John Hicks
Architect & Surveyor
(1815, Totnes, Devon - 1869, Dorchester)
John Hicks is also not given a full biographical profile within Gomme, Jenner and Little’s Bristol: An Architectural History(1), but is paired with Samuel Burleigh Gabriel, whom in the late 1840s he partnered with on several Church Commissioner churches. Hicks' partnership with Gabriel lasted only a year, which is much shorter than previously thought, although his residency in Bristol was also much longer (c.1826-1847) and he deserves a more detailed entry.
Hicks was born in c.1815 in Totnes, Devon to Rev. James Champion Hicks (1781-1855), whose family were descendants of minor gentry.(2) In 1815, James was also appointed as the Master of the Totnes Grammar School but he relocated to Bristol in c.1825 to set up or continue a Classical School located at No.6 Dean Street, off Portland Square.(3) His involvement in the school had ended by c.1828, but during this period he also assisted with marriages at Holy Trinity Church, Horfield.
James Champion Hicks’ relocated to Bristol, when his son John was still an adolescent and therefore, it is likely that John was apprenticed or articled to a Bristol based architect, although who this was is not known. The first recorded work of John as an architect was the c.1836 enlargement of the Holy Trinity Church, Horfield.(4) Given the pattern of his subsequent ecclesiastical work, Hicks directly or more likely though his father or brother's church connections appeared to have been on good terms with the Curate of Horfield Henry Richards.(5) Richards was wealthy in his own right and outlaid money on improving his parsonage and establishing a school at Horfield.(6) He also contributed to the establishment of the Gloucester and Bristol Diocesan Church Building Association.(7) This was led by Bishop James Henry Monk who Richards had an acrimonious relationship with owing to a dispute over Horfield's Manor but Monk was also keen on improving the provision of churches, alongside parsonages and schools.(8) There is little evidence of Hicks' work between Holy Trinity (1836) and St John, the Evangelist, Clifton (1841) and therefore, Hicks may have relied upon parsonages and church school projects.
Hicks appears to have established an office at 28 Corn Street from c.1838.(9) His personal residences included lodging at No.1 Somerset Place, Clifton (1841) and from 1844, Ashley Grove, Stapleton (now 284 & 286 Ashley Down Road), a property owned by his father.(10)
By 1840, Hicks considered himself experienced enough to stand as a candidate for a District Surveyor.(11) In the early 1840s, he undertook the restoration of several churches, outside of Bristol, in Somerset and Gloucestershire; many of these plans survive within the archives of Lambeth Palace Library's Incorporated Church Building Society.(12) During this period, Hicks took on George Edward Massey (Junior) as an apprentice but never being a Freeman, it is not known whether he took on other apprentices in Bristol.(13)
In c.1844, Hicks undertook repairs and alterations on St George's Church (St George Parish) Summerhill Road, Gloucestershire. This church burnt down in 1878 and was redesigned by his former apprentice Phillip Edward Masey. In 1845, Hicks also designed St Andrews Church, Montpelier, which was demolished in 1969.(14) By 1846, Hicks was a member of both the Cambridge Camden Society (promoting Gothic architecture) and the Bristol and West of England Architectural Society.(15)
Hicks entered into partnership with Samuel Burleigh Gabriel in 1846. The partnership lasted only a year and produced only two buildings, Winford School, Winford (1846) and St Simon's Church (1847). Their partnership ended on the 8th July 1847 with Gabriel carrying on the business from Hicks original office at 28 Corn Street.(16) Subsequently, Hicks entered into bankruptcy owing to insolvency and relocated from Bristol, first to Piddletrenthide (the Parish of his brother) and then onto Dorchester, where he rebuilt his career.
This index is principally focused on Bristol-based architects and therefore, a comprehensive biographical account of Hicks' Dorchester career is not covered within this profile. His Dorchester career included a lot of ecclesiastical work, which is well documented whilst an overview of his practice is also found within several biographies on Thomas Hardy; the famous novelist and poet being articled to Hicks from c.1856-1862. However, a couple of interesting snippets of his career and a group of his building (known and unknown) has been complied.(17)
In 1850, Hicks married Amelia Coley (the daughter of a Reverend) at his father's church in Rangeworthy. In the same year, he is attributed with the restoration of Woodsford Castle; this may have been his first project following his bankruptcy.(18) During this period, he was also responsible for for roads and bridges within the Parishes of Woodsford & Tincelton.(19) Aside from his architectural design work, Hicks also patented the 'Dorset Stove' (in 1851) which was described as suitable for heating churches, chapels, conservatories. The stove was manufactured until c.1855.(20) He also become an agent for the Liverpool London Fire & Life Insurance Company.
Ecclesiastical works (including new churches, restorations and associative parsonages and schools) dominate Hicks' career but an insight into commercial and public buildings emerges in the early 1860s. In 1861, Hicks designed a bank on St Mary Street, Weymouth for the Wiltshire & Dorset Banking Company(21) and an assembly rooms adjoining the Burdon Hotel, Weymouth (now the Hotel Prince Regent22). He also designed a police station in Bridport (1862,23) and undertook some alterations to the Shaftesbury Workhouse in c.1868.(24) In the same year he had become a shareholder in the Dorset County School Company.(25) Hicks died suddenly in 1869 and George Rackstone Crickmay (alongside Hardy) was tasked with executing several of Hicks designs and projects.
