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In 1820 a scandal broke about Nash, a cartoon was published<ref>page 151, the Life and Work of John Nash Architect, John Summerson, 1980, George Allen & Unwin</ref> showing a half dressed King George IV embracing Mrs Nash with a speech bubble coming from the King's mouth with the words "I have great pleasure in visiting this part of my dominions". Whether this was a rumour put about by people who resented Nash's success or if there substance behind is not known.
In 1820 a scandal broke about Nash, a cartoon was published<ref>page 151, the Life and Work of John Nash Architect, John Summerson, 1980, George Allen & Unwin</ref> showing a half dressed King George IV embracing Mrs Nash with a speech bubble coming from the King's mouth with the words "I have great pleasure in visiting this part of my dominions". Whether this was a rumour put about by people who resented Nash's success or if there substance behind is not known.


Further London commissions for Nash followed, including the remodelling of Buckingham House to create [[Buckingham Palace]] (1825–1835), plus the [[Royal Mews]] and [[Marble Arch]], originally designed as a [[triumphal arch]] to stand at the entrance to Buckingham Palace. The arch was moved when the east wing of the palace designed by [[Edward Blore]] was built, at the request of [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] whose growing family required additional domestic space. Marble Arch became the entrance to [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] and [[The Great Exhibition]].
Further London commissions for Nash followed, including the remodelling of Buckingham House to create [[Buckingham Palace]] (1825–1830), plus the [[Royal Mews]] and [[Marble Arch]], originally designed as a [[triumphal arch]] to stand at the entrance to Buckingham Palace. The arch was moved when the east wing of the palace designed by [[Edward Blore]] was built, at the request of [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] whose growing family required additional domestic space. Marble Arch became the entrance to [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] and [[The Great Exhibition]].


He advised on work to the [[buildings of Jesus College, Oxford]], for which he required no fee but asked that the college should commission a portrait of him from [[Thomas Lawrence (painter)|Sir Thomas Lawrence]] to hang in the college hall.<ref>{{cite book |last=Baker|first=J. N. L.|authorlink=J. N. L. Baker| editor1-first=H. E.|editor1-last=Salter |editor2-first=Mary D. |editor2-last=Lobel |title=A History of the County of Oxford Volume III&nbsp;– The University of Oxford|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=543|accessdate=22 June 2009 |series= [[Victoria County History]]|year=1954 |publisher=[[Research]], [[University of London]]|isbn=9780712910644 |chapter=Jesus College |chapterurl=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63887|page=275|accessdate=23 June 2009}}</ref>
He advised on work to the [[buildings of Jesus College, Oxford]], for which he required no fee but asked that the college should commission a portrait of him from [[Thomas Lawrence (painter)|Sir Thomas Lawrence]] to hang in the college hall.<ref>{{cite book |last=Baker|first=J. N. L.|authorlink=J. N. L. Baker| editor1-first=H. E.|editor1-last=Salter |editor2-first=Mary D. |editor2-last=Lobel |title=A History of the County of Oxford Volume III&nbsp;– The University of Oxford|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=543|accessdate=22 June 2009 |series= [[Victoria County History]]|year=1954 |publisher=[[Research]], [[University of London]]|isbn=9780712910644 |chapter=Jesus College |chapterurl=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63887|page=275|accessdate=23 June 2009}}</ref>

Revision as of 17:35, 22 August 2010

For other people named John Nash (disambiguation), see John Nash (disambiguation) (disambiguation).
John Nash
Born
John Nash

(1752-01-18)18 January 1752
Lambeth
Died(1835-05-13)13 May 1835
East Cowes Castle
Resting placeSt. James's Church, East Cowes
NationalityBritish
OccupationArchitect
BuildingsRoyal Pavilion
Buckingham Palace
Architectural model, about 1826 designed by John Nash V&A Museum no. A.14-1939

John Nash (18 January 1752 – 13 May 1835) was an Anglo-Welsh architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.

