Benjamin Ferrey FSA FRIBA (1 April 1810 – 22 August 1880) was an English architect who worked mostly in the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

Family

Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr (1779–1847), a

draper Draper was originally a term for a retailer or wholesaler of cloth that was mainly for clothing. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. History Drapers were an important trade guild during the medieval period ...

who became Mayor of

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

, then in Hampshire, and his wife Ann Pillgrem (1773–1824).Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 169 He was educated at Wimborne Grammar School. Ferrey married twice. On 26 April 1836 at

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

, he married Ann Mary (Annie) Lucas (1812–1871). They had five children: Alicia (1838–1924), Ellen (1840–41), Eleanor Mary (1842–45), Benjamin Edmund (1845–1900) and Annie (1847–1926). Benjamin Edmund or Edmund Benjamin also became an architect, studying under his father and then assisting in his work. After the death of his first wife in 1871, he married a second time, in 1872 at

Weymouth, Dorset Weymouth ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the Dorset (district), Dorset district, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. Situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey, Dorset, River Wey, south of the county town of ...

to Emily Hopkinson (1829–1922). Ferrey died on 22 August 1880 at his London home.

Ancestors

Career

After grammar school, Ferrey went to London to study under Augustus Charles Pugin and alongside Pugin's son Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. In his early twenties Ferrey toured continental Europe, then studied further in the office of William Wilkins. He started his own architectural practice in 1834, in Great Russell Street,

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...

, London. Some of the earliest work of his practice was in the design of the new seaside resort of

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

, particularly his work on Bournemouth Gardens with

Decimus Burton Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was one of the foremost English architects and landscapers of the 19th century. He was the foremost Victorian architect in the Roman revival, Greek revival, Georgian neoclassical and Reg ...

. The business grew rapidly and was very successful, with Ferrey designing and restoring or rebuilding many

Church of England parish church A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ...

es. Ferrey also designed private houses and public buildings, including a number of

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture, also known as mock Tudor in the UK, first manifested in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture, in rea ...

ones in the earlier part of his career. Charles Eastlake in his ''History of the Gothic Revival'' described Ferrey as "one of the earliest, ablest, and most zealous pioneers of the modern Gothic school" and said his work "possessed the rare charm of simplicity, without lacking interest". Ferrey was twice Vice-President of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

and in 1870 was awarded a

Royal Gold Medal The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture. It is gi ...

. He was Diocesan Architect to the

Diocese of Bath and Wells The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England. The diocese covers the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is located in the ...

from 1841 until his death, carrying out much of the restoration work on

Wells Cathedral Wells Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Bath and Wells and the mother church of the diocese of Bath and Wells. There are daily Church of England services in ...

and the Bishop's Palace. He was also appointed Honorary Secretary to the Architects' Committee for the

Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

Work

Buildings

* Tarrant Hinton, Dorset: Old Rectory, 1836 * Westover, Hampshire: estate of villas, 1836 (demolished 1906–29) * Royal Bath Hotel,

, Hampshire (now

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

), 1837–38 *St Thomas of Canterbury parish church, Compton Valence, Dorset: rebuilding of church (except tower), 1839–40 * Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, Dorset, 1839 onwards *Clyffe House, Tincleton, Dorset, 1842Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 423 * Parish church of St James, Hambridge, Somerset, 1842 *Parish church of St Nicholas, Corfe, Somerset, 1842 *All Saints' parish church,

Dogmersfield Dogmersfield is a small village lying between the towns of Fleet and Hartley Wintney in Hampshire, England. The M3 motorway and railway stations at Fleet and Winchfield provide routes to London. Places of interest include the village church, w ...

, Hampshire, 1843 * All Saints' parish church, High East Street, Dorchester, Dorset, (with ADH Acland) 1843–45 *St James' parish church,

Morpeth, Northumberland Morpeth is a historic market town in Northumberland, England, lying on the River Wansbeck. Nearby towns include Ashington, Northumberland, Ashington and Bedlington, Northumberland, Bedlington. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census, th ...

, 1843–46 *St John the Evangelist Church, Hale, Surrey, 1844, rare example of Romanesque rather than Gothic work Churchyard7

*St Nicholas' parish church, Grafton, Wiltshire, 1844 *St Mary's parish church, Winterborne Whitchurch, Dorset: rebuilt nave, added south aisle and south transept, 1844 *St Thomas' parish church, Keresley,

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, 1844–45 *St Mary's parish church, Chilton Foliat, Wiltshire: restoration, 1845 *Holy Trinity parish church, Nuffield, Oxfordshire: restored chancel, 1845 *St Stephen's parish church, Baughurst, Hampshire, 1845 *

Christ Church parish church The current Christ Church Parish Church located in Church Hill, Christ Church, Barbados was built in 1935 and is the fifth parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as ...

