Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Landscape gardener and architect, active from the 1770s until the 1820s. John Sutherland, whose name suggests that he may have come to Ireland from Scotland, was born circa 1745. He was in Ulster perhaps as early as the late 1770s, laying out the grounds, and probably also designing the thatched cottage orné, at Derrymore, Co. Armagh, for Isaac Corry, MP for Newry and future Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer. In the 1780s he was working on the grounds at Slane Castle, Co. Meath,(1) and later at Killester, Peafield and Annesley Lodge in Co. Dublin. At Annesley Lodge, the property of the Hon. Richard Annesley, he was responsible for introducing a gardener named Kelly, whose wife eloped with the owner's brother, the second Earl Annesley. Sutherland appears to have become something of a confidant of the Annesleys in this affair, and it was they who recommended him to the Commissioners of Mountjoy Square as a suitable person to design the square gardens. Sutherland became the most celebrated landscape landscape architect in Ireland of his day and continued to be busily employed on significant commissions until the end of his long life. Five of these commissions were for the grounds of houses which had been designed by JOHN NASH. A  JOHN NASH. A handsome, full-length portrait of Sutherland at Shane's Castle, Co. Antrim, was painted by Martin Cregan in 1822.(2)

For at least the latter part of his life Sutherland was resident in Dublin. It was only two months before his death that he announced his retirement on account of 'the decline of old age' and recommended that prospective clients should transfer their custom to Arthur Snow, with whom he had 'been concerned…upwards of thirty years in making approaches, Ornamental planting and all other Ornamental improvements'. He died at his house in Great Brunswick Street in 1826. He may be the person of the same name who married Susanna Rivers at St Werburgh's church, Dublin, on 13 November 1780.(3)

Address:(4) 24 Great Brunswick Street, <=1816(5) until death.

See WORKS and BIBLIOGRAPHY. BIBLIOGRAPHY.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the account of Sutherland's life and works in Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 43-49, which reproduces the portrait of Sutherland by Martin Cregan at Slane Castle. See also Ray Desmond, Dictionary of British & Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists (1994), 664-665.

(1) But see E. Malins & the Knight of Glin, Lost Demesnes: Irish landscape gardening, 1660-1845 (1976), 89, who give the date as 1767.
(2) Malins & Glin, op. cit., 82(illus.).
(3) www.familysearch.org; his date of birth is given as c. 1755.
(4) From Wilson's Dublin Directoryunless otherwise stated.
(5) Malins & Glin, op. cit., 101 n.22.


20 work entries listed in chronological order for SUTHERLAND, JOHN


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Building: CO. ARMAGH, DERRYMORE
Date: 1776p
Nature: Park laid out, and house also perhaps designed by JS, for Isaac Corry, MP for Newry.
Refs: Charles Coote, Statistical Survey of the County of Armagh (1804), 361; C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of County Armagh (UAHS, 1999), 154-155;  Kevin V. Mulligan, The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster (2013), 204, Pl.52..

Building: CO. MEATH, SLANE CASTLE
Date: 1787?
Nature: Park laid out by JS. For William Burton Conyngham?
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 44 (date given as 1767 by E. Malins & the Knight of Glin, Lost Demesnes: Irish landscape gardening, 1660-1845 (1976), 89)

Building: CO. DUBLIN, ANNESLEY LODGE
Date: 1790s
Nature: JS advises on park for Hon. Richard Annesley.
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 44

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, KILLESTER
Date: 1790s?
Nature: JS advises on park.
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 44

Building: CO. DUBLIN, PEAFIELD
Date: 1790s?
Nature: JS advises on park.
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 44

Building: CO. ANTRIM, LANGFORD LODGE?
Date: 1798
Nature: Proposed grape and peach house for William Rowley. (Design may be for one of Rowley's other two residences, Mount Campbell, Co. Leitrim, and Granby Row, Dublin)
Refs: Ground plan and elevation, inscr. ' Grape and Peach House for William Rowley, Esq.', signed and dated May 1st 1798, in  B Weinreb Architectural Books Ltd Catalogue 54  (London 1986), No. 549.