Biography

Born on the 18th January 1752 Lambeth, London, as the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with architect Sir Robert Taylor, he established his own practice in 1777, but his own career was initially unsuccessful and short-lived. After inheriting £1000[1] in 1778 from his uncle Thomas, he invested the money in 1777-78 in building his first known independent works in Bloomsbury building 15-17 Bloomsbury Square and 66-71 Great Russell Street. But the property failed to let and he was declared bankrupt in 1783 and left London in 1784 to live in Carmarthen, where his mother had retired to, her family being from the area. His first major work in the area being the Gaol at Carmarthen 1789-92. He also designed a series of medium sized country houses in south-west Wales including Llanerchaeron. He met Humphry Repton at Hafod Uchtryd in 1795, he formed a successful partnership with the landscape garden designer. One of their early commissions was at Corsham Court. The pair would collaborate to carefully place the Nash-designed building in grounds designed by Repton. Eventually, Nash returned to work in London, in 1795. The partnership ended in 1800 under recriminations[2].

His first significant commission on returning to London in 1795-6 was Hereford gaol. In June 1797 he moved into 28 Dover Street a building of his own design, he built an even bigger house next door at 29 into which he moved the following year. Nash married Mary Ann Bradley on the 17th December 1798 at St George's, Hanover Square[3]. The bride was 25 years old. In 1798 he purchased a plot of land of 30 acres at East Cowes[4]. On the land he erect 1798-1802 East Cowes Castle as his residence. This was the first of a series of picturesque Gothic castles that he would design.

In 1806 Nash was appointed architect to the Surveyor General of Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases. From 1810 Nash would take very few private commissions[5]. Nash was a dedicated Whig[6] and was a friend of Charles James Fox through whom Nash probably came to the attention of the Prince Regent (later King George IV) and for the rest of his career he would largely work for the Prince. His first major commissions in 1811 from the Prince was Regent Street and the development of an area then known as Marylebone Park. With the Regent's backing (and major inputs from Repton), Nash created a master plan for the area, put into action from 1818 onwards, which stretched from St James’s northwards and included Regent Street, Regent's Park and its neighbouring streets, terraces and crescents of elegant town houses and villas. Nash did not complete all the detailed designs himself; in some instances, completion was left in the hands of other architects such as James Pennethorne and the young Decimus Burton. Nash was employed by the Prince to develop his Ocean Pavilion Palace in Brighton, originally designed by Henry Holland. By 1822 Nash had finished his work on the Ocean Pavilion, which was now transformed into the Royal Pavilion.

Nash was also a director of the Regent's Canal Company set up in 1812 to provide a canal link from west London to the River Thames in the east. Nash's masterplan provided for the canal to run around the northern edge of Regent's Park; as with other projects, he left its execution to one of his assistants, in this case James Morgan. The first phase of the Regent's Canal opened in 1816. Together with Robert Smirke and Sir John Soane, he became an official architect to the Office of Works in 1813.

In 1820 a scandal broke about Nash, a cartoon was published[7] showing a half dressed King George IV embracing Mrs Nash with a speech bubble coming from the King's mouth with the words "I have great pleasure in visiting this part of my dominions". Whether this was a rumour put about by people who resented Nash's success or if there substance behind is not known.

Further London commissions for Nash followed, including the remodelling of Buckingham House to create Buckingham Palace (1825–1830), plus the Royal Mews and Marble Arch, originally designed as a triumphal arch to stand at the entrance to Buckingham Palace. The arch was moved when the east wing of the palace designed by Edward Blore was built, at the request of Queen Victoria whose growing family required additional domestic space. Marble Arch became the entrance to Hyde Park and The Great Exhibition.

