Thomas Archer (1668–1743) was an

English Baroque English Baroque is a term used to refer to modes of English architecture that paralleled Baroque architecture in continental Europe between the Great Fire of London (1666) and roughly 1720, when the flamboyant and dramatic qualities of Baroque ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, whose work is somewhat overshadowed by that of his contemporaries Sir

John Vanbrugh Sir John Vanbrugh (; 24 January 1664 (baptised) – 26 March 1726) was an English architect, dramatist and herald, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restora ...

and

Nicholas Hawksmoor Nicholas Hawksmoor (probably 1661 – 25 March 1736) was an English architect. He was a leading figure of the English Baroque style of architecture in the late-seventeenth and early-eighteenth centuries. Hawksmoor worked alongside the principa ...

. His buildings are important as the only ones by an English Baroque architect to show evidence of study of contemporary continental, namely Italian, architecture.

Life

Archer spent his youth at

Umberslade Hall Umberslade Hall is a 17th-century mansion converted into residential apartments situated in Nuthurst near Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire. It is a Grade II* listed building. The Archer family were granted the manor of Umberslade by Henry II in ...

Tanworth-in-Arden Tanworth-in-Arden (; often abbreviated to Tanworth) is a small village and civil parish in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is southeast of Birmingham and northeast of Redditch, and is administered by Stratford-on-Avon District Council ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...

, the youngest son of

Thomas Archer Thomas Archer (1668–1743) was an English Baroque architect, whose work is somewhat overshadowed by that of his contemporaries Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. His buildings are important as the only ones by an English Baroque archit ...

, a country gentleman, Parliamentary Colonel and

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

, and Ann Leigh, daughter of the London haberdasher, Richard Leigh. The exact date of Archer's birth is unknown, but can be inferred from the two documentary sources that mention his age. One is an entry in the Oxford University register recording his matriculation at Trinity College on 12 June 1686, aged 17; the other, his epitaph, survives in the parish church of Hale, Hampshire. If these records are accurate, he must have been born between 12 June 1668 and 22 May 1669. Thomas is the only one of the Archer children not to have his birth recorded in the Tamworth-in-Arden parish register, which suggests he may have been born elsewhere. He attended

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

, from which he matriculated on 12 June 1686. After leaving university, he went on a

Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...

, spending four years abroad and was influenced by the work of

Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...

and Borromini.

Churches

Among Archer's churches was St John Evangelist, Westminster, suggestive of Hawksmoor's baroque influence. Its four towers were originally built to stabilise subsidence. Historians believed that was more likely than following Sir John Vanbrgh's style. Built in 1750,

St Paul's, Deptford St Paul's, Deptford, is one of London's finest Baroque parish churches, cited as "one of the most moving C18 churches in London" in the ''Buildings of England'' series. It was designed by gentleman architect Thomas Archer and built between 171 ...

, sweeping semi-circular porticos were not copied for a century until Smirke's magnificent church at St Mary's, Bryanston Square that dominated the street. At St Philip's, Birmingham, now Birmingham Cathedral there was a strong sense of the Italianate Lombardic influences of High Baroque style of churches: ornate, high ceilings, with cupola and dome. External to St Philips is the roof balustrade quite unusual in English church architecture. St John's and St Paul's were both built for the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches. John Summerson said these two buildings "represent the most advanced Baroque style ever attempted in England". According to the minutes of the Commissioners, Archer also "improved" Hawksmoor's designs for St Alfege's at Greenwich, although the nature of the improvements, or whether they were implemented, is unknown. Downes suggests the use of the giant order of pilasters around the church may have been Archer's idea. At

Hale Hale may refer to: Places Australia *Hale, Northern Territory, a locality *Hale River, in southeastern Northern Territory Canada *Hale, Ontario, in Algoma District United Kingdom * Hale, Cumbria, a hamlet near Beetham, Cumbria *Hale, Greater Man ...

, Hampshire, he remodelled St Mary's Church, which also contains his memorial, carved by

Sir Henry Cheere Sir Henry Cheere, 1st Baronet (1703 – 15 January 1781) was a renowned English sculptor and monumental mason.George Edward Cokayne, ed., ''The Complete Baronetage'', 5 volumes (no date, c.1900); reprint, (Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), ...

to Archer's own design.

Secular works

Archer's secular works included

Roehampton House Roehampton House is a Grade I listed house at Roehampton Lane, Roehampton, London. What is now the central block of the current building was built between 1710 and 1712 by the architect Thomas Archer and named Roehampton House. It was built on b ...

in Surrey,

Welford Park Welford may refer to: Places ;Australia * Welford National Park ;England *Welford, Berkshire **RAF Welford ** Welford Park *Welford, Northamptonshire **Welford Reservoir **Welford Road Stadium Welford Road (currently known as Mattioli Woods ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

, and the Cascade House and the west front and broadly bowed pilastered north front at

Chatsworth House Chatsworth House is a stately home in the Derbyshire Dales, north-east of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield, England. The seat of the Duke of Devonshire, it has belonged to the House of Cavendish, Cavendish family sin ...

. In 1709–11 Archer designed a Baroque garden pavilion for

Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent, KG, PC (16715 June 1740) was a British politician and courtier. None of his sons outlived him, so his new title became extinct on his death. Though the house he built at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire has gone, parts ...

Wrest Park Wrest Park is a country estate located in Silsoe, Bedfordshire, England. It comprises Wrest Park, a Grade I listed country house, and Wrest Park Gardens, also Grade I listed, formal gardens surrounding the mansion. History Thomas Carew (1595 ...

Silsoe Silsoe is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. The village used to be on the main A6 road but a bypass around the village was opened in 1981 at a cost of £1.6m. History Origin The village name is derived from the Danish word ...

