Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Architect, of Dublin and London. John Taylor may possibly have come from a stonecutting background (see JOHN TAYLOR [3] JOHN TAYLOR [3] ) but the name is such a common one that firm identification is difficult. Several John Taylors attended the Dublin Society's schools: one of them was admitted to the Dublin Society's School of Drawing in Architecture in 1789 and to the School of Landscape and Ornament Drawing in 1790, winning premiums in 1791 and 1792; another, John Smith Taylor, was admitted to the School of Drawing in Architecture in 1793.(1) A John Taylor is recorded as having worked on the drawings of antiquity which were given to the Dublin Society by Henry Hamilton.(2) Taylor started to exhibit drawings at the Society of Artists of Ireland, Dublin in 1801 with a 'Prospective view of the College Chapel', and between 1809 and 1813 he exhibited a series of designs and views. These included a view of the intended court house at Dundalk (1809, no. 171)(3) and a view of the Commercial Buildings (1810, no. 18) in Dame Street; the fact that both buildings were designed by EDWARD PARKE  EDWARD PARKE could possibly indicate that Taylor was associated with him in some way.

In 1810 Taylor also exhibited a design of his own for 'Mr Conally's House near Merrion', which suggests that he began to practice independently as an architect at about this time. Another exhibit of 1810 was a drawing of a gothic porch for Clarendon Street Chapel 'executed by the artist', wording which may support the thesis that he was originally a stonecutter. A John Taylor made copies of elevations of Rockingham around this time and also worked on the staircase and chimneypieces.(4)

By 1812 Taylor had been commissioned to design the new Catholic church of St Michael and St John, Exchange Street;(5) in that year he exhibited two drawings of the 'intended' church at the Irish Society of Artists (nos. 77, 78). According to G.N. Wright, Taylor was one of the architects involved in supervising the erection of the pro-cathedral in Marlborough Street;(6) he is presumably the 'I. Taylor' who exhibited a view of the pro-cathedral at the exhibition of the Artists of Ireland, Dublin, in 1819. He is also said to have designed the Church of Ireland church of St Michael and All Angels in the High Street in 1815.(7)

According to Bendall, Taylor was employed by the Bogs Commission in 1811-12.(8) In about 1820 he was appointed chief clerk to the Surveyor of Revenue Buildings in Ireland, JAMES EDWARD DAVIS JAMES EDWARD DAVIS , whom he succeeded. In 1830 he was transferred to London to fill the post of Surveyor of Buildings to HM Customs, which had been vacant since the dismissal of DAVID LAING  DAVID LAING in 1825. In this capacity he designed the Custom Houses at Glasgow and Dundee (the latter with James Leslie) in 1839-40. He was proposed by RICHARD MORRISON  RICHARD MORRISON as an honorary fellow of the RIAI on 1 January 1842,(9) but appears to have died at about this time.

Addresses: Exchequer Street, 1801; 64 Exchequer Street, , 1809; 68 Exchequer Street, 1812-1814; 1 Hatch Street, 1815-1818;(10) Cottage Terrace, Upper Baggot Street, 1819-1834.

See WORKS.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from Howard Colvin, Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840, (3rd ed., 1995), 961-2, and from the entry on Taylor in IALE, II, 697-8.

(1) Gitta Willemson, The Dublin Society Drawing Schools 1746-1876 (2000), 93.
(2) IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc.2008/44, citing Royal Dublin Society Proceedings, 'Drawings'; the fact that Taylor exhibited an 'Interior view of a Roman Gallery' at the Society of Artists in Ireland in 1809 may be connected.
(3) Much later, in 1830, he exhibited a view of the portico of the court house at the RHA, no. 273.
(4) NLI MS. 3775 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc. 2008/44); possibly two different John Taylors are being referred to here.
(5) Freeman's Journal, 14 Sep 1812.  David Griffin points out the similarity of this church to the surviving early 19th century front of St Michan's Catholic church in North Anne Street.
(6) G.N. Wright, Historical Guide to Dublin (2nd ed., 1825), 254; see also N. Donnelly, Short Histories of Dublin Parishes, III, 90.
(7) Wright, loc. cit., above; H.A. Wheeler & M.J. Craig, The Dublin City Churches (1948), 27.
(8) Sarah Bendall, ed., Dictionary of Land Surveyors and Local Map-Makers of Great Britain and Ireland 1530-1850 (2nd edition, 1997), 504.
(9) RIAI council meeting minutes, 1 Jan 1842, 15.
(10) He is probably the ' - Taylor Esq. Hatch-street'' who subscribed to to William Stitt's The Practical Architect's Ready Assistant; or Builder's Complete Companion (Dublin, 1819).