He advised on work to the buildings of Jesus College, Oxford, for which he required no fee but asked that the college should commission a portrait of him from Sir Thomas Lawrence to hang in the college hall.[8]

Nash's career effectively ended with the death of George IV in 1830, the King's notorious profligacy with money had generate much resentment and Nash was now with out a protector[9]. The Treasury started to look closely at the cost of Buckingham Palace, Nash's original estimate of the building's cost had been £252,690, but this had risen to £496,169 in 1829[10] the actual cost was £613,269 and the building still wasn't finished. This controversy ensured that Nash would not receive any more official commissions nor would he be awarded the Knighthood that other contemporary architects such as Jeffry Wyattville, John Soane & Robert Smirke received. So he retired to the Isle of Wight where he died on the 13th May 1835 in his home East Cowes Castle[11] and is buried at St. James's Church, East Cowes.

Nash had many pupils including Humphry Repton's sons, John Adey Repton {1775-1860) & George Stanley Repton (1786-1858), as well as Anthony Salvin, John Foulon (1772-1842), Augustus Charles Pugin, James Morgan & James Pennethorne.

Work in London

  • All Souls Langham Place
    All Souls Langham Place
  • Cumberland Terrace
    Cumberland Terrace
  • Carlton House Terrace
    Carlton House Terrace
  • Theatre Royal Haymarket
    Theatre Royal Haymarket
  • Buckingham Palace Garden Front
    Buckingham Palace Garden Front
  • Park Cescent
    Park Cescent
  • Park Square
    Park Square
  • Marble Arch
    Marble Arch
  • Chester Terrace
    Chester Terrace
  • Clarence House
    Clarence House
  • Former United Services Club
    Former United Services Club
  • Regent Street
    Regent Street

The changes wrought by John Nash on the streetscape of London are documented in the film, "John Nash and London", featuring Edmund N. Bacon and based on sections of his book Design of Cities.

Work in England and Wales

  • Llanacheron
    Llanacheron
  • Blaise Hamlet
    Blaise Hamlet
  • Cronkhill
    Cronkhill
  • Caerhays Castle
    Caerhays Castle
  • The Royal Pavilion
    The Royal Pavilion
  • Ingestre Hall
    Ingestre Hall
  • Witley Court
    Witley Court
  • Hafod Uchtryd
    Hafod Uchtryd

Elsewhere in England and Wales, his work included:

Work in Ireland

Nash designed several works in Ireland:

References

  1. ^ page 16, Terence Davis, John Nash The Prince Regent's Architect, 1966 Country Life
  2. ^ page 119,Humphry Repton, Dorothy Stroud, 1962, Country Life
  3. ^ page 30, the Life and Work of John Nash Architect, John Summerson, 1980, George Allen & Unwin
  4. ^ page 20, East Cowes Castle The Seat of John Nash Esq. A Pictorial History, Ian Sherfield, 1994, Canon Press
  5. ^ page 73, the Life and Work of John Nash Architect, John Summerson, 1980, George Allen & Unwin
  6. ^ pages 20-21, Terence Davis, John Nash The Prince Regent's Architect, 1966 Country Life
  7. ^ page 151, the Life and Work of John Nash Architect, John Summerson, 1980, George Allen & Unwin
  8. ^ Baker, J. N. L. (1954). "Jesus College". In Salter, H. E.; Lobel, Mary D. (eds.). A History of the County of Oxford Volume III – The University of Oxford. Victoria County History. Research, University of London. p. 275. ISBN 9780712910644. Retrieved 23 June 2009. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ page 177, the Life and Work of John Nash Architect, John Summerson, 1980, George Allen & Unwin
  10. ^ page 30, Buckingham Palace, John Harris, Geoffrey de Bellaigue & Oliver Miller, 1969, Thomas Nelsons & Sons
  11. ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/403844/John-Nash
  12. ^ The lists are based on: John Nash A complete catalogue, Michael Mansbridge, 1991, Phaidon Press
  13. ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus Cornwall; Buildings of England series. (1951; 1970) (rev. Enid Radcliffe) Penguin Books (reissued by Yale U. P.) ISBN 0-300-09589-9; p. 192
  14. ^ "John Nash". Dictionary of Ulster Biography. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
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