, Melplash, Dorset, 1845–46 *St Swithin's parish church, Wickham, Berkshire, 1845–49: nave, chancel and upper part of bell-tower *Holy Trinity parish church, Yeovil, Somerset, 1843–46 * St Osmund's parish church, Osmington, Dorset: reconstruction, 1846 * St Barnabas' parish church, Swanmore, Hampshire, 1846 * St Edmund's parish church, Vobster, Somerset, 1846 *St Mary's parish church,

Twyford, Berkshire Twyford is a large village and civil parish in the Borough of Wokingham in Berkshire, England. It had a population of 6,618 in the 2011 Census. It is in the Thames Valley and on the A4 between Reading and Maidenhead, close to Henley-on-Tham ...

, 1846 * St Peter's parish church, West Lydford, Somerset, 1846 *Saints Peter and Paul chapel, Bishop's Palace, Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, 1846 Glastonbury Market Cross - geograph

Market cross A market cross, or in Scots, a mercat cross, is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, where historically the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by the monarch, a bishop or a baron. History Market crosses ...

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

, Somerset, 1846 *Christ Church, Henton, Somerset, 1847 * Municipal Buildings, Dorchester, Dorset, 1847–48 *St Boniface' parish church,

Bonchurch Bonchurch is a small village in the civil parish of Ventnor, to the east of the town of Ventnor, now largely connected to the latter by suburban development, on the southern part of the Isle of Wight, England. One of the oldest settlements on the ...

, Isle of Wight, 1847–48 * St Peter's College, Saltley,

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, 1847–52 *St Barnabas' parish church, Linslade, Bedfordshire, 1848 *St John the Baptist parish church, Plush, Dorset, 1848 *Holy Trinity parish church,

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Thames, in the South Oxfordshire district, in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, Berkshire, Reading, west of M ...

, Oxfordshire, 1848 *St Mary the Virgin parish church,

Stamfordham, Northumberland Stamfordham is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Northumberland, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2001 Census was 1,047, rising to 1,185 at the 2011 Census. The place-name ''Stamfordham'' is first atte ...

: restoration, 1848 * Christchurch Priory, Hampshire: pulpitum, 1848 *Stafford House, West Stafford, Dorset: west front, 1848–50 *St Margaret's parish church, Harpsden, Oxfordshire: extended nave, added aisle and bell tower, 1848–54 *Holy Trinity parish church, Penn Street, Buckinghamshire, 1849 * St John the Evangelist parish church, Tincleton, Dorset, 1849 * The (Old) School House, Tincleton, Dorset, circa 1849. *Holy Trinity parish church, Wood Green,

Witney Witney is a market town on the River Windrush in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is west of Oxford. History The Toponymy, place-name "Witney" is derived from the Old English for "Witta's island". The earliest kno ...

, Oxfordshire, 1849 *St Peter's parish church, Cranbourne, Berkshire, 1849 *All Saints' parish church, Bisham, Berkshire: restoration, 1849 * All Saints' parish church, Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire: restoration, 1849 *St Thomas' parish church,

Colnbrook Colnbrook is a village in the Borough of Slough, Slough district in Berkshire, England. It lies within the historic counties of England, historic boundaries of Buckinghamshire, and straddles two distributaries of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, ...

, Buckinghamshire, 1849–52 *Holy Trinity parish church, Grazeley, Berkshire, 1850 * St Michael and All Angels Church, Littlebredy, Dorset: rebuilding of church and addition of spire, 1850 *St Botolph's parish church, Swyncombe, Oxfordshire: restoration, 1850 *Christ Church,

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

, London, 1850-51 *St Teilo's Church,

Merthyr Mawr Merthyr Mawr is a village and Community (Wales), community in Bridgend (county borough), Bridgend, Wales. The village is about miles from the centre of Bridgend town. The population of the community at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 censu ...

, (formerly Glamorgan), 1851 * St Laurence's parish church,

Upton, Slough Upton is a suburb of Slough, in the Borough of Slough, Slough district, in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. Until the Local Government Act 1972, local government reforms of 1974 it was in Buckinghamshire. It was one of the villages t ...

, Buckinghamshire: south aisle, 1852 *St Mark's parish church, Hedgerley, Buckinghamshire, 1852 *St Mary's parish church,

Kirtlington Kirtlington is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Oxfordshire about west of Bicester. The parish includes the Hamlet (place), hamlet of Northbrook. The United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census recorded the parish's popula ...

, Oxfordshire: rebuilt tower, 1853 *Holy Trinity parish church, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire, 1853 *St Paul's parish church,

Neithrop Neithrop is an inner housing estate and part of the greater Neithrop ward of Banbury, in the Cherwell (district), Cherwell district, in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is one of the oldest areas in Banbury, having first been first reco ...

, Banbury, Oxfordshire, 1853 *Parish church of St Mary, Buckland St Mary, Somerset, 1853–63 *Battleford Hall, Fleet, Lincolnshire. Old Rectory, 1854 *St Mark's parish church, Fairfield, Worcestershire, 1854 * All Saints parish church, Huntsham, Devon, 1854–56Pevsner & Cherry, 1989, page 497 *Holy Trinity, Bengeo,

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

, 1855 *Parish church of All Saints, Castle Cary, Somerset: rebuilding, 1855 * Christ Church, Bala, Gwynedd (formerly Merionethshire), 1855. *St Giles' parish church, Barlestone, Leicestershire, 1855 *St Paul's parish church, Scropton, Derbyshire, 1855–56 * All Saints' parish church, Curland, Somerset, 1856 *Chapels at Ocklynge cemetery,

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...

