Richard Westmacott (the elder) (1747–1808) was an 18th-century monumental sculptor and the beginning of a dynasty of one of Britain's most important sculpting families. He also specialised in fireplace design for many of England's grand country houses.

Life

He was educated at

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

. He married Sarah Vardy, daughter of Thomas Vardy , carver, and niece of

John Vardy John Vardy (February 1718 – 17 May 1765) was an English architect attached to the Royal Office of Works from 1736. He was a close follower of the neo-Palladian architect William Kent. John Vardy was born to a simple working family in Durham. Hi ...

, architect, and had thirteen children by her. He also had an affair with a widow, Susan Molloy, landlady of the "Bull and Horns" public house in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

and had at least one child by her also.Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660–1851, Rupert Gunnis Sadly his life-style outstripped his income and he was declared bankrupt in 1803. It is likely that he was thereafter supported by his by then successful son

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...

. He died in relative poverty in 1808.

Dynasty

His sons include: George Westmacott (c. 1770 – 1827); Thomas Westmacott (architect) (c. 1775 – 1798); Sir

Richard Westmacott Sir Richard Westmacott (15 July 17751 September 1856) was a British sculptor. Life and career Westmacott studied with his father, also named Richard Westmacott (the elder), Richard Westmacott, at his studio in Mount Street, off Grosvenor ...

(1775–1856) RA (the most successful and prodigious sculptor of the family); Henry Westmacott (sculptor) (1784–1861);

Charles Molloy Westmacott Charles Molloy Westmacott (c. 1788 - 1868) was a British journalist and author, editor of ''The Age'', the leading Sunday newspaper of the early 1830s. He sometimes wrote under the pseudonym Bernard Blackmantle. Life Born in 1787 or 1788, Westma ...

, illegitimate son (1782–1868) (an author who dabbled in sculpture). His grandsons included: James Sherwood Westmacott (1823–1900) (sculptor); and

Richard Westmacott (the younger) Richard Westmacott (the younger) RA (14 April 1799 – 19 April 1872) – also sometimes described as Richard Westmacott III (to distinguish him from his father and grandfather – both sculptors bearing the same name) – was a prominent Englis ...

(1799–1872) (sculptor).

Works

* Fireplace for the Music Room,

Cobham Hall Cobham Hall is an English country house in the county of Kent, England. The grade I listed building is one of the largest and most important houses in Kent, re-built as an Elizabethan prodigy house by William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham (1527� ...

, Kent, 1778 * Monument to Prince Sutton,

Devizes Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, 1779 * Fireplace for

Corsham Court Corsham Court is an English country house in a park designed by Capability Brown. It is in the town of Corsham, 3 miles (5 km) west of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and is notable for its fine art collection, based on the nucleus of paintin ...

, 1780 * Marble floor, Methuen Chapel, North Wraxall Church,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, 1781 * Monument to Sir Thomas Stapleton, Rotherfield Greys,

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

, 1781 * Fireplace for State Bedroom,

Warwick Castle Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-an ...

* All ornamental fireplaces, New Gorhambury House,

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

c. 1784 * Several ornate fireplaces for the Admiralty in London, 1788 * Marble fireplace,

Woburn Abbey Woburn Abbey (), occupying the east of the village of Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the family seat of the Duke of Bedford. Although it is still a family home to the current duke, it is open on specified days to visitors, a ...

1790 * Monument to Sir Lister Holte, Aston, Birmingham, 1790 * Monument to Samuel Dennis,

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its founder, Sir Thomas White, intended to pro ...

, 1795 * Fireplaces and other ornamentation at

Kensington Palace Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century, and is currently the official L ...

, 1796

References

* The Buildings of England, Nikolaus Pevsner {{DEFAULTSORT:Westmacott, Richard 1747 births 1808 deaths Neoclassical sculptors British architectural sculptors British sculptors British male sculptors Monumental masons