Samuel Daukes
Encyclopedia
Samuel Whitfield Daukes (sometimes Dawkes) was an English architect. He was born in London in 1811, the son of Samuel Whitfield Daukes, a businessman with coal mining and brewery interests, who bought Diglis House, Worcester
in 1827. He was articled about 1827 to James Pigott Pritchett
of York, and had set himself up in practice in Gloucester
by 1834. In 1836 he married Caroline Sarah White of Long Newnton
(then Wilts, now Glos) and by 1840 they were apparently living at Barnwood
, on the edge of Gloucester. A portrait of the Daukes and their five children by A. de Salomé was exhibited at the Royal Academy
in 1853.
Daukes's practice also extended to Cheltenham
, as his name appears in a list of architects working there in 1841, the year he took into partnership John R. Hamilton
. From 1839–42 Daukes was architect to the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
, designing clerks’ houses, engine sheds, brakesmen’s cottages and, in 1840, Lansdown station in Cheltenham. He was also architect to the London, Oxford and Cheltenham Railway Company. Between 1842 and 1848, when he started a London office at 14 Whitehall Place, he built up a very large practice in the English midlands. On starting the London office, a move probably prompted by his growing reputation and more specifically by winning the competition to design the 2nd Middlesex County Asylum which became known as the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum
, the Gloucester practice took into partnership James Medland (1808–94), who had been a fellow pupil of Daukes in Pritchett’s office in York, and changed its name to Hamilton & Medland. In about 1850, Hamilton emigrated to New York. Daukes’ pupils included Joseph James (before 1854) and Frederick Hyde Pownell. Daukes died at Beckenham
(Kent) in 1880, and was buried in the family vault in Highgate Cemetery
. Attached to his will was a list of all the architectural books in his office, an eclectic selection, including Weale’s Quarterly Papers in Architecture as well as all Pugin’s publications, and the transactions of the Cambridge Camden Society
; but the charities to which he left money were all low church.
His early practice would appear to have been assisted by his family’s connections, and a link with his future patron, Lord Ward, is provided by his uncle, Richard Davies, who was Lord Ward’s mining agent. His family’s good financial standing no doubt also enabled him to purchase the Park estate in Cheltenham
in 1839, and to develop it in the tradition of speculators such as Pearson Thompson
and Joseph Pitt. Daukes was a convinced eclecticist, working in all the styles that were fashionable in his day. He was an admirer of Pugin and a long-term member of the Ecclesiological Society, although a low churchman and not wholly in sympathy with the ecclesiological movement, as he designed churches in the neo-Norman and Perpendicular styles. He was able to use these styles and also the Italianate of Abberley Hall
, Witley Court
and Colney Hatch, with considerable originality and dash, and he comes across as an architect full of self-confidence, with a secure command of the Picturesque elements of a composition. Daukes failed, however, to adapt to the changing stylistic climate of the High Victorian period, and in the 1860s his practice seems to have declined, although he was still building churches in the Midlands.
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
in 1827. He was articled about 1827 to James Pigott Pritchett
James Pigott Pritchett
James Pigott Pritchett was an architect of London and York whose practice stretched from Lincolnshire to the Scottish borders.-Personal life:...
of York, and had set himself up in practice in Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
by 1834. In 1836 he married Caroline Sarah White of Long Newnton
Long Newnton
Long Newnton is a small village in Gloucestershire, England, situated on the main road between Malmesbury and Tetbury. The hamlet has no shops just a church and between 30 and 60 houses. Approximately an hour from Bristol, Bath, Gloucester and Oxford so the nearest big towns or small cities are...
(then Wilts, now Glos) and by 1840 they were apparently living at Barnwood
Barnwood
Barnwood, in Gloucestershire, England is situated on the old Roman road that connects the City of Gloucester with Hucclecote, Brockworth and Cirencester....
, on the edge of Gloucester. A portrait of the Daukes and their five children by A. de Salomé was exhibited at 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 1853.
Daukes's practice also extended to Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, as his name appears in a list of architects working there in 1841, the year he took into partnership John R. Hamilton
John R. Hamilton
John R. Hamilton was an English architect who moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. In England Hamilton designed the Lincoln and Worcester Insane Asylums; the Birmingham, Plymouth, and Leicester Cemeteries; and churches in London and Oxford . He is believed to have come to the U.S. in approximately 1850 and...
. From 1839–42 Daukes was architect to the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway is a railway route linking Birmingham to Gloucester in England.It is one of the world's oldest main line railways and includes the famous Lickey Incline, a dead-straight stretch of track running up the 1-in-37 gradient of the Lickey Ridge...
