Dyer, William (b.1810, Appledore, Devon d.?)
Little is known of Dyer's career as a builder but he recorded as a carpenter in the 1841 Census. He may have been the builder for Henry Rumley's 1832 development of 28 and 29 Redcliffe Terrace, as he was the builder for Rumley's (c.1845) Aberdeen Terrace in Cotham. Dyer remained residing at and acting as the landlord for several houses living at Aberdeen Terrace into the 1850s and 1860s before moving into Clifton.
Hamley, William (b.1796, Devonshire - d.1869, Bristol)
Hamley had moved to Bristol by the 1820s and in 1824 married Hannah,(1) the daughter of William Merrick, a House Carpenter and a Burgess residing in Redcliff, Bristol. A year earlier, another of Merrick's daughters (Sarah) had married the land surveyor George C. H. Ashmead. The families of Hamley and Ashmead are recorded as living together at 8, Bridge Street in 1836(2) and would also go on to establish informal working partnerships.
At the time of his marriage Hamley's occupation is listed as a mason but in the 1830s he was also recorded as a brick and tile maker and later as a builder.(2) Whilst his death notice described Hamley as an extensive builder in Clifton including Caledonia Place, West Mall, Buckingham Place and Villas, and Buckingham and Lodge Street Chapels.(3)
The Bristol Apprentice books record Hamley taking on three apprentices,(4) one as a mason and two as a builder:
Little is known of Hamley's career until the late 1830s and at the time of the Tithe Map/Award, when Ashmead owned Hamley's premises of a house, brickworks and lime-kiln at St Phillips Marsh (off Feeder Road/Short Street). Additionally, the pair each owned plots of ground which would form Buckingham Vale and Buckingham Villas in Clifton. These houses are attributed to Richard Shackleton Pope, who also designed the exterior to Buckingham Chapel, Clifton (c.1843), a building that Hamley and Ashmead were involved in the conception, financing and construction.
The period of Hamley's career from c.1847-1851 is of particular interest in terms of speculative housing building and in establishing the Victoria Baths (now the Bristol Lido).
In 1847, the Bristol Water Works Company acquired several different water-infrastructure interests in Clifton, including those of Hamleys. Within the same period Hamley appears to start building the Victoria Baths; the design which has also been attributed to Pope. Hamley was also likely responsible for housing adjacent to the baths on Upper Park Street (now Southleigh Road). Hamley was also selling ground and farm-fee rents for Pembroke Place, Richmond Park and was associated with Buckingham Place and other housing on the former Nursery Ground of Mr Curtain including his residence of Spring Villa.
Unfortunately, Hamley's housing speculation was attributed to his bankruptcy in 1851, which revealed large liabilities on mortgages. After gaining his certificate in c.1853, he continued to work as builder but probably never on the same scale.
Thomas, Fredrick Samson (b.c.1801, Bristol - 1881, London)
Frederick was born in Bristol and is first referred to as the builder in association with the houses of the Royal Colonnade in Great George Street and the villas of 19 and 20 (The Deanery) in Charlotte Street.(1) The design authorship of these buildings is disputed. Officially, the Royal Colonnade it is accredited to Richard Shackleton Pope(2) although there is also evidence to show that Henry Rumley owned/promoted the unfinished houses of the Colonnade and other building plots in 1822-1824.(3) However, Frederick may have also had the skills to be involved in the design as his occupation is later described as a historical painter, modeller and painter.(4)
Frederick finished/built the properties which he leased sold from c.1825 onwards, but ultimately the properties led to his bankruptcy in 1827 and were collectively sold as part of his estate.(5) Frederick remained in Bristol in the early 1830s and described himself as an artist,(6) before relocating to London. He continued working as an artist and displayed paintings at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly(7) and also as an agent for several exhibitions.(8) Later in his career he leased a mine and submitted patents for a range of different improvements for roads and locomotives.(10)
Little is known of Dyer's career as a builder but he recorded as a carpenter in the 1841 Census. He may have been the builder for Henry Rumley's 1832 development of 28 and 29 Redcliffe Terrace, as he was the builder for Rumley's (c.1845) Aberdeen Terrace in Cotham. Dyer remained residing at and acting as the landlord for several houses living at Aberdeen Terrace into the 1850s and 1860s before moving into Clifton.
