Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Architect, of London, for biography of whom see Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 (RIBA 2001), II, 297-8. In 1863 Burges won the competition for the new St Finbar's Church of Ireland cathedral in Cork. His winning design greatly exceeded the stipulated cost, which occasioned much indignation at the time.(1) He also designed the Church of Ireland church at Crosshaven, Co. Cork (1866-1868), alterations to the Church of Ireland churches at Carrigrohane, Co. Cork (circa 1865) and Bunclody, Co. Wexford (1877-78), and a memorial window in Kilkenny Cathedral (post 1877).

During the summer of 1867 Burges made a tour of Ireland with EDWARD WILLIAM GODWIN. EDWARD WILLIAM GODWIN. (2) THOMAS NEWENHAM DEANE  THOMAS NEWENHAM DEANE was one of his pupils, and WALTER GLYNN DOOLIN  WALTER GLYNN DOOLIN spent a short time in his office.(3) An amusing account of THOMAS DREW' THOMAS DREW' s encounters with Burges appeared in the Irish Builder in 1912.(4)

See WORKS, for Burges's Irish work only.



References



(1) DB 5, 15 Feb,1 Mar,1 Apr 1863, 28-29, 35,62.
(2) Aileen Reid, 'Dromore Castle…Archaeology and the sister arts of E.W. Godwin', Architectural History 30 (1987), 125.
(3) IB 63, 26 Feb 1921, 130.
(4) IB 54, 3 Aug 1912, 454.


7 work entries listed in chronological order for BURGES, WILLIAM #


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Building: CO. CORK, CORK, BISHOP STREET, CATHEDRAL OF ST FINN BARRE (CI)
Date: 1862-1912
Nature: WB wins competition (announced, 1862) for new cathedral on site of earlier one. Demolition of old cathedral begun, 1864. FS laid 11 or 12 Jan 1865. Consecrated 30 Nov 1870, having cost £36,000 (no towers or carvings, as yet). Contractors: Robert Walker, Cork, until Dec 1866 and, from Aug 1867, Cockburn & Sons, Dublin.(Clerk of works in 1867 'Mr Adams'). SB shows committee model of cathedral with towers and spires complete, also several plans for interior decorations, including Bishop's throne. Burges's offer, 1869, to present figure of Christ for western gable declined but offer of gilt angel on eastern gable accepted. Mr Butler of Dublin appointed surveyor to take measurements, so as to begin erection of towers and spires at once.Towers built, 1876-79 (Contractor: John Delany). Crawford gives £8,300 for carving on W front, 1877. Top stone of western towers and spires laid, 6 Apr 1878 (Contractor: Mr Delany. Clerk of Works: Mr Sier). West front approaching completion, Apr 1883.Dean's Transept lined with marble in memory of Samuel Madden, DD, 1892. Vestries added to designs of WB, 1895. Chancel completed from 1912.
Refs: Plans by Burges and other MS material in cathedral Chapter House; presentation perspective of bishop's throne (drawn by A.H. Haig) in Victoria & Albert Museum, RIBA Drawings Collection, SA57/BURG[8](1-4), see Margaret Richardson, ed., Catalogue of the Drawings Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects B (RIBA, 1972), 118, Fig. 111, and British Architectural Library Catalogue, http://riba.sirsidynix.net.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/6hmw8obfwj/MAIN_CAT/297520093/13 (last visited Apr 2009);  letter(s) from Burges among Caulfield letters in Cork City and County Archives, U 298;  RA 1863, 925; 1867, no.912; 1868, no.892; 1877, no.1065;  B 20, 22 Mar,21 Jun,18 Oct,1 Nov 1862, 210,449,753,795; 21, 7 Feb,16 May 1863, 97,350,351; 22, 18 Jun,24,31 Dec 1864, 448,941,956; 23, 28 Jan 1865, 70; 28, 10 Dec 1870, 995; 34, 19 Feb 1876, 180; 42, 24 Jun 1882, 766; 51, ? Nov,? Dec 1886, 753,825; DB 4, 15 Feb,15 Apr 1862, 44;104; 5, 15 Jan,1,15 Feb,1 Mar,1,15 Apr 1863, 11,22,27-8,35,62,66; 6, 15 Nov 1864, 234,236); 7, 1,15 Jan 1865, 9,18; 8, 1 Feb 1866, 29;  IB 9, 1 Aug 1867, 194; 10, 1 May 1868, 108; 11, 15 Jul 1869, 165; 13, 1,15 Jan,1 Apr 1871, 2,15,19,90,91(illus.); 15, 15 Apr 1873, 109; 23, 19 Jun 1880, 425; 27, 8,22 Apr 1882, 221,251; 32, 1 Dec 1890, 283; 37, 15 Jun 1895, 146; Jubilee No. 1909, 49(illus.); 54, 7 Dec 1912, 699;  Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette 7, no. 67 (21 Jan 1865), 17; 18, no. 201, 24 Feb 1876, 48; 19, no. 225, 1 Dec 1877, 388; 20, no. 230, 1 May 1878, 138);  25, no.172,  21 Apr 1883, 335; Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal 26 (Jul 1863), 193;  Irish Churchman 1, no. 1, 22 Feb 1868, 11;  Architect 2, 16 Jan,3 Apr 1869,36(illus.),179; 3, 26 Mar 1870, 147(illus.); 17, 12 May 1877, 306(illus.); 23, 19 Jun 1880, 425(illus.); 27, 22 Apr 1882, 1882(illus.); 53, 24 May 1895, suppl. p.10;  Irish Times, 8 Apr 1876,18 Apr 1892;   R. Caulfield, Annals of St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork (1871); A. Robinson, St Finbarr's Cathderal, Cork (1897); Charles Eastlake, History of the Gothic Revival (1872), 353-4; JCHAS (1911), 179; Charles Handley-Read, 'St Fin Barre's Cathedral', Architectural Review 141, June 1967, 422-30; J. Mordaunt Crook, William Burges and the High Victorian Dream (1981), 195-208; Hilary Pyle, 'The Decoration of Cork Cathedral', Irish Arts Review 1989-90, 3033;  Roger Herlihy, A Walk through the South Parish (Cork: Red Abbey Publications, 2010), 6-10(illus.)

