John Thomas (1813–1862) was a British sculptor and architect, who worked on

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

and the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north b ...

Life

John Thomas was born in

Chalford Chalford is a large village in the Frome Valley of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. It is to the southeast of Stroud about upstream. It gives its name to Chalford parish, which covers the villages of Chalford, Chalford Hill, Fran ...

, Gloucestershire. Apprenticed to a stonemason after being left an orphan, he later went to Birmingham where his elder brother

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

was an architect (and who later moved to Canada to continue his career). He was noticed by

Charles Barry Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also respon ...

who immediately employed John Thomas as a stone and wood carver on Birmingham Grammar School (now demolished), his first collaboration with Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. Barry later appointed him the Superintendent of Stone Carving at the

in London, in which role he was responsible for supplying sixty statues of English kings and queens, including those in the niches of the Central Lobby of the Palace.

Works

Rachel by John Thomas, 1856, Victoria and Albert Museum

Thomas's work 'Charity' was shown at the

Great Exhibition of 1851 The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took pl ...

, and then adapted to form a memorial in Christ Church,

, to his brother Richard who died in 1852. His final work was the colossal statue of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

displayed at the

1862 International Exhibition The International Exhibition of 1862, or Great London Exposition, was a world's fair. It was held from 1 May to 1 November 1862, beside the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, London, England, on a site that now houses ...

. A dispute over its placement hastened his death in April 1862, and he was buried in

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederick ...

, London. His massive (30 ft. high and . in diameter) majolica fountain, also on display at the 1862 exhibition, was placed outside the

V&A Museum of Childhood Young V&A, formerly the V&A Museum of Childhood, is a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum (the "V&A"), which is the United Kingdom's national museum of applied arts. It is in Bethnal Green and is located on the Green itself in the East End ...

until it was demolished in 1926.

Other works

* Twelve large dragons ornamenting ceilings of two grand saloons at

Brighton Pavilion The Royal Pavilion, and surrounding gardens, also known as the Brighton Pavilion, is a Grade I listed former royal residence located in Brighton, England. Beginning in 1787, it was built in three stages as a seaside retreat for George, Prin ...

, made for the grand re-opening, 1851. * A replica of the

Bristol High Cross Bristol High Cross is a monumental market cross erected in 1373 in the centre of Bristol. It was built in Decorated Gothic style on the site of an earlier Anglo-Saxon cross, to commemorate the granting of a charter by Edward III to make Bristol ...

, which was erected in 1851. * Eight allegorical statues at the 1847

Euston railway station Euston railway station ( ; also known as London Euston) is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, managed by Network Rail. It is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, the UK's busiest inter-city rail ...

representing the cities served by the line: London, Liverpool, Manchester, etc. * Statue of Hugh Myddelton at

Islington Green Islington Green is a small triangle of open land at the convergence of Upper Street and Essex Road (once called Lower Street) in the London Borough of Islington. It roughly marks the northern boundary between the modern district of Angel and Isl ...

, London. * Statue of

Godiva Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly reme ...

, held in Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery * The

Atlas Fountain The Atlas Fountain stands in the grounds of Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, England. It has been designated a Grade I listed building and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England. History T ...

Castle Howard Castle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, within the civil parish of Henderskelfe, located north of York. It is a private residence and has been the home of the Carlisle branch of the Howard family for more than 300 years ...

* Four British lions at each corner of the Britannia Bridge crossing the

Menai Strait The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...

between the island of

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

and the mainland of Wales * extensive friezes and spandrel figures for the

Lloyds Bank, Bristol The Lloyds Bank () is an historic building situated at 53 & 55 Corn Street in Bristol, England. Originally the West of England and South Wales Bank built by Bristol architects William Bruce Gingell (1819–1899) and T.R. Lysaght in 1854. Gin ...

* Carving and statues on Halifax Town Hall, created c. 1860 – 1862 in collaboration with

Edward Middleton Barry Edward Middleton Barry RA (7 June 1830 – 27 January 1880) was an English architect of the 19th century. Biography Edward Barry was the third son of Sir Charles Barry, born in his father's house, 27 Foley Place, London. In infancy he was ...

to design of

. Thomas carved three statues for the tower, but died before completing the fourth, which was overseen by another artist to his design. * Life-sized plaster maquette (at

Canterbury Heritage Museum The Canterbury Heritage Museum (formerly the Museum of Canterbury) was a museum in Stour Street, Canterbury, South East England, telling the history of the city. It was housed in the 12th-century Poor Priests' Hospital next to the River Stour. ...

as of 2013) and bronze (permanently at

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

) of

Stephen Langton Stephen Langton (c. 1150 – 9 July 1228) was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Canterbury between 1207 and his death in 1228. The dispute between King John of England and Pope Innocent III over his ...

. One of 17 maquettes for 17 bronzes depicting those present at the signing of the

Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by t ...

. * Boadicea 1855 Y Gaer *

Joseph Sturge memorial The Joseph Sturge memorial is a memorial to the English Quaker, abolitionist and activist Joseph Sturge (1793–1859) was unveiled before a crowd of 12,000 people on 4 June 1862 at Five Ways, Birmingham, England, near his former home. The stat ...

, Birmingham (Erected after Thomas' death) * Tympanum above main door of

Leeds Town Hall Leeds Town Hall is a 19th-century municipal building on The Headrow (formerly Park Lane), Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Planned to include law courts, a council chamber, offices, a public hall, and a suite of ceremonial rooms, it was built be ...

Works as an architect

* Headington Hill Hall * Somerleyton Hall * Brandon railway station (1845)

Picture gallery

File:Maidstone 012.jpg,

Lady Godiva Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly re ...

at Maidstone Museum File:Maidstone 019.jpg,

at Maidstone Museum File:Maidstone 024.jpg,

at Maidstone Museum File:Maidstone 018.jpg,

at Maidstone Museum File:Hugh myddleton islington green 1.jpg, Statue of Hugh Myddelton at

File:Castle Howard with fountain.jpg, Atlas Fountain at

File:John Brooks monument-St Mary's churchyard, Prestwich.JPG, John Brooks monument, Prestwich church. 1849. File:Rachel the daughter of Laban by John Thomas 1856.jpg,

Rachel Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...

daughter of Laban. 1856.

V&A Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

London File:John Thomas maquette 018.jpg, Head of Stephen Langton. Part of

maquette A ''maquette'' (French word for scale model, sometimes referred to by the Italian names ''plastico'' or ''modello'') is a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture. An equivalent term is ''bozzetto'', from the Italian word for "sketc ...

for a bronze which is now in

. File:Leeds Town Hall 4 March 2020 (20).JPG, Figure of Athena on

References

Sources

John Thomas (1813-1862)

John Thomas (1813-1862), sculptor, a biography

Charles Barry, Jun. (1824-1900) - by Christie's
*

External links

*
"John Thomas and his ‘wonderful facility of invention’: Revisiting a neglected sculptor"
V&A Online Journal, Issue No. 3 Spring 2011, ISSN 2043-667X, by

Ian Blatchford Sir Ian Craig Blatchford, FSA (born 17 August 1965) is the director of the Science Museum Group, which oversees the Science Museum in London, England and other related museums. He was previously deputy director of the Victoria and Albert Muse ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, John Evan 1813 births 1862 deaths 19th-century British sculptors 19th-century English male artists British architectural sculptors Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery English male sculptors People from Chalford