Hamley, William (b.1796, Devonshire - d.1869, Bristol)
Hamley had moved to Bristol by the 1820s and in 1824 married Hannah,(1) the daughter of William Merrick, a House Carpenter and a Burgess residing in Redcliff, Bristol. A year earlier, another of Merrick's daughters (Sarah) had married the land surveyor George C. H. Ashmead. The families of Hamley and Ashmead are recorded as living together at 8, Bridge Street in 1836(2) and would also go on to establish informal working partnerships.
At the time of his marriage Hamley's occupation is listed as a mason but in the 1830s he was also recorded as a brick and tile maker and later as a builder.(2) Whilst his death notice described Hamley as an extensive builder in Clifton including Caledonia Place, West Mall, Buckingham Place and Villas, and Buckingham and Lodge Street Chapels.(3)
The Bristol Apprentice books record Hamley taking on three apprentices,(4) one as a mason and two as a builder:
- Charles Higgs in 1827 as a Mason;(5)
- George Henry Brittan in 1839 as a Builder; and
- Thomas Brittan in 1841 also as a Builder.
Little is known of Hamley's career until the late 1830s and at the time of the Tithe Map/Award, when Ashmead owned Hamley's premises of a house, brickworks and lime-kiln at St Phillips Marsh (off Feeder Road/Short Street). Additionally, the pair each owned plots of ground which would form Buckingham Vale and Buckingham Villas in Clifton. These houses are attributed to Richard Shackleton Pope, who also designed the exterior to Buckingham Chapel, Clifton (c.1843), a building that Hamley and Ashmead were involved in the conception, financing and construction.
The period of Hamley's career from c.1847-1851 is of particular interest in terms of speculative housing building and in establishing the Victoria Baths (now the Bristol Lido).
In 1847, the Bristol Water Works Company acquired several different water-infrastructure interests in Clifton, including those of Hamleys. Within the same period Hamley appears to start building the Victoria Baths; the design which has also been attributed to Pope. Hamley was also likely responsible for housing adjacent to the baths on Upper Park Street (now Southleigh Road). Hamley was also selling ground and farm-fee rents for Pembroke Place, Richmond Park and was associated with Buckingham Place and other housing on the former Nursery Ground of Mr Curtain including his residence of Spring Villa.
Unfortunately, Hamley's housing speculation was attributed to his bankruptcy in 1851, which revealed large liabilities on mortgages. After gaining his certificate in c.1853, he continued to work as builder but probably never on the same scale.
Thomas, Fredrick Samson (b.c.1801, Bristol - 1881, London)
Frederick was born in Bristol and is first referred to as the builder in association with the houses of the Royal Colonnade in Great George Street and the villas of 19 and 20 (The Deanery) in Charlotte Street.(1) The design authorship of these buildings is disputed. Officially, the Royal Colonnade it is accredited to Richard Shackleton Pope(2) although there is also evidence to show that Henry Rumley owned/promoted the unfinished houses of the Colonnade and other building plots in 1822-1824.(3) However, Frederick may have also had the skills to be involved in the design as his occupation is later described as a historical painter, modeller and painter.(4)
Frederick finished/built the properties which he leased sold from c.1825 onwards, but ultimately the properties led to his bankruptcy in 1827 and were collectively sold as part of his estate.(5) Frederick remained in Bristol in the early 1830s and described himself as an artist,(6) before relocating to London. He continued working as an artist and displayed paintings at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly(7) and also as an agent for several exhibitions.(8) Later in his career he leased a mine and submitted patents for a range of different improvements for roads and locomotives.(10)