Hicks was born in c.1815 in Totnes, Devon to Rev. James Champion Hicks (1781-1855), whose family were descendants of minor gentry.(2) In 1815, James was also appointed as the Master of the Totnes Grammar School but he relocated to Bristol in c.1825 to set up or continue a Classical School located at No.6 Dean Street, off Portland Square.(3) His involvement in the school had ended by c.1828, but during this period he also assisted with marriages at Holy Trinity Church, Horfield.
James Champion Hicks’ relocated to Bristol, when his son John was still an adolescent and therefore, it is likely that John was apprenticed or articled to a Bristol based architect, although who this was is not known. The first recorded work of John as an architect was the c.1836 enlargement of the Holy Trinity Church, Horfield.(4) Given the pattern of his subsequent ecclesiastical work, Hicks directly or more likely though his father or brother's church connections appeared to have been on good terms with the Curate of Horfield Henry Richards.(5) Richards was wealthy in his own right and outlaid money on improving his parsonage and establishing a school at Horfield.(6) He also contributed to the establishment of the Gloucester and Bristol Diocesan Church Building Association.(7) This was led by Bishop James Henry Monk who Richards had an acrimonious relationship with owing to a dispute over Horfield's Manor but Monk was also keen on improving the provision of churches, alongside parsonages and schools.(8) There is little evidence of Hicks' work between Holy Trinity (1836) and St John, the Evangelist, Clifton (1841) and therefore, Hicks may have relied upon parsonages and church school projects.
Hicks appears to have established an office at 28 Corn Street from c.1838.(9) His personal residences included lodging at No.1 Somerset Place, Clifton (1841) and from 1844, Ashley Grove, Stapleton (now 284 & 286 Ashley Down Road), a property owned by his father.(10)
By 1840, Hicks considered himself experienced enough to stand as a candidate for a District Surveyor.(11) In the early 1840s, he undertook the restoration of several churches, outside of Bristol, in Somerset and Gloucestershire; many of these plans survive within the archives of Lambeth Palace Library's Incorporated Church Building Society.(12) During this period, Hicks took on George Edward Massey (Junior) as an apprentice but never being a Freeman, it is not known whether he took on other apprentices in Bristol.(13)
In c.1844, Hicks undertook repairs and alterations on St George's Church (St George Parish) Summerhill Road, Gloucestershire. This church burnt down in 1878 and was redesigned by his former apprentice Phillip Edward Masey. In 1845, Hicks also designed St Andrews Church, Montpelier, which was demolished in 1969.(14) By 1846, Hicks was a member of both the Cambridge Camden Society (promoting Gothic architecture) and the Bristol and West of England Architectural Society.(15)
Hicks entered into partnership with Samuel Burleigh Gabriel in 1846. The partnership lasted only a year and produced only two buildings, Winford School, Winford (1846) and St Simon's Church (1847). Their partnership ended on the 8th July 1847 with Gabriel carrying on the business from Hicks original office at 28 Corn Street.(16) Subsequently, Hicks entered into bankruptcy owing to insolvency and relocated from Bristol, first to Piddletrenthide (the Parish of his brother) and then onto Dorchester, where he rebuilt his career.
This index is principally focused on Bristol-based architects and therefore, a comprehensive biographical account of Hicks' Dorchester career is not covered within this profile. His Dorchester career included a lot of ecclesiastical work, which is well documented whilst an overview of his practice is also found within several biographies on Thomas Hardy; the famous novelist and poet being articled to Hicks from c.1856-1862. However, a couple of interesting snippets of his career and a group of his building (known and unknown) has been complied.(17)
In 1850, Hicks married Amelia Coley (the daughter of a Reverend) at his father's church in Rangeworthy. In the same year, he is attributed with the restoration of Woodsford Castle; this may have been his first project following his bankruptcy.(18) During this period, he was also responsible for for roads and bridges within the Parishes of Woodsford & Tincelton.(19) Aside from his architectural design work, Hicks also patented the 'Dorset Stove' (in 1851) which was described as suitable for heating churches, chapels, conservatories. The stove was manufactured until c.1855.(20) He also become an agent for the Liverpool London Fire & Life Insurance Company.
Ecclesiastical works (including new churches, restorations and associative parsonages and schools) dominate Hicks' career but an insight into commercial and public buildings emerges in the early 1860s. In 1861, Hicks designed a bank on St Mary Street, Weymouth for the Wiltshire & Dorset Banking Company(21) and an assembly rooms adjoining the Burdon Hotel, Weymouth (now the Hotel Prince Regent22). He also designed a police station in Bridport (1862,23) and undertook some alterations to the Shaftesbury Workhouse in c.1868.(24) In the same year he had become a shareholder in the Dorset County School Company.(25) Hicks died suddenly in 1869 and George Rackstone Crickmay (alongside Hardy) was tasked with executing several of Hicks designs and projects.
