Robert Jewell Withers (1824–1894) was an English ecclesiastical architect.

Early life

Robert Jewell Withers was born on 2 February 1824 in

Shepton Mallet Shepton Mallet is a market town and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England, some south-west of Bath, south of Bristol and east of Wells. It had an estimated population of 10,810 in 2019. Mendip District Council is based t ...

, Somerset, England. His father was John Alexander Withers and his mother, Maria Jewell. He had a brother,

Frederick Clarke Withers Frederick Clarke Withers (4 February 1828 – 7 January 1901) was an English architect in America, especially renowned for his Gothic Revival ecclesiastical designs. For portions of his professional career, he partnered with fellow immigrant Cal ...

, who also became an architect and worked in America. Church of St James Norlands - geograph

Career

Withers began his career as an architect in

Sherborne Sherborne is a market town and civil parish in north west Dorset, in South West England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The parish includes the hamlets of Nether Coombe and Lower Clatcombe. T ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

, in 1848. By 1850, he moved his practice to London. Withers became a member of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

in 1873.

Selected works

* 1863–1865: St Dogfael, Meline – rebuilding * 1864–1866: St David's,

Henfynyw Henfynyw is a village and community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales, just outside Aberaeron, and is 69.6 miles (111.9 km) from Cardiff and 183.5 miles (295.4 km) from London. In 2011 the population of Henfynyw numbered 1045, with 54.3 ...

– rebuilding * 1876: St James, Norlands, Holland Park – addition of chancel and vestries to the 1845 building designed by

Lewis Vulliamy Lewis Vulliamy (15 March 1791 – 4 January 1871) was an English architect descended from the Vulliamy family of clockmakers. Life Lewis Vulliamy was the son of the clockmaker Benjamin Vulliamy. He was born in Pall Mall, London on 15 March 179 ...

* 1879: St James, Avebury – chancel largely rebuilt

Personal life

Withers married Catherine Vaux on 20 April 1854 at the parish church in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

."Married," The Morning Chroncle ondon (April 24, 1954): p. 8 They had four sons and five daughters. He was an organist at St John's Church, Kennington. Withers died on 7 October 1894 in London.

References

1824 births 1894 deaths People from Somerset English ecclesiastical architects {{England-architect-stub