William Halfpenny
Encyclopedia
William Halfpenny was an English
18th-century architect
ural designer; in some of his publications he described himself as "architect and carpenter". He also wrote under the name of Michael Hoare.
which was never executed, and his book Practical Architecture (1724) was dedicated to Yorkshire landowner and M.P.
Sir Thomas Frankland
. The Art of Sound Building (1725) was dedicated to the Parliament
ary official Sir Andrew Fountaine, and in 1726 he submitted a design for a bridge across the River Thames
at Fulham
. Batty Langley
mentions him in his book Ancient Masonry (1736) as "Mr William Halfpenny, alias Hoare, lately of Richmond in Surrey
, carpenter."
Halfpenny worked for a time in Ireland
, in 1732 designing a horse barracks in Hillsborough, County Down
, for Lord Hillsborough
, and in 1737 Garrahunden House, later demolished, near Bagenalstown, County Carlow
, for Sir Richard Butler
. In 1739 he made designs for buildings in Waterford
and Cork
.
Most of Halfpenny's buildings, including several that may have been designed by him or his contemporaries, are or were located in and around Bristol
, where he was probably based from about 1730 (his Perspective Made Easy, published in 1731, contains various views of the city). The Cooper
s' Hall, King Street
, built from his designs in 1743-4, is the most notable and the only surviving building in the area which can positively be identified as his work. The coopers relinquished it in 1785, and it was later used as assembly rooms
, warehouses and a Baptist chapel
. Since 1972, the ground floor has formed the main entrance to the Bristol Old Vic
theatre, and the upper floors house various theatre facilities.
Only one other work which can be positively identified as Halfpenny's and of which traces survive is a "Chinese" bridge built for Lord Deerhurst (later the sixth Earl of Coventry
) at Croome Park
, Worcestershire
in 1747-48. Archaeology students at the University of Worcester
uncovered the substantial stone foundations of the bridge in summer 2009, and the National Trust
intends to create a replica
of the bridge, using Halfpenny's drawing, as part of a plan to recreate Capability Brown
's original landscape.
He died in debt in 1755.
fashions which were so greatly in vogue in the middle of the 18th century. His most important publications, from the point of view of their effect upon taste, were:
These four books were produced in collaboration with his son John Halfpenny. New Designs for Chinese Temples is a volume of some significance in the history of furniture, since, having been published some years before the books of Thomas Chippendale
and Sir William Chambers
, it disproves the statement so often made that those designers introduced the Chinese taste into Britain. Halfpenny states distinctly that "the Chinese manner" had been "already introduced here with success."
Halfpenny's books were often the source for design details in 18th-century American houses as well, including Mount Clare
in Baltimore County, Maryland
, and the Chase-Lloyd House
in Annapolis, Maryland
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
18th-century architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
ural designer; in some of his publications he described himself as "architect and carpenter". He also wrote under the name of Michael Hoare.
Life and architectural work
Little is known of his life. In 1723, he was paid for a design for Holy Trinity Church, LeedsHoly Trinity Church, Leeds
Holy Trinity Church , in Leeds, West Yorkshire, is a Church of England Parish Church in the Parish of Leeds City in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds. It was built in 1722–7, but the steeple dates from 1839...
which was never executed, and his book Practical Architecture (1724) was dedicated to Yorkshire landowner and M.P.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Sir Thomas Frankland
Sir Thomas Frankland, 2nd Baronet
Sir Thomas Frankland, 2nd Baronet , of Thirkelby in Yorkshire, was an English Member of Parliament.He was the eldest son of Sir William Frankland, 1st Baronet, and succeeded to the baronetcy on 2 August 1697...
. The Art of Sound Building (1725) was dedicated to the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
ary official Sir Andrew Fountaine, and in 1726 he submitted a design for a bridge across the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
. Batty Langley
Batty Langley
Batty Langley was an English garden designer, and prolific writer who produced a number of engraved designs for "Gothick" structures, summerhouses and garden seats in the years before the mid-18th century.The eccentric landscape designer, who gave some of his numerous children names like Hiram,...
mentions him in his book Ancient Masonry (1736) as "Mr William Halfpenny, alias Hoare, lately of Richmond in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, carpenter."
