village is si ...
, 1847
Holy Trinity Church,
Seghill
Seghill is a large village located on the Northumberland border which is the county boundary between Northumberland and Tyne and Wear. Seghill is situated between the villages of Seaton Delaval and Annitsford, about north of Newcastle upon Tyne. ...
, 1849
Newcastle Joint Stock Bank, St Nicholas Square,
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
, c.1850
Norham station,
Norham
Norham ( ) is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England, It is located south-west of Berwick on the south side of the River Tweed where it is the border with Scotland.
History
Its ancient name was Ubbanford. Ecgred of Lindisfarne ...
, 1851
St Paul's Church,
Elswick, 1854
All Saints Cemetery,
Jesmond
Jesmond is a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, situated to the east of the Town Moor. Jesmond is considered to be one of the most affluent suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, with higher average house prices than most other areas of the city.
H ...
, 1854
Sailor's Home, 11 New Quay,
North Shields
North Shields () is a town in the Borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne and borders nearby Wallsend and Tynemouth.
Since 1974, it has been in the North Tyneside borough of Tyne and Wea ...
, 1856
United Free Methodist Church,
North Shields
North Shields () is a town in the Borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne and borders nearby Wallsend and Tynemouth.
Since 1974, it has been in the North Tyneside borough of Tyne and Wea ...
, 1857
Corn Exchange, Groat Market,
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
(demolished 1974)
Sources
*
*
* Grundy, J., McCombie, G., Ryder, P., Welfare, H. & Pevsner, N. (1992) ''The Buildings of England: Northumberland.''
References
Literature
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, John And Benjamin
Architects from Northumberland
Business families
Business duos