Francis Octavius Bedford
Encyclopedia
Life
In 1812-13 Francis Bedford made a tour of classical antiquities in Greece, Turkey, Italy and Sicily on behalf of the Society of Dilettanti, in the company of Sir William GellWilliam Gell
Sir William Gell was an English classical archaeologist and illustrator.-Life:Born at Hopton in Derbyshire, the son of Philip Gell and Dorothy Milnes...
, Keppel Craven and John Peter Gandy
John Peter Gandy
John Peter Gandy , later John Peter Deering, was a British architect.-Family:John was the youngest child of the ten children of Thomas Gandy and his wife, Sophia, née Adams. His older brothers included the painter Joseph Michael Gandy ARA and the architect Michael Gandy...
. He is also known to have corresponded with Charles Robert Cockerell
Charles Robert Cockerell
Charles Robert Cockerell was an English architect, archaeologist, and writer.-Life:Charles Robert Cockerell was educated at Westminster School from 1802. From the age of sixteen, he trained in the architectural practice of his father, Samuel Pepys Cockerell...
on the subject of Greek architecture.
In 1818 Bedford came second to William
William Inwood
William Inwood was an English architect, surveyor and writer on architecture.His father was bailiff to the Kenwood estate. He was the author of the Tables for the Purchasing of Estates, Freehold, Copyhold, or Leasehold, Annuities, &c. first published in 1811 and frequently revised and reprinted...
and Henry Inwood in the competition to design St Pancras New Church
St Pancras New Church
St Pancras Parish Church, sometimes referred to as St Pancras New Church to distinguish it from St Pancras Old Church, is a 19th century Greek Revival church in London, England.-Location:...
Bedford was the architect of four south London Greek revival commissioner's churches: St George, Camberwell (1822-4), St John, Waterloo Road, Lambeth, (1823-4), St Luke, West Norwood
St Luke's Church, West Norwood
St Luke's Church in West Norwood is an Anglican Church, currently with an Evangelical emphasis.- The Parish of West Norwood :The Parish of West Norwood lies within the Lambeth-South Deanery, in the Lambeth Archdeaconry, in the Kingston Episcopal Area of the Diocese of Southwark, in the Southern...
, (1823–25) and Trinity Church, Newington, Southwark,(1823-4). At St John, Waterloo Road and St George, Camberwell, Bedford used the Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
order with a portico at the west end. Bedford used an unusual variant on the Doric order, based on that of the Choragic monument of Thrasyllus in Athens, with myrtle wreaths replacing the triglyphs on the frieze. The other two south London churches used the Corinthian order, with the portico on the north side. All had a tower just behind the portico, after the pattern of St Martin-in-the- Fields, while the interiors had flat ceilings and galleries supported on columns. Reviewing St John, Waterloo Road, in 1827 the Gentleman's Magazine commented:
After the description of St. George's Church, Camberwell... it will be unnecessary to go into a minute detail of the present edifice. The monotony of Mr. Bedford's designs has already been noticed under the head of that building, as well as Trinity Church, Newington.
Bedford later built churches in the Gothic style, at St George, Newcastle-under-Lyme (1828), Holy Trinity, Little Queen Street Holborn (1829–31) and St James, Ridding, Derbyshire (1832). In 1849 he built, or rebuilt, a stuccoed House for Richard Arabin at High Beach, Essex.
He exhibited drawings of Greek architecture at the Royal Academy between 1814 and 1817, and designs for Trinity Church, St. Giles's and A Chapel for a Cemetery in 1831 and 1832 respectively.
He died at his home at Greenhithe, Kent on 13 March 1858. His son Francis Bedford
Francis Bedford
Francis Bedford was an English photographer.-Life:Francis Bedford was the son of the successful church architect Francis Octavius Bedford. He began his career as an architectural draughtsman and lithographer, before taking up photography in the early 1850s...
was a notable photographer, and his grandson Francis Donkin Bedford
Francis Donkin Bedford
Francis Donkin Bedford , also known as F. D. Bedford, was a British artist and illustrator. Works include illustrations for A Book of Nursery Rhymes , The Books of Shops , Four and Twenty Toilers , The Visit to London , Peter and Wendy , The Magic Fishbone , A Christmas Carol , and The Cricket on...
was an artist and book illustrator.
Works
- St George's Church, CamberwellCamberwellCamberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
, London (1822–24), now converted into apartmentApartmentAn apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s. - St John the Evangelist, Waterloo RoadWaterloo Road, LondonWaterloo Road is a road straddling Lambeth and Southwark, London, England. It runs between Westminster Bridge Road close to St George's Circus at the south-east end and Waterloo Bridge across the River Thames towards London's West End district at the north-west end.At the northern end near the...
, LambethLambethLambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, London (1823–24). - Holy Trinity Church, NewingtonNewington, LondonNewington is a district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It was an ancient parish and the site of the early administration of the county of Surrey...
, SouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, London (1823–24), now the Henry Wood Hall. - St Luke's ChurchSt Luke's Church, West NorwoodSt Luke's Church in West Norwood is an Anglican Church, currently with an Evangelical emphasis.- The Parish of West Norwood :The Parish of West Norwood lies within the Lambeth-South Deanery, in the Lambeth Archdeaconry, in the Kingston Episcopal Area of the Diocese of Southwark, in the Southern...
, West NorwoodWest NorwoodWest Norwood is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south....
, London (1823–25). - St George Church, Newcastle-under-LymeNewcastle-under-LymeNewcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
, StaffordshireStaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
(1827–28). - Holy Trinity Church, Little Queen Street, Holborn, London (1829–31), demolished.
- Christ Church, TunstallTunstall, StaffordshireTunstall is an area in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was one of the original six towns that federated to form the city. Tunstall is the most northern town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent....
, StaffordshireStaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
(1830–31). - Holy Trinity Church, HorwichHoly Trinity Church, HorwichHoly Trinity Church, commonly known as Horwich Parish Church, is a Grade II listed building in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Church of England parish church and part of the Deane deanery in the archdeaconry of Bolton, diocese of Manchester...
, LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
(1830–31). - St James' Church, RiddingsRiddingsRiddings is a village in Derbyshire, England. It is located 2 miles south of Alfreton near the hamlet of Golden Valley. The name derives from Ryddynges, a clearing or riding in a wood. This was the ancient forest known as Alfreton Grove within the manor of Alfreton...
, DerbyshireDerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
(1830–31).