Joseph Kay (architect)
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Joseph Kay (1775–1847) was an English architect, particularly active in the early 19th century, and associated with the layout of central
Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
and with
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
. He was one of the original members 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 was elected a fellow in 1834.


Early career

Kay was a pupil of
Samuel Pepys Cockerell Samuel Pepys Cockerell (15 February 1753 – 12 July 1827) was an English architect. He was a son of John Cockerell, of Bishop's Hull, Somerset, and the elder brother of Sir Charles Cockerell, 1st Baronet, for whom he designed the house he is ...
, and studied European architecture during a trip (1802–1805) alongside Robert Smirke. In 1807, he married Sarah Henrietta Porden (1785–1859), the eldest daughter of architect William Porden; he was assistant to Porden during the building of the second Eaton Hall near
Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
,
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...
(1804–1812). One of his earliest work in his own right was interior design of the Assembly Rooms in Clifton,
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
, c.1811.


Professional practice

In London, as surveyor to the
Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital (formally the Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Young Children) was a children's home in London, England, founded in 1739 by the philanthropy, philanthropic Captain (nautical), sea captain ...
, he designed houses on the east side of Mecklenburgh Square (1810–21), and, as clerk of works to Greenwich Hospital, he remodelled the town centre (creating Nelson Street, College Approach and the Market) in
Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
(1829); the nearby Trafalgar Tavern (1837) is also his work. In
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
he designed the Post Office in Waterloo Place. His masterpiece was Pelham Crescent with the Church of St Mary-in-the-Castle in the centre, in
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
,
Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
(1824–1828), built for
Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester PC, PC (Ire), FRS (28 April 1756 – 4 July 1826), styled The Honourable Thomas Pelham from 1768 until 1783, The Right Honourable Thomas Pelham from 1783 to 1801, and then known as Lord Pelham until 1805, ...
; Colvin described it: :"The church is top-lit and has an Ionic prostyle portico, while beneath the terrace in front of the whole composition is an ingenious structure intended for shops and services." Other buildings by Kay in Hastings also survive, including the Cupola, Minnis Rock and Belmont House. He was also responsible for laying out the Thornhill Estate in Barnsbury, Islington from 1813 onwards.


Family

Kay and his wife had at least eight children (two boys and six girls). Their eldest son, William Porden Kay (1809–1897) also became an architect, emigrating to Australia in 1842 to become a Director of Public Works, and designing
Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...
's
Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...
. The second son, Joseph Henry Kay (1815-1875), became a naval officer and one of Australia's first
geophysicists Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and properties of Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. Geophysicists conduct investigations acros ...
, a foundation member of the
Royal Society of Tasmania The Royal Society of Tasmania (RST) was formed in 1843. It was the first Royal Society outside the United Kingdom, and its mission was the advancement of knowledge. The work of the Royal Society of Tasmania includes: * Promoting Tasmanian hist ...
and a fellow of the
Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
(elected on 26 February 1846 for his work on geomagnetism). Kay died at his residence, 6 Gower Street,
Bedford Square Bedford Square is a garden square in the Bloomsbury district of the London Borough of Camden, Borough of Camden in London, England. History Built between 1775 and 1783 as an upper middle class residential area, the square has had many disti ...
, London on 7 December 1847, aged 72 and was buried at the
Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital (formally the Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Young Children) was a children's home in London, England, founded in 1739 by the philanthropy, philanthropic Captain (nautical), sea captain ...
Chapel, London.The Monumental Inscriptions of Middlesex Vol II - Cansick 1872. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuc.3421902v2&seq=277&q1=kay


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kay, Joseph (architect) 19th-century English architects 1775 births 1847 deaths