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George Fowler Jones

George Fowler Jones (25 January 1818 – 1 March 1905) was an architect and early amateur photographer who was born in Scotland but based for most of his working life in York.

Biography and work

Jones was born in Inverness in 1818. He studied under architect William Wilkins, the designer of Yorkshire Museum and the National Gallery, assisting him with the plates for his work on Vitruvius; then in around 1839 in London under Sir Sydney Smirke. When Smirke undertook repairs to the fire-damaged York Minster in the early 1840s, including revolutionary iron roof trusses, he sent Jones to take measurements. Jones liked York enough to move there shortly after. A few years later Jones designed similar iron roof trusses for one of his early commissions, Castle Oliver in Ireland. Jones was elected Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) on 17 February 1868, proposed by Decimus Burton, Sydney Smirke and Ewan Christian.

He married firstly Anne, in 1848, the 3rd daughter of Dr William Matterson of Minster Yard, York, (Lord Mayor). She died 'of congestion of the lungs' on 29 January 1855 aged 35 at home, Bootham. Then Catherine, in 1857, 4th daughter of Henry Pigeon Esq. of Clapham Common and Southwark. Jones fathered 11 children who survived into their majority. With his 1st wife: Gascoigne Hastings 1850–1911; Fowler Lloyd 1851–1929, settled in Hastings, UK; Augusta 1853–1935; Annie Eliza Elena 1855–1925. With his 2nd wife: Fanny Katherine 1858–1936; Constance 1860–1930; Harry Mckenzie 1861–1948 (moved to Valparaiso, Chile, descendants now in Santiago; Montague 1864–1935; Robert Colquhoun 1865–1952; Edith 1867–1946; Lucy 1870–1914. Further information welcome, follow Castle Oliver link (see below) and use the Contact form.

His earliest known commission, in 1843 at the age of 25, was the Gascoigne Almshouses, in Aberford, near Leeds, Yorkshire for the sisters Elizabeth & Mary Isabella Oliver Gascoigne. The building stood near the Gascoignes' family seat, Parlington Hall. Jones was also responsible for projects at Parlington Hall, including a conservatory and a boat house. He undertook commissions for the sisters throughout his life.

In 1843 when he began the Aberford Almshouses, Jones lived at 80 Baker Street, London. In 1844 while designing Castle Oliver he lived at 51 or 52 Monkgate, near Monk Bridge, York. In 1846 he started a practice at 8 Lendal, York. Plans and elevations of 3 Counties Asylum, dated 15 September 1856 give Jones' address as 4 New Street, York. The Yorkshire Gazette of 15 February 1862 records that Jones moved from New Street to 84 Bootham. Pevsner records that in 1862, Jones designed and built 78 Bootham, York, as his own residence and Jones' RIBA incorporation certificate of 1868 gives this as his address. Presumably therefore 78 Bootham became Jones' offices; Works at 3 Counties Asylum dated 8 July and September 1870 also give 84 Bootham. Plans for 3 Counties Asylum dated 3 May 1877 and 9 March 1878 give his address as 3 Stonegate, York. Further works at 3 Counties dated February 1880 give his address as 100 Micklegate, next to 'The Pack Horse' and he still held the property in 1886. However, since by this time Jones had in all probability retired to Malton, the address is probably that of his practice, then run by his son.

In addition to his architectural activities, Jones was a photographer in the very earliest days of the medium. He became a pupil to William Fox Talbot, inventor of the negative/positive process. Some of Jones' photographs of his own buildings and of York city, the earliest dating back to 1851, are to be found in the City of York Libraries and Archives; others at the City Reference Library, Leeds. A vast body of his photographic work, dating from the very earliest days of photography, now resides at the National Media Museum, Bradford. 2,100 negatives, along with some prints, have been catalogued in a 340-page index. Scenes include some of his earliest commissions, at Castle Oliver, Parlington Hall, Garforth Church and Aberford Almshouses. The collection spans Jones' entire career and includes images shot in Scotland, Ireland, Corsica, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand. Within the collection are several large negatives which Jones' records as being Fox Talbot's work, although this has been disputed by Larry Schaaf, author and expert on Fox Talbot.

Jones was also a proficient watercolorist, exhibiting at the Fine Art Exhibitions of 1880 (St Mary's Abbey) and 1885 (two views of Norway & the Church of St John, Exmouth), probably other years also. An auction in 1923 at Castle Oliver, in Ireland included 2 Views of Corsica by G.Fowler Jones and his son bequeathed another, Ajaccio Bay, Corsica.