Halfpenny worked for a time in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, in 1732 designing a horse barracks in Hillsborough, County Down
Hillsborough, County Down
Hillsborough is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated from the city of Belfast. It is within the Lisburn City Council area....
, for Lord Hillsborough
Trevor Hill, 1st Viscount Hillsborough
Trevor Hill, 1st Viscount Hillsborough was an Anglo-Irish landowner and politician.The son of Michael Hill and Anne Trevor, Hill was the member of an influential landowning family of County Down, Ireland. He sat in the British House of Commons as a representative for Aylesbury from 1715 to 1722...
, and in 1737 Garrahunden House, later demolished, near Bagenalstown, County Carlow
County Carlow
County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, for Sir Richard Butler
Sir Richard Butler, 5th Baronet
Sir Richard Butler, 5th Baronet was an Irish politician and baronet.He was the eldest son of James Butler, second son of Sir Thomas Butler, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Frances Abney, daughter of Sir Edward Abney. Butler represented Carlow County in the Irish House of Commons from 1730 to 1761...
. In 1739 he made designs for buildings in Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
and Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
.
Most of Halfpenny's buildings, including several that may have been designed by him or his contemporaries, are or were located in and around 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...
, where he was probably based from about 1730 (his Perspective Made Easy, published in 1731, contains various views of the city). The Cooper
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
s' Hall, King Street
King Street, Bristol
King Street is a 17th century street in the historic city centre of Bristol, England.The street lies just south of the old town wall and was laid out in 1650 in order to develop the Town Marsh, the area then lying between the south or Marsh Wall and the Avon...
, built from his designs in 1743-4, is the most notable and the only surviving building in the area which can positively be identified as his work. The coopers relinquished it in 1785, and it was later used as assembly rooms
Assembly rooms
In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were few public places of entertainment open to both sexes...
, warehouses and a Baptist chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. Since 1972, the ground floor has formed the main entrance to the Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
theatre, and the upper floors house various theatre facilities.
Only one other work which can be positively identified as Halfpenny's and of which traces survive is a "Chinese" bridge built for Lord Deerhurst (later the sixth Earl of Coventry
George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry
George William Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry , known as Viscount Deerhurst from 1744 to 1751, was a British peer and Tory politician....
) at Croome Park
Croome Park
Croome is an 18th century landscape park, garden and mansion house in south Worcestershire designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown with some features by Robert Adam. The park and garden are owned by the National Trust. The mansion house, Croome Court, was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust and...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
in 1747-48. Archaeology students at the University of Worcester
University of Worcester
The University of Worcester is a British university, based in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. It was granted university status in September 2005.-History:...
uncovered the substantial stone foundations of the bridge in summer 2009, and the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
intends to create a replica
Replica
A replica is a copy closely resembling the original concerning its shape and appearance. An inverted replica complements the original by filling its gaps. It can be a copy used for historical purposes, such as being placed in a museum. Sometimes the original never existed. For example, Difference...
of the bridge, using Halfpenny's drawing, as part of a plan to recreate Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
's original landscape.
He died in debt in 1755.
Buildings tentatively attributed to Halfpenny on stylistic grounds
- The Ivy, Bath Road, ChippenhamChippenhamChippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
, WiltshireWiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
(built for John Norris, M.P in 1728) - Frampton Court, Frampton-on-SevernFrampton-on-SevernFrampton-on-Severn is a village in Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the east bank of the River Severn, and on the west bank of the River Frome, from which it takes its name. The village is approximately 10 miles south of Gloucester, at . There is a parish council, consisting of nine members....
, GloucestershireGloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
(1731-3) - Redland ChapelRedland ChapelRedland Chapel is a Georgian parish church in the Redland suburb of Bristol, England.It which was built, probably by John Strahan or William Halfpenny, with plasterwork by Thomas Paty, in 1742 as a private chapel for the local manor house, Redland Court, which is now Redland High School, though it...
in the Bristol suburbsRedland, BristolRedland is an affluent suburb in Bristol, England. The suburb is situated between Clifton, Cotham, Bishopston and Westbury Park. The boundaries of the district are not precisely defined, but are generally taken to be Whiteladies Road in the west, the Severn Beach railway line in the south and...
has been attributed to Halfpenny, but it is more likely to have been designed by John StrahanJohn StrahanJohn Strahan was an architect working in Bristol and Bath, England in the early 18th century. He died around 1740.-List of works:* Shakespeare Public House, Bristol * Combe Hay Manor Combe Hay 1728 to 1730* Frampton Court, Frampton-on-Severn...
