Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Carpenter and building contractor, of Dublin. During the 1730s George Stewart worked as a carpenter for MICHAEL WILLS  MICHAEL WILLS on the building of Steevens's Hospital, and from the mid 1740s until 1760 he received payments for work done at Dublin Castle and the Parliament House.(1) During the 1750s he was involved in various work at Trinity College, Dublin, including the building of the west front and galleries in the chapel.(2) He was one of the builders who submitted proposals for the rebuilding of St Werburgh's church, which had been gutted by fire in November 1754.(3) He may be the same person as the George Steward, carpenter, named in the Georgian Society Records as having built Nos. 55 and 56 Sackville Street Upper between 1752 and 1755.(4) In 1759 he was one of the three contractors asked by the Barrack Board to make an assessment of the condition of the Royal Barracks with a view to discrediting the Surveyor General, THOMAS EYRE THOMAS EYRE . In response to the Board's report, Eyre alleged that Stewart was a 'mere carpenter' who had earlier been dismissed for fraudulence when he was working under ARTHUR DOBBS  ARTHUR DOBBS in the 1730s or 1740s. Stewart died 'suddenly' in Marlborough Street at the end of May 1764,(5) leaving a widow named Anne.(6)



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from F. O'Dwyer, 'Building empires: architecture, politics and the Board of Works 1760-1860', Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies 5 (2002), 114-117,129.

(1) MS. cash book of Michael Wills, Acc. 80/81; K. Severens, 'a new perspective on Georgian building practice; the rebuilding of St Werburgh's Church, Dublin (1754-59)', BIGS 35 (1992-93), 4-6.
(2) TCD muniments, MUN/P/2/97, 101, 105, 112, 126, 130, 132, 135, 138.
(3) See note 1, above.
(4) Georgian Society Records III, 93,94.
(5) Freeman's Journal, 29 May 1764.
(6) TCD muniments, MUN/P/2/141.


3 work entries listed in chronological order for STEWART, GEORGE *


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Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, O'CONNELL STREET UPPER, NO. 055 & 56
Date: 1752-1755
Nature: Houses built by 'George Steward, carpenter' between 1752 and 1755.
Refs: Georgian Society Records III, 93,94

Building: CO. DUBLIN, NEWBRIDGE HOUSE (DONABATE)
Date: 1752ca
Nature: Possibly employed as master builder for erection of Newbridge House.
Refs: Alec Cobbe and Terry Friedman, James Gibbs in Ireland: Newbridge, his villa for Charles Cobbe, Archbishop of Dublin (Cobbe Foundation & Irish Georgian Society, 2005), 32.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, WERBURGH STREET, ST WERBURGH'S CHURCH (CI)
Date: 1754-1756
Nature: GS submits proposal for rebuilding of church after fire of Nov 1754.
Refs: K. Severens, 'a new perspective on Georgian building practice; the rebuilding of St Werburgh's Church, Dublin (1754-59)', BIGS 35 (1992-93), 4-6.