Henry Conybeare
Encyclopedia
Henry Conybeare was an English civil engineer
and Gothic revival architect who designed two notable churches and greatly improved the supply of drinking water to Mumbai
.
(now a suburb of Bristol
), Somerset
. He was the fourth son of William Daniel Conybeare
, the eminent geologist
and Dean of Llandaff
, and the great-grandson of John Conybeare
, Bishop of Bristol
. He qualified as an engineer and moved to India
while still in his twenties to work on the Bombay Great Eastern Railway project. The project was superseded in 1849 by the creation of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway.
Meanwhile, his interest in Gothic architecture led him in 1847 to submit plans for the construction of the Afghan Church
in Colaba
. The architect originally selected, John Macduff Derick, had already presented his designs to the authorities, but they decided in June 1845 that these were unfit for purpose and the building would cost too much. Conybeare's designs were chosen instead, and the church was eventually consecrated in 1858. The reredos, the Afghan War Memorial mosaics, and the tiles, pews and screen were designed by William Butterfield
.
In 1852, Conybeare produced an influential report to the Bombay Board of Conservancy entitled "Report on the Sanitary State and Sanitary Requirements of Bombay". He became Superintendent of Repairs for Bombay, where his plans for a water-supply scheme were accepted in 1855. The Vihar Lake
supplied the first piped water to the city in 1860, and its water-works are still in use today.
on 2 December 1856. He lived initially in Kew Green and then Chiswick
, where his son, Charles F. P. Conybeare
, was born, before moving to Duke Street, Westminster (now John Adam Street), and then to Scarsdale Lodge in Kensington
. He set up a civil engineering practice, principally engaging in work for railway companies. On 31 July 1858, from his business address in Abingdon Street, Westminster, he was granted patent
s for "Improved apparatus and machinery for the laying of submarine telegraph cables" and "Improvements in apparatuses for generating and superheating steam and for producing the condensation of steam".
Conybeare's work during this period included:
The first of the three churches, and the only one that exists today, was St Mary's Church
, Itchen Stoke
, Hampshire
(1866), designed by Conybeare at the request of the incumbent
, his brother Charles Ranken Conybeare. Its design was influenced by the thirteenth-century Gothic Sainte Chapelle in Paris
.
The second church, St Matthias's Church, Warwick Road, Kensington
, was originally built in 1869-72 to the designs of John Henry Hakewill (1811–1880), the son of Henry Hakewill
. Conybeare made substantial alterations to the church in 1873, probably at his own expense, and also built an adjacent school which was replaced in the 1890s. St Matthias survived until 1958, when it was demolished.
The third church, St Patrick, Kenway Road, was never built.
The book, published in 1868, was entitled The Ten Canons of Proportion and Composition in Gothic Architecture … Practically Applied to the Design of Modern Churches. It was intended to be the first in a series on Gothic architecture, but not many copies were sold and no further volumes were published.
in 1878, dying in Caracas
in 1884.
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and Gothic revival architect who designed two notable churches and greatly improved the supply of drinking water to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
Early life in England and work in India
Conybeare was born at BrislingtonBrislington
Brislington is an area in the south east of the city of Bristol, England. It is on the edge of Bristol and from Bath. The Brislington Brook runs through the area in the woodlands of Nightingale Valley...
(now a suburb of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
), Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. He was the fourth son of William Daniel Conybeare
William Daniel Conybeare
William Daniel Conybeare FRS , dean of Llandaff, was an English geologist, palaeontologist and clergyman. He is probably best known for his ground-breaking work on marine reptile fossils in the 1820s, including important papers for the Geological Society of London on ichthyosaur anatomy and the...
, the eminent geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and Dean of Llandaff
Dean of Llandaff
Dean of Llandaff is the title given to the head of the chapter of Llandaff Cathedral, which is located in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. It is not an ancient office – the head of the chapter was historically the Archdeacon who appears in this role in the Liber Landavensis and in the Chapter Acts...
, and the great-grandson of John Conybeare
John Conybeare
John Conybeare DD was Bishop of Bristol and one of the most notable theologians of the 18th century.Conybeare was born at Pinhoe, where his father was vicar, and educated at Blundell's School and Exeter College, Oxford. He was elected a Probationary Fellow of Exeter College in 1710, took his B.A...