11 work entries listed in chronological order for TAYLOR, JOHN [2]


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Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, MERRION (NEAR), HOUSE
Date: 1811
Nature: JT exhibits 'Design for Mr Conally's House near Merrion' at Society of Artsts of Ireland, Dublin, 1811.
Refs: ALEI, II, 698

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, EXCHANGE STREET LOWER, CHURCH OF SS MICHAEL & JOHN (RC)
Date: 1812
Nature: JT exhibits designs for 'intended chapel' (elevation? and section) at Irish Society of Artists, Dublin, 1812 (no.s 77,78)
Refs: Freeman's Journal, 14 Sep 1812; IALE II, 698; G.N. Wright, Historical Guide to Dublin (2nd ed., 1825), 90-92,253 .

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CLARENDON STREET, CHURCH OF ST TERESA (RC, DISCALCED CARMELITES)
Date: 1812
Nature: Drawing of gothic porch in front of church 'executed by the artist' exh. Society of Artists of Ireland, Dublin, 1810 (no. 44)
Refs: ALEI, II, 698

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BURGH QUAY, CITY OF DUBLIN TAVERN
Date: 1813
Nature: JT exhibits elevation of tavern 'now erecting' at Irish Society of Artists, 1813 (no. 112).
Refs: IALE, II, 698

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, HIGH STREET, CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS (CI)
Date: 1815
Nature: New church. Gothic. 60' x 25' internally. (Demolished, with exception of tower, to make room for Synod Hall.)
Refs: G.N. Wright, Historical Guide to Dublin (2nd ed., 1821), 254; H.A. Wheeler & M.J. Craig, The Dublin City Churches (1948), 27.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, MARLBOROUGH STREET, ST MARY'S PRO-CATHEDRAL (RC)
Date: 1816
Nature: 'Morrison and Taylor' architects of front.
Refs: George Newenham Wright, Historical Guide to Dublin (2nd ed., 1825), 254

Building: CO. CORK, BALTIMORE, REVENUE HOUSES
Date: 1821
Nature: Design for proposed symmetrical block of 5 houses, with 2-storey surveyor's house in centre and 2 single storey houses on each side.
Refs: Plans and elevation, in PRO (Kew), MPD 28, repr. Michael Swift, Historical Maps of Ireland (1999), 111

Building: CO. WATERFORD, WATERFORD, CUSTOM HOUSE QUAY, CUSTOM HOUSE
Date: 1825
Nature: New 2-bay, 2-storey custom house, very simple.
Refs: Signed and dated plans and elevation in PRO (Kew), MPD 33, repr. Michael Swift, Historical Maps of Ireland (1999), 118-9

Building: CO. LOUTH, DUNDALK, MARKET SQUARE, COUNTY COURT HOUSE
Date: 1830
Nature: John Taylor exhibits drawing of portico at RHA
Refs: RHA 1830, no. 273

Building: SCOTLAND, DUNDEE, CUSTOM HOUSE
Date: 1839-1840
Nature: Designed by JT and James Leslie, Dundee harbour engineer; plan by Leslie, but façade chiefly by JT
Refs: Howard Colvin,Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840), (3rd ed., 1995), 962

Building: SCOTLAND, GLASGOW, CLYDE STREET, CUSTOM HOUSE
Date: 1839-1840
Nature: Greek Revival.
Refs: Howard Colvin,Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840), (3rd ed., 1995), 962