GEORGE FREDERICK BODLEY

'George Frederick Bodley' (1827 – 21 October 1907) was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.

Exterior of All Saints' church, Cambridge

and its richly decorated Arts and Crafts interior.

He was the youngest son of a physician in Brighton, Sussex, England. His elder brother, the Rev. W. H. Bodley, became a well-known Roman Catholic preacher and a professor at St Mary’s College, New Oscott, Birmingham.

Contents

Career

Principal works

References

Career

George Bodley was articled to the famous architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, under whose influence he became imbued with the spirit of the Gothic revival, and he gradually became known as the chief exponent of , and the leading ecclesiastical architect in England.
His secular work included the London School Board offices, and in collaboration with Thomas Garner, the new buildings at Magdalen College, Oxford, and Hewell Grange, Worcestershire (for Viscount Windsor).
From 1872, he worked in a twenty-eight year partnership with Thomas Garner. He also designed (with his pupil James Vaughan) the cathedral at Washington, D.C., and cathedrals at San Francisco and in Tasmania.

In 1902, Bodley was one of the assessors for the competition to design the new Anglican cathedral in Liverpool, selecting the design by the young Giles Gilbert Scott. When construction of the cathedral began in 1904, Bodley was appointed to oversee Gilbert Scott's work and made several changes to the interior design of the Lady Chapel.
Bodley’s final architectural accomplishment was the design of the chapel at Bedford School, England, the foundation stone of which was laid on 18 May 1907 by Lord St John of Bletsoe. Building work took only a year, the consecration of the chapel taking place in July 1908, by which time the architect had died.
Bodley began contributing to the Royal Academy in 1854, and in 1881 was elected A.R.A., becoming RA in 1902. In addition to being a most learned master of architecture, he was a beautiful draughtsman, and a connoisseur in art; he published a volume of poems in 1899; and he was a designer of wallpaper and chintzes for Watts & Co., of Baker Street, London. He served as prime warden of the Fishmongers' Company in 1901–2. In early life he had been in close alliance with the Pre-Raphaelites, and he did a great deal, like William Morris, to improve public taste in domestic decoration and furniture.
He died on 21 October 1907 at Water Eaton near Oxford.

Principal works

★ Church of St Michael and All Angels, Brighton, Sussex (1855)


★ Selsley Church, Gloucestershire

★ St Salvador's church, Dundee

★ All Saints' church, Cambridge

★ Eton Mission church, Hackney Wick, London

★ St Mary the Virgin church, Clumber, Nottinghamshire

★ St Mary the Virgin church, Eccleston, Cheshire

★ Holy Angels' church, Hoar Cross, Staffordshire with Thomas Garner

★ St. Augustine's church, Pendlebury near Manchester, Lancashire with Thomas Garner

★ Holy Trinity church, Prince Consort Road, South Kensington, London

★ Chapel Allerton, Leeds, Yorkshire

★ St Faith's church, Brentford, London

★ Queens' College chapel, Cambridge, and the 1870 decoration for the Old Hall

★ Bedford School chapel

★ Marlborough College chapel

★ St Chad's church, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire

★ St Paul's church, Burton upon Trent (alterations)

★ St Michael's church, Camden Town, London

★ St Michael's church, Folkestone, Kent (now demolished)

★ St. Mary's Church, Nottingham (chapter house)

★ St John the Divine, Kennington, London (interior, 1890)

References

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