Sub-sub-sub-series 7 - Skidmore's Art Manufacturers

George Gilbert Scott was a British architect in the Victorian era, famous for his revival of an English Gothic style and for his prodigious output and work ethic. By his death in 1878 he had been involved with over 879 architectural projects.
Scott was born on 13 July 1811 in Gawcott, Buckinghamshire. He was the third son of the Revd Thomas Scott (1780–1835) and Euphemia Lynch (1785–1853).
Scott was educated first at home and then, for a year, at Latimers, near Chesham, Buckinghamshire. Scott's father recognized in his son's love of sketching medieval churches a predilection for architecture and encouraged his son in that direction.
Scott finished an architectural pupillage with James Edmeston in 1831 and then worked for the contractors Grissell and Peto, gaining practical experience. In 1832 Scott entered the office of the architect Henry Roberts (1803–1876), who was then working on the Fishmongers' Hall by London Bridge.
The sudden death of his father at the beginning of 1835 prompted Scott to set up in practice on his own. He invited William Bonython Moffatt (1812–1887) whom he had met in Edmeston's office, to assist him and between them, they secured a considerable number of commissions in the local competitions for workhouses. Scott entered into a formal partnership with Moffatt in 1838, and the firm of Scott and Moffatt built a considerable number of workhouses and asylums. They also won competitions to design Reading gaol and the Infant Orphan Asylum at Wanstead, Essex.
In 1838 Scott married his cousin Caroline Oldrid (1811–1872), with whom he had five sons. Mrs Scott soon became anxious to end her husband's partnership with Moffatt who was irresponsible, extravagant and dangerously involved in railway speculation. The partnership was eventually terminated at the end of 1846.
Scott was heavily influenced by the Gothic revivalist ideals of Cambridge Camden Society in its journal, The Ecclesiologist, and by the architect A. W. N. Pugin. This was demonstrated in his design for the martyrs' memorial at Oxford and in that for the rebuilding of the church of St Giles's, Camberwell, London and of the St Nikolaikirche in Hamburg in 1845.
Other significant churches by Scott include: All Souls', Haley Hill, Halifax, which was built in 1856–9; All Saints', Sherbourne, Warwickshire (1859–64); All Saints', Ryde, Isle of Wight (1866–82); St Mary Abbots, Kensington, London (1868–79); and St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh, begun in 1874 and completed by his son J. O. Scott. Scott also worked in universities and was responsible for the chapels at Exeter College, Oxford (1854–60), King’s College, London (1861-2) and St John's College, Cambridge (1862–9).
Scott was appointed architect for the Foreign Office in November 1858 but Scott's new Gothic design was rejected. He was forced, after a long drawn out negotiations and disagreements to produce an Italian classical design with a picturesque front facing St James's Park. The new design was accepted by parliament in July 1861 and the work was completed in 1874.
Scott was able to use the horizontally composed secular Gothic manner he had originally proposed for the Foreign Office in his winning design of 1865–6 for the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras Station. Other important secular works carried out during the decade included the Albert Institute in Dundee, Leeds Infirmary, and new buildings for the University of Glasgow and the University of Bombay.
Scott was chosen to design the Albert monument in Hyde Park. By uniting sculpture and architecture and by combining marble, stone, bronze, enamel, and metal, Scott succeeded in realizing the widest ideals of the Gothic revival. Upon completion of the monument in 1872, Scott was knighted by Queen Victoria —styling himself Sir Gilbert Scott.
Much of Scott's practice consisted of the restoration of old churches, both medieval and of later date. Scott's first restoration was of Chesterfield church, which was soon followed by that of St Mary's, Stafford. Scott's first cathedral restoration was Ely, where he was appointed surveyor in 1847. Others soon followed, and eventually Scott was involved with almost every medieval cathedral in England and Wales, whether advising on restoration or designing new furnishings. In 1849 he succeeded Edward Blore as surveyor to Westminster Abbey. He published the results of his enthusiastic researches in 1861 in 'Gleanings from Westminster Abbey' which he edited.
Scott wrote a number of books including 'Plea for the Faithful Restoration of our Ancient Churches', published in 1850 and 'Personal and Professional Recollections' which was one of the first autobiographies of an architect to be published. In 1857 Scott published his 'Remarks on Secular and Domestic Architecture, Present and Future', which argued that a Gothic Renaissance need could encompass modern improvements such as plate glass and cast iron.
In addition to his books, Scott wrote lengthy reports on the ancient cathedrals and churches he was invited to restore as well as numerous published letters, articles, and lectures. From 1857 until 1873 he gave lectures at the Royal Academy, where he was appointed professor of architecture in 1868. Scott was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1855 and Royal Academician in 1860.
Scott fell dangerously ill in 1870 with heart disease and bronchitis, and he increasingly relied on his second son, John Oldrid to complete his work. He was still capable of fine things in such works as the Hook Memorial Church at Leeds (1876–1880) and St Mary's Homes at Godstone, Surrey (1872). Scott served as president of the RIBA from 1873 until 1876; he had been awarded the institute's royal gold medal in 1859. Sir Gilbert Scott died of heart failure on 27 March 1878 at Courtfield House. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.