Building: CO. TYRONE, CALEDON HOUSE
Date: 1807
Nature: JS lays out grounds and erects hothouses costing over £2,000. Carpenter: Lilly. for 2nd Earl of Caledon.
Refs: Payments to Sutherland and Lilly, 1807, in Ledger of 1st & 2nd Earls of Caledon, PRONI, D2433/A/4/12/1 (see PRONI E-catalogue, http://applications.proni.gov.uk/LL_DCAL_PRONI_ECATNI/ResultDetails.aspx , last visited Nov 2011);  Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 46

Building: CO. ROSCOMMON, ROCKINGHAM (BOYLE)
Date: 1810p
Nature: Design of demesne, for Robert King, 1st Viscount Lorton. Works included tunnel from house to stable block, follies, castles, lodges. For 1st Viscount Lorton.
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 46

Building: CO. LAOIS, BALLYFIN
Date: 1812p
Nature: JS succeeds John Webb as landscape architect of park for Sir Charles Coote.
Refs: E. Malins & the Knight of Glin, Lost Demesnes: Irish landscape gardening, 1660-1845 (1976), 96; Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 48; Sean O'Reilly, Irish Houses & Gardens, 166;  Kevin V. Mulligan, Ballyfin: the restoration of an Irish house & demesne (Churchill House Press, 1911), 210

Building: CO. ANTRIM, SHANE'S CASTLE
Date: 1814
Nature: Grounds designed by JS for 2nd Viscount O'Neill..
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 46

Building: CO. LAOIS, GRACEFIELD LODGE
Date: 1817p
Nature: Grounds laid out by JS for Mrs Kavanagh.
Refs: J.P. Neale, Views if Seats (1822), V, No. 72

Building: CO. MEATH, DOWDSTOWN?
Date: 1822p
Nature: Proposed garden house, probably for Dowdstown.
Refs: Signed, unidentified ground plan and elevation of a garden house with site plan showing location in walled formal garden, W/M 1822, in IAA, Acc. 2002/54; Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 48

Building: CO. GALWAY, LOUGH CUTRA CASTLE
Date: 1824a
Nature: Demesne laid out by JS for Charles Vereker, 2nd Viscount Gort; 'the greater [part of the extensive gardens, and of the site of the offices, was blasted to a considerable depth out of the solid rock, and the gardens then filled with rich soil carried from distant spots, their walls being formed of limestone laborously cut to the size of bricks…the undulating sward, which extends from the castle towards th lake, is also to a great extene artificial' (Burke)
Refs: Hely Dutton, Statistical Survey of the County of Galway (1824), 56; J.B. Burke, Visitation of Seats and Arms (2nd ser., 1855), II, 189-91; Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 46

Building: CO. LIMERICK, MOUNT SHANNON
Date: 1826a
Nature: Plans for approach to house , incomplete at time of JS's death.
Refs: E. Malins & the Knight of Glin, Lost Demesnes: Irish landscape gardening, 1660-1845 (1976), 74; Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 48

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, MOUNTJOY SQUARE
Date: ?
Nature: Layount of square garden, for Commissioners of Mountjoy Square.
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 44

Building: CO. CORK, MITCHELSTOWN CASTLE
Date: ?
Nature: JS advises Dowager Countess of Kingstown on improvements to park.
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 48

Building: CO. ROSCOMMON, OAKPORT (BOYLE)
Date: ?
Nature: JS designs 'house, offices, gardens and outhouses' for 3rd(?) Earl of Kingston.
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 48; Mary Cecilia Lyons, Illustrated Incumbered Estates Ireland, 1850-1905 (1993), 225(illus.)

Building: CO. LONGFORD, NEWCASTLE, BRIDGE
Date: ?
Nature: Proposed bridge over River Inny, for Lawrence Parsons, 1st Vct. Oxmantown.
Refs: Signed undated plan(s) and estimates, W/M 1794, in Longford/Westmeath Public Library (E.McP files, citing information from Billy English; photostat copies in NLI); Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 48 (citing drawing in Longford/Westmeath Public Library)

Building: CO. WICKLOW, DONARD HOUSE?
Date: ?
Nature: Proposed stable block (for Donard?)
Refs: Signed, undated drawing (plans, elevations, section) at Donard House (in IAA Mounted Photo Collection: 14/7 R14); drawing is inscr. faintly on back 'Coolough plans, Co. Meath, Castledermot, Ireland, so possibly not for Donard; Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 48.

Building: CO. MEATH, MOUNTAINSTOWN
Date: ?
Nature: Layout of park, for John Pollock.
Refs: Keith Lamb & Patrick Bowe, A History of Gardening in Ireland (National Botanic Gardens, 1995), 44

Author Title Date Details
Bowe, Patrick 'Mr Sutherland's elegant taste' 1977 Country Life 162, 14 Jul 1977, 118-119.