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

. After 1712 Archer designed

Hurstbourne Priors Hurstbourne Priors is a small village and civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Whitchurch, which lies approximately 1.8 miles (3.1 km) north-east from the village. The church of St An ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

for

John Wallop Sir John Wallop, KG (c. 1490 – 13 July 1551) was an English soldier and diplomat who belonged to an old Hampshire family from the village of Farleigh Wallop. Biography Wallop, was son of Stephen Wallop by the daughter of Hugh Ashley. Wal ...

(later

Earl of Portsmouth Earl of Portsmouth is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1743 for John Wallop, 1st Viscount Lymington, who had previously represented Hampshire in the House of Commons. He had already been created Baron Wallop, of Fa ...

). He was a founding governor of the

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital in London, England, was founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" w ...

in London in 1739, but was not involved in the construction of the resulting building, completed c. 1750. The architect for that project was

Theodore Jacobsen Theodore Jacobsen (died 1772) was an English merchant in London, known also as an architect. Life Jacobsen was a merchant in Basinghall Street, London. He was the London-born son of Sir Jacob Jacobsen, a north German merchant, of a family closel ...

Documented works

, North front,

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

, c. 1705 *

Heythrop Hall Heythrop Park is a Grade II* listed early 18th-century country house southeast of Heythrop in Oxfordshire. It was designed by the architect Thomas Archer in the Baroque style for Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury. A fire in 1831 destroyed th ...

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 ...

, c. 1705 * St Philip's, Birmingham, 1708–1715 *Garden pavilion,

, 1709–1711 *

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, 1712 *

Cliveden House Cliveden (pronounced ) is an English country house and estate in the care of the National Trust in Buckinghamshire, on the border with Berkshire. The Italianate mansion, also known as Cliveden House, crowns an outlying ridge of the Chiltern H ...

, Service pavilions and the quadrant colonnades,

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

, 1712 * St John’s, Smith Square, London, 1713–1728 * St. Paul's, Deptford, 1712–1730 * Hale Park,

, 1715 *St Mary’s Church, additions,

, Hampshire, 1717 * Harcourt House, Cavendish Square,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, 1722
Hale Park
the house Archer designed for himself.

Attributed works

, remodelling of house,

, 1700 *

Chicheley Hall Chicheley Hall, Chicheley, Buckinghamshire, England is a country house built in the first quarter of the 18th century. The client was Sir John Chester, the main architect was Francis Smith of Warwick and the architectural style is Baroque. Later ...

, c. 1703 *Parish church, chancel,

Chicheley Chicheley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority area of the City of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The village is about north-east of Newport Pagnell. The village name is Anglo-Saxon in origin, and means ''Cicca' ...

, 1708 *

Addiscombe House Addiscombe is an List of areas of London, area of south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located south of Charing Cross, and is situated north of Coombe, Croydon, Coombe and Selsdon, east of Croydon town centre, sou ...

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 ...

, c. 1703 *

Monmouth House Monmouth House was a 17th-century mansion in Soho Square (then called King’s Square) built for the Duke of Monmouth, the oldest illegitimate son of King Charles II. After the Duke's execution for attempting to lead a rebellion against the unpo ...

, Soho Square,

, 1703 * Russell House, King Street,

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

, c. 1704 *Cascade House,

, 1705 *Hill House, Cain Hill,

, c. 1710, demolished *

Bramham Park Bramham Park is a Grade I listed 18th-century country house in Bramham, between Leeds and Wetherby, in West Yorkshire, England. The house, constructed of magnesian limestone ashlar with stone slate roofs in a classical style, is built to a lin ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, c. 1710 * Kingston Maurward,

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 ...

, 1717–1720 *

Marlow Place Marlow Place is a country house in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. It is a Grade I listed building. History The house, which was designed by Thomas Archer in the English Baroque style, was built for John Wallop, 1st Viscount Lymington and completed ...

, 1720 *

Chettle House Chettle House is a Grade I listed country manor house with Queen Anne style architecture in Chettle, North Dorset, England, about northeast of the town of Blandford Forum. It was built in 1710 for George Chafin, to designs of the architect Thomas ...

, c. 1730 *Monument to Susannah Thomas, Hampton Church,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

, c. 1731 *Archer Memorial, St Mary’s Church,

*Thomas Archer (his father) monument, St Mary Magdalene Church,

Gallery

File:St Johns Concert Hall.jpg, St. John's, Smith Square File:St john smith.jpg, St. John's, Smith Square File:ArcherPavilion3.jpg, Thomas Archer's garden pavilion at

, 2007 File:St Philips Cathedral, Birmingham from the east.jpg, St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham File:St Phillips Cathedral -Birmingham -UK.jpg, St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham, west front File:St Paul Deptford4.jpg, St Paul's Deptford File:St Paul Deptford2.jpg, St Paul's Deptford, east side File:St Paul Deptford3.jpg, St Paul's Deptford, north side File:The Cascade Building Chatsworth House.jpg, Cascade House Chatsworth File:Chatsworth House 05.jpg, Chatsworth North Front File:Heythrop ParkFlip.jpg, Heythrop Hall File:Bramham Park.jpg, Bramham Park File:BranhamParkJonesViews1829.jpg, Bramham Park File:Kingston Maurward 1.jpg, Kingston Maurward House File:CliveGardenFrontVitruviusBritannicus edited.jpg, Cliveden House File:Roehampton elev Vit Brit edited.jpg, Roehampton House

Notes

References

External links

Thomas Archer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Archer, Thomas 1668 births 1743 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford 18th-century English architects English Baroque architects English ecclesiastical architects People from Tanworth-in-Arden Architects of cathedrals Thomas Archer buildings Architects from Warwickshire