, Bishop of Bristol
Bishop of Bristol
The Bishop of Bristol heads the Church of England Diocese of Bristol in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The present diocese covers parts of the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire together with a small area of Wiltshire...
. He qualified as an engineer and moved to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
while still in his twenties to work on the Bombay Great Eastern Railway project. The project was superseded in 1849 by the creation of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway.
Afghan Church
The Church of St John the Evangelist, better known as the Afghan Church is a Presbyterian Church in South Mumbai, India, built by the British to commemorate the dead of the disastrous defeat in the First Afghan War of 1838...
in Colaba
Colaba
Colaba is a part of the city of Mumbai, India, and also a Lok Sabha constituency. During Portuguese rule in the 16th century, the island was known as Candil...
. The architect originally selected, John Macduff Derick, had already presented his designs to the authorities, but they decided in June 1845 that these were unfit for purpose and the building would cost too much. Conybeare's designs were chosen instead, and the church was eventually consecrated in 1858. The reredos, the Afghan War Memorial mosaics, and the tiles, pews and screen were designed by William Butterfield
William Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
.
In 1852, Conybeare produced an influential report to the Bombay Board of Conservancy entitled "Report on the Sanitary State and Sanitary Requirements of Bombay". He became Superintendent of Repairs for Bombay, where his plans for a water-supply scheme were accepted in 1855. The Vihar Lake
Vihar Lake
Vihar Lake is located near Vihar village on the Mithi River within the precincts of the Borivali National Park, also called the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, in North Mumbai. When built in 1860 , it was considered as the largest lake in Mumbai in the Salsette group of islands. It is hemmed between...
supplied the first piped water to the city in 1860, and its water-works are still in use today.
Engineering work in Britain
Conybeare returned to England, and was elected as a Member of the Institution of Civil EngineersInstitution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
on 2 December 1856. He lived initially in Kew Green and then Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, where his son, Charles F. P. Conybeare
Charles F. P. Conybeare
Charles Frederick Pringle Conybeare was a lawyer, businessman and author of poetry in British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:...
, was born, before moving to Duke Street, Westminster (now John Adam Street), and then to Scarsdale Lodge in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
. He set up a civil engineering practice, principally engaging in work for railway companies. On 31 July 1858, from his business address in Abingdon Street, Westminster, he was granted patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s for "Improved apparatus and machinery for the laying of submarine telegraph cables" and "Improvements in apparatuses for generating and superheating steam and for producing the condensation of steam".
Conybeare's work during this period included:
- 1860: Work on the ChardChard, SomersetChard is a town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon border, south west of Yeovil. The parish has a population of approximately 12,000 and, at an elevation of , it is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset...
and TauntonTauntonTaunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
Railway scheme. Powers to build it were granted by an Act of ParliamentAct of ParliamentAn Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in 1861, but nothing was built until the Bristol and Exeter RailwayBristol and Exeter RailwayThe Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
took over the powers and opened the line in September 1866. - 1860s: Engineer to the West Cork Railway and the Cork & Kinsale Railway during the 1860s. He also designed the railway hotel at KinsaleKinsaleKinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
, but it was never finished. - 1861: Work on the Brecon and Llandovery Railway
- 1861-2: Work for the Llanelli Railway & Dock Company
- 1863: Work on enlarging the Talyllyn tunnel near Talyllyn JunctionTalyllyn JunctionTalyllyn Junction was a railway junction located 4 miles east of Brecon, Powys, opened in 1863. The junction was triangular, with north, east and west chords, station platforms being sited at the western junction and also, until 1878, at the eastern junction...
, for the Brecon and Merthyr RailwayBrecon and Merthyr RailwayThe Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway was one of several railways that served the industrial areas of South Wales and Monmouthshire. It ranked fifth amongst them in size, although hemmed in by the Taff Vale Railway and Great Western Railway...
. It had originally been opened as part of the Hay RailwayHay RailwayThe Hay Railway was an early Welsh narrow gauge horse tramwaythat connected Eardisley Hay-on-Wye with Watton Wharf on the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal.-Parliamentary authorisation, construction and opening:...
in 1916. - 1864: Deposited plans for a Southampton and Isle of Wight Railway, intended to pass near Beaulieu AbbeyBeaulieu AbbeyBeaulieu Abbey, , was a Cistercian abbey located in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1203-1204 by King John and peopled by 30 monks sent from the abbey of Cîteaux in France, the mother house of the Cistercian order...
to the SolentSolentThe Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
. Nothing came of this. - 1864: With others, engaged by the SheffieldSheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
authorities to investigate the Great Sheffield FloodGreat Sheffield FloodNot to be confused with the floods in Sheffield in 2007.The Great Sheffield Flood was a flood that devastated parts of Sheffield, England, on 11 March 1864, when the Dale Dyke Dam broke.- Collapse of Dale Dyke Dam :...