Building: CO. CORK, CARRIGROHANE, CHURCH OF ST PETER (CI)
Date: 1865-67
Nature: S. aisle & vestry, for Rev. Robert Gregg
Refs: 2 sheets of details, signed and dated 27 May 1865, and unsigned, undated plan, section and elevation, all signed by Robert Walker, contractor, 26 Aug 1865, and countersigned by Welland and Gillepie, in Representative Church Body Library, portfolio 8, see RCB Library - Architectural Drawings, https://archdrawing.ireland.anglican.org/items/show/1696 (last visited, Jan 2017); J. Mordaunt Crook, William Burges and the High Victorian Dream (1981), 208;  Claude Costegalde & Brian Walker, The Church of Ireland: an illustrated history (2013), 365(illus.).

Building: CO. CORK, FRANKFIELD (DOUGLAS), CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY (CI)
Date: 1865ca
Nature: 3-light E window depicting 10 virtues  designed by WB and executed by Lavers & Barraud.
Refs: Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/building/3231/ (last visited, Jan 2017).

Building: CO. CORK, CROSSHAVEN, CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY (CI, TEMPLEBRADY OR TEMPLEBREEDY PARISH)
Date: 1866-68p
Nature: Early Celtic. FS laid 31 Oct 1866. Consecrated Trinity Sunday 1868. Construction supervised by Robert Walker. Cost: £2,000. Intended tower never built.
Refs: Undated exterior and interior elevations of proposed tower, signed by Burges's office manager, John Starling Chapple, in Representaitve Church Body Library, see RCB Library - Architectural Drawings  https://archdrawing.ireland.anglican.org/items/show/2009-2010 (last visited, Feb 2017);  IB 15, 15 Apr 1873, 106(illus.); D. O'Murchada, History of Crosshaven (1967), ?; Douglas Scott Richardson, Gothic Revival Architecture in Ireland (1983), 637; J. Mordaunt Crook, William Burges and the High Victorian Dream (1981), 209

Building: CO. WEXFORD, BUNCLODY, CHURCH OF ST MARY (CI, NEWTOWNBARRY PARISH)
Date: 1877-78
Nature: New west front and additional bay in memory of Robert Westley Hall-Dare & Charles Hall-Dare. Rose memorial window to Mr Hall-Dare representing Good Samaritan and side windows all supplied by Saunders & Co., Endell St,  London;. Work supervised by Robert B. Phillips. Church reopened 14 Aug 1878. Contractor: Faircloth, Carlow.
Refs: J. Mordaunt Crook, William Burges and the High Victorian Dream (1981), 209;  Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette 19, no. 217, 1 May 1877, 152; 20, no. 234. 1 Sep 1878, 252;  IB 20, 1 Sep 1878, 247.

Building: CO. KILKENNY, KILKENNY, COACH ROAD, CATHEDRAL OF ST CANICE (CI)
Date: 1878
Nature: Memorial window to John Hugh Bainbridge (d. 10 Jun 1877) in W wall of N aisle. Glass by Saunders & Co. from cartoons by H.W. Lonsdale.
Refs: Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette 20, no. 226, 1 Jan 1878, 18;   J. Mordaunt Crook, William Burges and the High Victorian Dream (1981), 208-9; illus. in Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/building/3015/ (last visited, Nov 2015).

Building: CO. CORK, CORK, BISHOP STREET, CATHEDRAL OF ST FINN BARRE (CI)
Date: 1931,1933
Nature: Ernest William Tristram, professor of desIgn at Royal College of Art and authority on mediaeval wall paintings, consulted by Dean of Cork in Jun 1931 re proprosed decoration of cathedral interior in accordance with unexecuted designs for same prepared by Burges, who 'left behind him in book form designs for the complete furnishing and decoration of his masterpiece'..  Prof. Tristram and 2 assistants engaged in carrying out Burges's designs as memoruial to late Mrs Gumbleton, 1933
Refs:  Irish Times, 22 Jun 1931.

Author Title Date Details
Burges, William 'The new cathedral of St Finbar at Cork' 1869 Architect 1 (1869), 36-7.
Pyle, Hilary 'The decoration of Cork Cathedral' 1990 Irish Arts Review Yearbook 1989-90, 30-34.