, East Sussex, 1857 * All Saints' Blackheath,

Blackheath, London Blackheath is an area in Southeast London, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham. Historically within the county of Kent, it is located northeast of Lewisham, south of Greenwich, London, G ...

, 1857–67 *Christ Church,

, East Sussex, 1859 *Grammar School, Morpeth, Northumberland, 1859 * Chase Cliffe house,

Crich Crich is a village and civil parish in the English county of Derbyshire. Besides the village of Crich, the civil parish includes the nearby villages of Fritchley, Whatstandwell and Wheatcroft, Derbyshire, Wheatcroft. The population of the civi ...

, Derbyshire, 1859–61 *St Andrew's parish church, West Hatch, Somerset, 1861 *Parish church of All Saints, Merriott, Somerset: chancel, chapels, east end of nave, 1862 * Bulstrode Park, Buckinghamshire: house, 1862 * Christchurch Priory, Dorset (formerly Hampshire): restoration including porch vaulting, 1862 St Mary Magdalene Taunton

*Parish church of St Mary Magdalene, Taunton, Somerset: rebuilding, with

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), largely known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he ...

, 1862 *Parish church of St Mary the Virgin, East Stoke, Somerset: restoration, 1862 *St Mary's parish church, Eling, Hampshire: restoration, 1863–65 *SS Mary and Peter's parish church, Pett, East Sussex, 1864 *St Mary's parish church, Warmington, Northamptonshire: restored chancel, 1865 *St Michael and All Angels' church, Chetwynd, Shropshire, 1865–67 *All Hallows' parish church,

Whitchurch, Hampshire Whitchurch is a town in the borough of Basingstoke and Deane in Hampshire, England. It is on the River Test, south of Newbury, Berkshire, north of Winchester, east of Andover, Hampshire, Andover and west of Basingstoke. Much of the town is ...

: restoration, 1866 * St Mary's parish church, East Lydford, Somerset, 1866 *Parish church of SS Peter and Paul, Lufton, Somerset, 1866 *

St Giles' Church, Wrexham St Giles' Parish Church () is the parish church of Wrexham, Wales. The church is recognised as one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical architecture in Wales and is a Grade I listed building, described by Sir Simon Jenkins as 'the glory of th ...

(formerly Denbighshire): restoration, 1867 *

Huntsham Court Huntsham Court is a Grade II* listed country house in Huntsham, Devon, England. Built in 1868–70, it was designed in the Tudor Gothic style by Benjamin Ferrey for Charles Troyte. It was then the home of his son and local Member of parliament, M ...

, Huntsham, Devon, 1868–70 *Parish church of All Saints, Chipstable, Somerset, 1869 *St Michael's parish church, Otterton, Devon: rebuilt 1869–71 *Christ Church parish church and vicarage, Colbury, Hampshire, 1870 *St James' parish church, Birlingham, Worcestershire: rebuilt 1871–72 *St John the Evangelist, Holdenhurst, Hampshire (now Dorset): chancel, 1873 *St Mary's parish church,

Bransgore Bransgore is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish within the New Forest District, Hampshire, England. The village developed in the 19th century when a church and a school were built. It is technically classified as an urban area ...

, Hampshire: chancel, 1873 * Church of St Michael, Enmore, Somerset: restoration, new north aisle, 1873 *

Church of St Mary Magdalene, Wookey Hole Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, Somerset, 1873–74 *St Mary's parish church, Tarrant Hinton, Dorset: chancel, 1874 * St Mary's Church, Wingham 1874–75 * Parish Church of St Luke, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset (1874–75) * Holy Trinity parish church, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, 1875–76 *Parish church of the Holy Cross, Babcary, Somerset: north aisle, 1876 * Christchurch Priory, Hampshire: nave gallery *Jumpers' Cemetery, Christchurch, Hampshire (now Dorset): arched gateway and two chapels

Buildings by Edmund Benjamin Ferrey (the son)

*Church of St Deiniol,

Llanuwchllyn Llanuwchllyn () is a village and Community (Wales), community in Gwynedd, Wales, near the southern end of Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid). It is one of the most sparsely populated communities in Wales. The electoral ward includes the small settlement ...

, Gwynedd (1873) * St Bartholomew's Church, Burstow, Surrey (1884–95) *Church of St Thomas a Becket, Framfield, East Sussex (1892) (Tower rebuilt)

Publications

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References

Bibliography

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External links

*
Benjamin Ferrey - A Biographical Note
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferrey, Benjamin 1810 births 1880 deaths 19th-century English architects Gothic Revival architects English ecclesiastical architects People from Christchurch, Dorset Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects Recipients of the Royal Gold Medal Architects of cathedrals People educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Wimborne Minster Architects from Hampshire Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London