, the architect of Redland Court (now Redland High School for GirlsRedland High School for GirlsRedland High School for Girls is a selective and independent, non-denominational girls' school in the suburb of Redland, Bristol, England.-Admissions:...
), who died before the chapel had been completed. Halfpenny was recruited in 1742 to oversee the remaining work. - No.3, Clifton Hill, CliftonClifton, BristolClifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
, Bristol, previously known as Clifton Court and now a nursing-home called Chesterfield (1742), a Grade II* listed building - Stouts HillStouts HillStouts Hill is an 18th-Century Gothic revival country house situated in the Cotswolds, just outside the village of Uley. The house is currently a timeshare property....
, near UleyUleyUley is a village in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated in a wooded valley in the Cotswold escarpment, on the road between Dursley and Stroud. The population is around 1,100, but was much greater during the early years of the industrial revolution, when the village was...
, Gloucestershire (1743) - Black Castle Public HouseBlack Castle Public HouseBlack Castle Public House is a historic building in Junction Rd, Brislington, Bristol, England. It is also known as Arno's Castle.It was built in 1745—1755 as a folly sham castle and office, but may have originally been a stable block and laundry for the lord of the manor...
, BrislingtonBrislingtonBrislington 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...
, Bristol (1745–55) - Church of St Margaret, BabingtonChurch of St Margaret, BabingtonThe Church of St Margaret within the grounds of Babington House in Babington, Somerset, England is a Grade I listed building.There may have been a Norman building on the site before the current church, which is thought to date from 1748 and was probably built by John Strahan or William Halfpenny,...
, SomersetSomersetThe 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...
(c1748) - an orangery or Gothick garden house, The Green, Frampton-on-Severn (c1750)
- Upton HouseTetbury UptonTetbury Upton is a small village Civil Parish in the Cotswolds area of Gloucestershire. Tetbury Upton is situated on the B4014 road 1.5 miles northh of the town of Tetbury...
near TetburyTetburyTetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.In the Middle Ages,...
, Gloucestershire (1752)
Publications
His books deal almost entirely with domestic architecture, and especially with country houses in the neo-Gothic and ChinoiserieChinoiserie
Chinoiserie, a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque", and pronounced ) refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences...
fashions which were so greatly in vogue in the middle of the 18th century. His most important publications, from the point of view of their effect upon taste, were:
- New Designs for Chinese Temples, in four parts (1750–52)
- Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste (1750–1752). This book is believed to have introduced the word "gazeboGazeboA gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
" to the English languageEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. - Rural Architecture in the Gothic Taste (1752)
- Chinese and Gothic Architecture Properly Ornamented (1752)
These four books were produced in collaboration with his son John Halfpenny. New Designs for Chinese Temples is a volume of some significance in the history of furniture, since, having been published some years before the books of Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale was a London cabinet-maker and furniture designer in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. In 1754 he published a book of his designs, titled The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director...
and Sir William Chambers
William Chambers
William Chambers may refer to:*William Chambers , 18th century Scottish architect*William Chambers *William Lee Chambers, judge*William Chambers , illegitimate son of the above...
, it disproves the statement so often made that those designers introduced the Chinese taste into Britain. Halfpenny states distinctly that "the Chinese manner" had been "already introduced here with success."
Halfpenny's books were often the source for design details in 18th-century American houses as well, including Mount Clare
Mount Clare (Maryland)
Mount Clare is the oldest Colonial-era structure in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The Georgian style plantation house exhibits a somewhat altered five-part plan...
in Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
, and the Chase-Lloyd House
Chase-Lloyd House
The Chase-Lloyd House in Annapolis, Maryland is a brick three-story Georgian mansion dating from 1769-1774 with interiors by William Buckland . Its construction was started for Samuel Chase, who would later be a signatory to the Declaration of Independence and Associate Justice of the Supreme...
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
.