, designing clerks’ houses, engine sheds, brakesmen’s cottages and, in 1840, Lansdown station in Cheltenham. He was also architect to the London, Oxford and Cheltenham Railway Company. Between 1842 and 1848, when he started a London office at 14 Whitehall Place, he built up a very large practice in the English midlands. On starting the London office, a move probably prompted by his growing reputation and more specifically by winning the competition to design the 2nd Middlesex County Asylum which became known as the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum
Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum
Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum was an early psychiatric hospital located in Colney Hatch in what is now the London Borough of Barnet. The hospital was in operation from 1851 to 1993....
, the Gloucester practice took into partnership James Medland (1808–94), who had been a fellow pupil of Daukes in Pritchett’s office in York, and changed its name to Hamilton & Medland. In about 1850, Hamilton emigrated to New York. Daukes’ pupils included Joseph James (before 1854) and Frederick Hyde Pownell. Daukes died at Beckenham
Beckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
(Kent) in 1880, and was buried in the family vault in Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a cemetery located in north London, England. It is designated Grade I on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is divided into two parts, named the East and West cemetery....
. Attached to his will was a list of all the architectural books in his office, an eclectic selection, including Weale’s Quarterly Papers in Architecture as well as all Pugin’s publications, and the transactions of the Cambridge Camden Society
Camden Society
The Camden Society, named after the English antiquary and historian William Camden, was founded in 1838 in London to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books....
; but the charities to which he left money were all low church.
His early practice would appear to have been assisted by his family’s connections, and a link with his future patron, Lord Ward, is provided by his uncle, Richard Davies, who was Lord Ward’s mining agent. His family’s good financial standing no doubt also enabled him to purchase the Park estate in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
in 1839, and to develop it in the tradition of speculators such as Pearson Thompson
Pearson Thompson
Pearson Thompson was an English solicitor and property developer who was responsible for the layout of a great part of Cheltenham, and of the Ladbroke Estate in London. He subsequently emigrated to Australia where he practiced law.Thompson was the son of Henry Thompson and Judith, née Teshmaker...
and Joseph Pitt. Daukes was a convinced eclecticist, working in all the styles that were fashionable in his day. He was an admirer of Pugin and a long-term member of the Ecclesiological Society, although a low churchman and not wholly in sympathy with the ecclesiological movement, as he designed churches in the neo-Norman and Perpendicular styles. He was able to use these styles and also the Italianate of Abberley Hall
Abberley Hall
Abberley Hall is a country house in the north-west of the county of Worcestershire, England. The present Italianate house is the work of Samuel Daukes and dates from 1846-49. Since 1916 it has been occupied by Abberley Hall School. It is a Grade II* listed building...
, Witley Court
Witley Court
Witley Court in Worcestershire, England is a Grade 1 listed building and was once one of the great houses of the Midlands, but today it is a spectacular ruin after being devastated by fire in 1937. It was built by Thomas Foley in 1655 on the site of a former manor house near Great Witley...
and Colney Hatch, with considerable originality and dash, and he comes across as an architect full of self-confidence, with a secure command of the Picturesque elements of a composition. Daukes failed, however, to adapt to the changing stylistic climate of the High Victorian period, and in the 1860s his practice seems to have declined, although he was still building churches in the Midlands.
List of major works
- The Park Estate, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: layout of estate and zoological gardens for Thomas Billings, 1833–34; Daukes purchased the estate in 1839 and began to design villas for erection on a speculative basis, mostly Greek Revival but including Tudor Lodge (dem. c.1966) and perhaps Cornerways, c.1865, Italianate
- Abberley HallAbberley HallAbberley Hall is a country house in the north-west of the county of Worcestershire, England. The present Italianate house is the work of Samuel Daukes and dates from 1846-49. Since 1916 it has been occupied by Abberley Hall School. It is a Grade II* listed building...
