Davies brothers of Wrexham
Encyclopedia
The Davies brothers of Wrexham
, north Wales
, were a family of smiths active in the 18th century. They were particularly known for their high-quality work in wrought iron
, of which several examples still survive in country homes and churchyards around the England-Wales border.
The family consisted of Hugh or Huw Davies (d. 1702) and his sons Robert (1675–1748) and John (1682–1755), who would both go on to be highly regarded smiths; there were also another two sons, Huw and Thomas, and six daughters, Anne, Magdalen, Jane, Sarah, Elinor, and Margaret. They worked at the Croes Foel forge in Bersham
near Wrexham, and Robert - generally considered the most talented of the family - may have studied under the great French
wrought iron smith Jean Tijou
. The brothers were also have said to have worked with Robert Bakewell
of Derby.
The will of Hugh Sr., dated June 13, 1702 and proved at St Asaph
in 1703, left a messuage
in Bersham to his wife Eleanor and then to his son Robert along with £7 10s., "for which he is to instruct my son Thomas in the trade and science of a smith which he the said Robert now professeth".
Several examples of work known to be by Robert and John survive, as well as a handful of items attributed to their father. Some of these are of exceptionally high quality; a screen and gates known as the "White Gates", at Leeswood
Hall, Flintshire
, has been described as one of the finest of its type in the United Kingdom
, and has been attributed to the Davies brothers on the basis of distinctive fretwork patterns shared with other of their designs. Nikolaus Pevsner
described the Davies brothers' work as "miraculous".
Of the above, records show that the gates at St Giles, Wrexham; Chirk; Oswestry; and Ruthin are certainly by Robert and John Davies.
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, north Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, were a family of smiths active in the 18th century. They were particularly known for their high-quality work in wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
, of which several examples still survive in country homes and churchyards around the England-Wales border.
The family consisted of Hugh or Huw Davies (d. 1702) and his sons Robert (1675–1748) and John (1682–1755), who would both go on to be highly regarded smiths; there were also another two sons, Huw and Thomas, and six daughters, Anne, Magdalen, Jane, Sarah, Elinor, and Margaret. They worked at the Croes Foel forge in Bersham
Bersham
Bersham is a small Welsh village in the suburbs of the county borough of Wrexham that lies next to the River Clywedog. Wrexham owes a large amount of its original industrial heritage to Bersham, but despite this the village still retains a rural feeling....
near Wrexham, and Robert - generally considered the most talented of the family - may have studied under the great French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
wrought iron smith Jean Tijou
Jean Tijou
Jean Tijou was a French Huguenot ironworker. He is known solely through his work in England, where he worked on several of the key English Baroque buildings. He arrived in England in c.1689 and enjoyed the patronage of William and Mary for whom he made gates and railings for Hampton Court Palace....
. The brothers were also have said to have worked with Robert Bakewell
Robert Bakewell (ironsmith)
Robert Bakewell was an English smith. He took an apprenticeship in London as an iron worker and became an extremely skilled ironsmith.In 1706, he started working at Melbourne Hall for Thomas Coke, and living in the town of Melbourne...
of Derby.
The will of Hugh Sr., dated June 13, 1702 and proved at St Asaph
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
in 1703, left a messuage
Messuage
In law, the term messuage equates to a dwelling-house and includes outbuildings, orchard, curtilage or court-yard and garden. At one time messuage supposedly had a more extensive meaning than that conveyed by the words house or site, but such distinction no longer survives.A capital messuage is the...
in Bersham to his wife Eleanor and then to his son Robert along with £7 10s., "for which he is to instruct my son Thomas in the trade and science of a smith which he the said Robert now professeth".
Several examples of work known to be by Robert and John survive, as well as a handful of items attributed to their father. Some of these are of exceptionally high quality; a screen and gates known as the "White Gates", at Leeswood
Leeswood
Leeswood is a small village and community in Flintshire, North Wales, about four miles from the historic market town of Mold. At the 2001 Census, the population was 2,143....
Hall, Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, has been described as one of the finest of its type in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and has been attributed to the Davies brothers on the basis of distinctive fretwork patterns shared with other of their designs. Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
described the Davies brothers' work as "miraculous".
Work by or attributed to the Davies family
- Gates at Chirk CastleChirk CastleChirk Castle is a castle located at Chirk, Wrexham, Wales.The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley...
(1719) - Gates formerly at Stansty ParkStanstyStansty is a ward in Wrexham County Borough in Wales, lying to the immediate north-west of the town of Wrexham.-Geography, name:Stansty consists of Higher Stansty and Lower Stansty; Higher Stansty lies near to Summerhill and Moss Valley within the community of Gwersyllt and is north of the A483 road...
, now at Erddig HallErddigErddig Hall is a National Trust property on the outskirts of Wrexham, Wales. Located south of Wrexham town centre, it was built in 1684–1687 for Joshua Edisbury, the high sheriff of Denbighshire and was designed by Thomas Webb....
. Robert Davies is known to have made gates for Erddig, but they were removed during a subsequent remodelling of the park by William EmesWilliam Emes-Biography:Details of his early life are not known but in 1756 he was appointed head gardener to Sir Nathaniel Curzon at Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire. He left this post in 1760 when Robert Adam was given responsibility for the entire management of the grounds. During his time at Kedleston he had...
. - The White Gates and Black Gates, LeeswoodLeeswoodLeeswood is a small village and community in Flintshire, North Wales, about four miles from the historic market town of Mold. At the 2001 Census, the population was 2,143....
Hall - The Golden Gates, Eaton HallGolden Gates, Eaton HallThe Golden Gates at Eaton Hall, Cheshire, England, stand at the eastern end of Belgrave Avenue . The gates with their overthrow, the screens at their sides and the associated wing lodges have been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. The gates stand in front of what...
, CheshireCheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow... - St. Peter's church gates at RuthinRuthinRuthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
(1727) - St Giles' Church, WrexhamSt Giles' Church, WrexhamSt Giles' Church is the parish church of Wrexham, Wales. Its tower is traditionally one of the Seven Wonders of Wales, which are commemorated in an anonymously written rhyme:...
, gates (1720) by Robert Davies, and chancelChancelIn church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
gates and choir rail attributed to Hugh Davies (late seventeenth century) - Gates of St Mary's Church, EcclestonSt Mary's Church, EcclestonSt Mary's Church, Eccleston, is in the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England, on the estate of the Duke of Westminster south of Chester. The church is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the...
, from now-demolished Emral Hall near Wrexham - Gate of OswestryOswestryOswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
Parish Church - Gates at Gwysaney Hall, near SychdynSychdynSychdyn is a village in Flintshire, Wales. It is situated on the A5119 road, and is just over 1km north of the county town of Mold....
(attrib.) - Gates now at Cholmondeley CastleCholmondeley CastleCholmondeley Castle is a country house in the civil parish of Cholmondeley, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. It is surrounded by a estate.-House:...
(attrib.) - Gates of Hawkstone HallHawkstone HallHawkstone Hall is a large early 18th century country mansion near Hodnet, Shropshire which is occupied as the pastoral centre of a religious organisation. It is a Grade I listed building....
, ShropshireShropshireShropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west... - Gates and railings at the now-demolished Carden Hall; the gates have now been removed
- The main gates of St Oswald's Church, Malpas were formerly attributed to the brothers, but are now considered to be of a later date. A smaller gate in the churchyard is however thought to be the work of their father Hugh.
Of the above, records show that the gates at St Giles, Wrexham; Chirk; Oswestry; and Ruthin are certainly by Robert and John Davies.