, caused by the breaching of the newly built Dale Dike ReservoirDale Dike ReservoirDale Dike Reservoir or Dale Dyke Reservoir , famous for causing the Great Sheffield Flood, is in the north-east Peak District, in the City of Sheffield South Yorkshire, England, a mile west of Bradfield, eight miles from the centre of Sheffield, on the Dale Dike, a tributary of the River...
. - 1866: With Alexander Sutherland, built the Cefn Coed Viaduct, a Grade II* listed building and the third largest viaduct in Wales. It carried the Brecon and Merthyr RailwayBrecon and Merthyr RailwayThe Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway was one of several railways that served the industrial areas of South Wales and Monmouthshire. It ranked fifth amongst them in size, although hemmed in by the Taff Vale Railway and Great Western Railway...
(now part of the Taff TrailTaff TrailThe Taff Trail is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is named so because it follows the course of the River Taff...
), across the River TaffRiver TaffThe River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...
at Pontycapel, near Cefn-coed-y-cymmerCefn-coed-y-cymmerCefn-coed-y-cymmer is a small community on the northwestern edge of Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales. It is situated in the neck of land between the rivers Taf Fawr and Taf Fechan at their confluence . The village lies within the community of Vaynor...
. Sutherland was a friend of Robert Thompson CrawshayRobert Thompson CrawshayRobert Thompson Crawshay was a British ironmaster.-Life:Crawshay, youngest son of William Crawshay by his second wife, Bella Thompson, was born at Cyfarthfa Ironworks. He was educated at Dr. Prichard's school at Llandaff, and from a very early age manifested interest in his father's ironworks, and...
of the nearby Cyfarthfa IronworksCyfarthfa IronworksThe Cyfarthfa Ironworks was a major 18th century and 19th century ironworks located in Cyfarthfa, on the north-western edge of Merthyr Tydfil, in South Wales.-The beginning:...
, and the viaduct was built on a curve to satisfy conditions laid down by the Crawshay Estate.
Ecclesiastical work in Britain
While working on the above railway schemes, Conybeare continued to promote Gothic architecture. He was involved in plans for three churches and published a book on church design.The first of the three churches, and the only one that exists today, was St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church, Itchen Stoke
St Mary, Itchen Stoke, Hampshire, is a redundant Anglican church in the parish of Itchen Stoke and Ovington. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.-History:...
, Itchen Stoke
Itchen Stoke
Itchen Stoke is a village in Hampshire, England. The village lies in the valley of the River Itchen, north east of Winchester, and south east of Itchen Abbas....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
(1866), designed by Conybeare at the request of the incumbent
Incumbent (ecclesiastical)
In Anglican canon law, the incumbent of a benefice, usually the parish priest, holds the temporalities or assets and income.Depending on the terms of governance of each parish an incumbent might be either:...
, his brother Charles Ranken Conybeare. Its design was influenced by the thirteenth-century Gothic Sainte Chapelle in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
The second church, St Matthias's Church, Warwick Road, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, was originally built in 1869-72 to the designs of John Henry Hakewill (1811–1880), the son of Henry Hakewill
Henry Hakewill
Henry Hakewill was an English architect.He designed two distinguished Greek Revival buildings:*Coed Coch, Denbighshire, Wales , a country-house with a diagonally placed portico and stair...
. Conybeare made substantial alterations to the church in 1873, probably at his own expense, and also built an adjacent school which was replaced in the 1890s. St Matthias survived until 1958, when it was demolished.
The third church, St Patrick, Kenway Road, was never built.
The book, published in 1868, was entitled The Ten Canons of Proportion and Composition in Gothic Architecture … Practically Applied to the Design of Modern Churches. It was intended to be the first in a series on Gothic architecture, but not many copies were sold and no further volumes were published.
Final years
Conybeare gave up his London architectural practice in 1870 and is believed to have emigrated to VenezuelaVenezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in 1878, dying in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
in 1884.