, Worcestershire: for J.L. Moilliet, 1837, Italianate; destroyed by fire, 1845, and reconstructed to a modified design, 1846–49 for Mrs. Moilliet; altered c.1883 - Warehouses at Gloucester Docks: 1838–40, Classical
- Registry Office, Thornbury, (GLOS): 1839, Greek Revival
- Lansdown Railway Station, Cheltenham, (GLOS): for Birmingham & Gloucester Railway Company, 1840, Italianate; portico removed, 1960s
- Holy Trinity Church, West Bromich, Staffordshire: 1840–41, Gothic Revival
- Tibberton Court,(GLOS): 1842, for W.P. Price, alterations planned but perhaps unexecuted
- Mount Eldon, Clevedon, Somerset: for Dowager Lady Elton, 1844, Tudor
- St John's Church, Wednesbury, (STAFFS): 1844–46, Gothic
- St Andrew's Church, Wells Street, London: 1844–47, Gothic, taken down and rebuilt at Kingsbury (Middx) by W.A. Forsyth, 1934
- Houses and shops, 1–19 Montpellier Street, Cheltenham, (GLOS): c.1844–51
- Royal Agricultural CollegeRoyal Agricultural CollegeThe Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
, Cirencester, (GLOS): 1845–48, Tudor, selected as winning design in architectural competition - St Saviour's Church, TetburySt Saviour's Church, TetburySt Saviour's Church, Tetbury, is a redundant 19th-century Anglican church in the town of Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England . Designed by the local architect Samuel Daukes, assisted by A. W. N. Pugin and John Hardman, St Saviour's been designated by English Heritage as a...
, (GLOS): 1845–48, Gothic Revival; the clergy house (27–29 Church St.) is also attributed to Daukes - St Peter's Church, Cheltenham, (GLOS): 1846–49, Norman Revival
- Lypiatt Terrace, Cheltenham, (GLOS): 1847, Italianate
- Middlesex County Pauper Lunatic Asylum, Colney Hatch: 1847–51, Italianate, selected as winning design in an architectural competition, now cenverted into housing
- Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, Kent: 1848, Gothic, demolished 1956
- Bricklehampton Hall, (Worcs.): 1848, Italianate, for Francis Woodward,
- The Abbey Hotel, Great Malvern, (Worcs.): 1848–49, Jacobean
- St Paul's College, Cheltenham, (Glos.):1848–50, Gothic Revival, for the Church of England Training Institution,
- Smallpox and Vaccination Hospital, Highgate Hill, (Middx.): 1848–50, Italianate
- St James' Church, Gravesend, Kent: 1848–52, Gothic Revival
- Lincoln County Pauper Lunatic Asylum, Bracebridge Heath, (Lincs.): 1849, Italianate
- Leybourne Grange, Kent: 1850s, Italianate
- Holy Trinity Church, Link Top, Great Malvern, (Worcs.): 1850–51, Gothic Revival, enlarged 1872
- Horstead Place, Sussex: 1850–52, Tudor, for Francis Barchard
- Holy Ascension Church, Oddington, (Glos.): 1850–52, Gothic Revival
- Christ Church, HampsteadChrist Church, HampsteadChrist Church Hampstead is a Church of England church in Hampstead, London. It is the original church of Hampstead and the Heath.-History:The present church was erected between 1850 and 1852 to designs by the architect Samuel Daukes in the Early English Gothic style. In 1860 a timber gallery was...
, (Middx.): 1851–52 - Aged Freemasnon's Asylum, now Davidson Lodge, Croydon, Surrey: 1852, Jacobean
- St Thomas' Church, Newport, Isle of Wight: 1854–56, Gothic Revival
- Dudley House, Westminster, Park Lane, (Middx.): 1855, new ballroom and picture gallery for Lord Ward; damaged in WW2 but restored by Sir Basil Spence, 1969–70
- Great Whitly Church, (Worcs.): c.1855, refacing in ashlar and new furnishings for Lord Ward
- Eastwood Park, Falfield, (Glos.): c.1858–62, Italianate, attributed, new house for Sir G.S. Jenkinson,
- St George's Church, Falfield, (Glos.): 1859–60, Gothic Revival
- Witley CourtWitley CourtWitley Court in Worcestershire, England is a Grade 1 listed building and was once one of the great houses of the Midlands, but today it is a spectacular ruin after being devastated by fire in 1937. It was built by Thomas Foley in 1655 on the site of a former manor house near Great Witley...
, (Worcs.): 1859–61,Italianate, alterations and refronting for Lord Ward; burnt out 1937 but now restored as a shell - Harescombe Grange, (Glos.): 1861–64, Tudor, for W.C. Lucy, a Gloucester corn merchant; addition of north front, c.1875, is also attributed to Daukes
- Guiting Grange, (Glos.): c.1862, Italianate, attributed, additions and refronting for John Waddington,
- St John the Baptist Church, Edge, (Glos.): 1865, Gothic Revival
- All Saints Church, Hoole Road, Chester, Cheshire: 1867, Gothic Revival
- Five houses bounded by 25 Kensington Gore and 200 Queen’s Gate, Kensington, (Middx): 1873, (insert name from earlier edit)
- Upper Park Road Congregational Church, Salford, Lancashire: 1874–75, Gothic revival
- St Paul’s Church, New Beckenham, Kent: date unknown