Francis Penrose
Encyclopedia
Francis Cranmer Penrose FRS (29 October 1817 – 15 February 1903) was an English rower
, architect, archaeologist and astronomer.
, the third son of Rev. John Penrose
who was vicar there, and his wife Elizabeth Cartwright
. His mother was the daughter of Edmund Cartwright
and was a teacher and author of children's books under the name Mrs Markham. He was educated at Bedford Grammar School, Winchester College
and Magdalene College, Cambridge
. He rowed for Cambridge
in the Boat Race in 1840, 1841 and 1842.
from 1835 to 1838, and studied abroad under the Cambridge designation of "travelling bachelor" from 1842 to 1845. In 1843 in Rome Penrose noticed a problem with the pitch of the roof of pediment of the Pantheon
, and subsequent research confirmed that the angle had been changed from its original design. He studied the classical monuments in Greece taking and recording detailed measurements. He was one of the first people to discover the entasis
of the Parthenon
and to show the deliberate curvature of the steps and entablature. The Society of Dilettanti were interested in his discoveries and sent him back to Greece to confirm them.
In 1848, Penrose became a FRIBA. He became surveyor of St Paul's Cathedral
in 1852, and it was there that he did his main work. His designs included the choir-school, the choir seats and the marble pulpit and stairs. He designed the memorial to Lord Napier of Magdala and the Wellington tomb in the Crypt and arranged the relocation of the Wellington monument. He was also responsible for rearranging the West entrance steps and for exposing the remains of the old cathedral in the churchyard. It was as a result of a dispute with the Dean and Chapter that he became an astronomer.
Penrose became a Fellow of Magdalene in 1884. He designed the entrance gate of Magdalene College and the Chapel Court of St John's in Cambridge. From 1886 to 1887 and from 1890 to 1891 he was Director of the British School at Athens
which he designed.
He was president of the RIBA from 1894 to 1896. He was appointed architect and antiquary to the Royal Academy
in 1898. He authored the entry on Sir Christopher Wren
in the Dictionary of National Biography.
. They had five children from 1907 until 1926. His daughter Emily
was the second of five children and eldest of their four daughters and became Principal of Somerville College, Oxford, Royal Holloway College, London and Bedford College, London.
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, architect, archaeologist and astronomer.
Early life
Penrose was born at Bracebridge, LincolnshireBracebridge, Lincolnshire
Bracebridge is a suburb of Lincoln in Lincolnshire, England. It is situated approximately two miles south of the city centre on the main A1434 Newark Road, stretching approximately from St Catherine's to Swallowbeck alongside the east bank of the river Witham, and uphill to the more upmarket...
, the third son of Rev. John Penrose
John Penrose (clergyman)
John Penrose was a Church of England clergyman and theological writer.-Early life:John Penrose was born in Cardinham in Cornwall, where his father, also named John, was vicar of the parish. Penrose was educated at Blundell's School in Tiverton and at Corpus Christi College in Oxford...
who was vicar there, and his wife Elizabeth Cartwright
Mrs Markham
Mrs Markham, the pseudonym of Elizabeth Penrose was an English writer.She was the daughter of Edmund Cartwright, the inventor of the power loom. She was born at her father's rectory at Goadby Marwood, Leicestershire...
. His mother was the daughter of Edmund Cartwright
Edmund Cartwright
Edward Cartwright was an English clergyman and inventor of the power loom.- Life and work :...
and was a teacher and author of children's books under the name Mrs Markham. He was educated at Bedford Grammar School, Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
. He rowed for Cambridge
Cambridge University Boat Club
The Cambridge University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England, located on the River Cam at Cambridge, although training primarily takes place on the River Great Ouse at Ely. The club was founded in 1828...
in the Boat Race in 1840, 1841 and 1842.
Architectural career
Penrose studied architecture under Edward BloreEdward Blore
Edward Blore was a 19th century British landscape and architectural artist, architect and antiquary. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland ....
from 1835 to 1838, and studied abroad under the Cambridge designation of "travelling bachelor" from 1842 to 1845. In 1843 in Rome Penrose noticed a problem with the pitch of the roof of pediment of the Pantheon
Pantheon, Rome
The Pantheon ,Rarely Pantheum. This appears in Pliny's Natural History in describing this edifice: Agrippae Pantheum decoravit Diogenes Atheniensis; in columnis templi eius Caryatides probantur inter pauca operum, sicut in fastigio posita signa, sed propter altitudinem loci minus celebrata.from ,...
, and subsequent research confirmed that the angle had been changed from its original design. He studied the classical monuments in Greece taking and recording detailed measurements. He was one of the first people to discover the entasis
Entasis
In architecture, entasis is the application of a convex curve to a surface for aesthetic purposes. Its best-known use is in certain orders of Classical columns that curve slightly as their diameter is decreased from the bottom upwards. In the Hellenistic period some columns with entasis are...
of the Parthenon
Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
and to show the deliberate curvature of the steps and entablature. The Society of Dilettanti were interested in his discoveries and sent him back to Greece to confirm them.
In 1848, Penrose became a FRIBA. He became surveyor of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
in 1852, and it was there that he did his main work. His designs included the choir-school, the choir seats and the marble pulpit and stairs. He designed the memorial to Lord Napier of Magdala and the Wellington tomb in the Crypt and arranged the relocation of the Wellington monument. He was also responsible for rearranging the West entrance steps and for exposing the remains of the old cathedral in the churchyard. It was as a result of a dispute with the Dean and Chapter that he became an astronomer.
Penrose became a Fellow of Magdalene in 1884. He designed the entrance gate of Magdalene College and the Chapel Court of St John's in Cambridge. From 1886 to 1887 and from 1890 to 1891 he was Director of the British School at Athens
British School at Athens
The British School at Athens is one of the 17 Foreign Archaeological Institutes in Athens, Greece.-General information:The School was founded in 1886 as the fourth such institution in Greece...
which he designed.
He was president of the RIBA from 1894 to 1896. He was appointed architect and antiquary to the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in 1898. He authored the entry on Sir Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
in the Dictionary of National Biography.
Personal life
Penrose had married Harriette Gibbes in 1856, the daughter of Francis Gibbes, a surgeon of HarewoodHarewood
Harewood is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The A61 runs through the village, from Leeds city centre in the south to Harrogate in the north...
. They had five children from 1907 until 1926. His daughter Emily
Emily Penrose
Dame Emily Penrose, DBE was Principal of Somerville College, Oxford University from 1907 until 1926. She was the second of five children and eldest of the four daughters of Francis Cranmer Penrose, architect and archaeologist.-Career:Penrose, who never married, was emblematic of the history of...
was the second of five children and eldest of their four daughters and became Principal of Somerville College, Oxford, Royal Holloway College, London and Bedford College, London.
Selected works
- Penrose, F.C., (communicated by Joseph Norman LockyerJoseph Norman LockyerSir Joseph Norman Lockyer, FRS , known simply as Norman Lockyer, was an English scientist and astronomer. Along with the French scientist Pierre Janssen he is credited with discovering the gas helium...
), The Orientation of Greek Temples, NatureNature (journal)Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
, v.48, n.1228, May 11, 1893, pp. 42–43 - Principles of Athenian Architecture
- A work predicting eclipses