Jones contributed to Productions of the Leeds Photographic Society (1852), a book of photography by York residents.

He died at home, Quarry Bank, Malton, North Yorkshire. Obituaries in The Builder Journal and 'RIBA' Journal, are both dated 11 March 1905. An obituary appeared in the Yorkshire Herald on 3 March 1905 and in The Yorkshire Gazette of 4 March 1905. This latter says -on Wednesday, after a short illness, at the age of 85 years. He had lived at Malton for many years, but worked in York.

Apprentices and assistants

  • Edward Taylor, later 'Architect, of 7 Stonegate, York', served his articles with Jones (Jones' obituary Yorks Herald 3 March 1905). Designed York Art Gallery https://web.archive.org/web/20070629010659/http://www.loop.ph/bin/view/Openloop/YorkArtGalleryHistoricalResearch
  • Mr Tomlinson
  • John Ward Knowles (about 1845) 'As a youth worked 3–4 months for Jones at Monkgate, but disliked the work and returned to painting and glass staining'.
  • Peter Kerr, Assistant (1843–1845), who later worked on additions to Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland and was in the office of Sir Charles Barry before emigrating to Australia in 1852
  • James Rawson Carroll, Apprentice then Assistant (before 1845–1855). His brother Thomas built the stonework of Castle Oliver, Fowler Jones's largest private residential commission.
  • John Russell Mackenzie, Assistant (before 1850).
  • Horatio Kelson Bromhead, Assistant (c.1858–1859).
  • William Bellerby of Clifton, near York. On leaving school was articled as a pupil to Jones, dates unknown but presumably commencing around1868. Completed training, but never practised, choosing to return to the family building co. In 1870 and 1877 Bellerby's family firm carried out work to Jones' designs: (see below, Fairfield Hospital).
  • William Gilmour Wilson, Assistant (after 1877)
  • Gascoigne Hastings Fowler Jones, Jones' eldest child, born 1850, named in honour of his father's early patrons, also became an architect. Gascoigne was apprenticed to his father's practice between 1867 and 1872, becoming Assistant Architect to his father from 1872 to 1876. In 1892–4 he repaired and restored St Mary's Church, Kippax, a Grade I Listed Building. http://www.stmarykippax.org.uk/history.htm During and after work at Kippax he arbitrated in a dispute between the contractor, Mr Keswick of Micklegate, York and the Rev'd. Hoste. Mr Keswick had submitted a very low tender, failing to foresee essential works. Gascoigne was sympathetic to the builder, who was elderly and in very poor health, drawing up a Statement of Cost to convince Hoste of Keswick's argument. This statement survives among the Parish Papers, West Yorkshire Archive Service. He is known to have designed Chestnut House, The Mount. Gascoigne took over almost all Jones' practice's works at Clifton Hospital in about 1889 (see below). The Dictionary of Scottish Architects suggests that he eventually operated his own practice, from 8 Lendal, York, the property where his father first practised. Gascoigne also had political aspirations: in 1901 he was 'Re-elected unopposed Conservative Councillor to Micklegate Ward' (Yorks Gazette 26 October 1901); again 'Re-elected unopposed' (Yorks Gazette 30 January 1904 and at least a 3rd time (Yorks Gazette 5/11/1910). He died aged 61 on 16 April 1911, (obituary Yorks Gazette 22 April 1911). He 'bequeathed pictures', including works by himself and his father, as well as a watercolour of Jones' first father-in-law, Lord Mayor Dr Matterson, to York Corporation (Yorks Gazette 29 July 1911). In 1878 he published 50 lithographs Sketches in York, at a cost of 3 sh/6d (York Central Library ref 942.843). The book's cover gives his address as 3 Stonegate, York.

One account in The Yorks Gazette mentions that Jones was assisted in his practice 'by both sons' and that following Gascoigne Jones' death 'his younger brother carried on the practice, taking on as partner a Mr Munby, but the firm ceased after probably a year or two'. It is not known which son this refers to.

List of works

  • Aberford, Yorkshire (West Riding): Gascoigne Almshouses and Gate Lodge (1843–44), Perpendicular Gothic; Commissioned by the Oliver Gascoigne sisters. Extensive use of Minton tiles hand-designed by the sisters.

References

  • Castle Oliver & the Oliver Gascoignes by Nicholas Browne, published by Lulu.com/mynick 2007
  • RIBA archives.

External links