Thomas Grissell
Encyclopedia
Thomas Grissell was an English public works
contractor
who was responsible for constructing a number of prestigious buildings in England.
, Surrey
, the eldest son of Thomas de la Garde Grissell, who worked with the East India Company
. He was educated at St. Paul's School, London
and intended to train in medicine. In 1815 his family articled him to Henry Peto, his uncle, a leading public works contractor.
, who had married his sister Mary.
Together Grissell and Peto built up a rapidly growing business, controlling all their operations from stone-quarry
ing to the manufacture of fittings for their buildings. Grissell claimed to have made innovations in building technique, including a form of braced and bolted timber scaffolding
. They were awarded the contract for Birmingham
Grammar School
(with Charles Barry
as architect). They next constructed a number of prestigious buildings in London, including Hungerford Market
in the Strand
; Nelson's Column
; the Reform Club
, Conservative Club, Oxford and Cambridge Club
, Clerkenwell Prison
, the Lyceum Theatre
and St. James' Theatre.
The firm became engaged in railway building, including parts of the Great Western Railway
and the South Eastern Railway
. Not liking the risks involved in these massive public works projects, Grissell dissolved the partnership in 1846. Grissell had numerous contracts for work building the Houses of Parliament, again with Charles Barry as architect. But, due to a dispute about the pricing of some of the refined craftwork, Grissell was not able to fully complete the building.
, the Catholic tractarian. Two of his brothers, Henry
and Martin, founded the Regent's Canal Iron foundry and constructed major ironworks.
As a result of the profits from his business, Thomas Grissell was able to live well. From about 1847 he lived at 19 Kensington Gardens
, London in one of a pair of houses designed in Barry's offices and built by Grissell's firm. He used surplus stone selected for the project of the Houses of Parliament. There his family had a staff of 9 servants.
In 1850 he bought Norbury Park
in Mickleham
, Surrey
. There he was appointed a magistrate
, and in 1853, high sheriff
of the county. While at Norbury Park, he collected Italian and English paintings and sculptures.
Thomas died there in 1874 and was buried in the churchyard at St. Michael's Church in Mickleham. He left an estate of under £200,000.
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
who was responsible for constructing a number of prestigious buildings in England.
Early life and education
Thomas Grissell was born in StockwellStockwell
Stockwell is a district in inner south west London, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Brixton, Clapham, Vauxhall and Kennington all border Stockwell...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the eldest son of Thomas de la Garde Grissell, who worked with the East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. He was educated at St. Paul's School, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and intended to train in medicine. In 1815 his family articled him to Henry Peto, his uncle, a leading public works contractor.
Career
Grissell took to the business and became Peto's partner in 1825. After Henry Peto died in 1830, Grissell took as partner his cousin Samuel Morton PetoSamuel Morton Peto
Sir Samuel Morton Peto, 1st Baronet was an English entrepreneur and civil engineer in the 19th century. A partner in Grissell and Peto, he managed construction firms that built many major buildings and monuments in London...
, who had married his sister Mary.
Together Grissell and Peto built up a rapidly growing business, controlling all their operations from stone-quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
ing to the manufacture of fittings for their buildings. Grissell claimed to have made innovations in building technique, including a form of braced and bolted timber scaffolding
Scaffolding
Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...
. They were awarded the contract for Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
(with Charles Barry
Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry FRS was an English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.- Background and training :Born on 23 May 1795 in Bridge Street, Westminster...
as architect). They next constructed a number of prestigious buildings in London, including Hungerford Market
Hungerford Market
Hungerford Market was a market in London, near Charing Cross on the Strand, housed in two different buildings on the same site from around 1680 to 1862. The first market was held from about 1680 in a London house of the Hungerford family. This building became dilapidated, and was replaced by a...
in the Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
; Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square in central London built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The monument was constructed between 1840 and 1843 to a design by William Railton at a cost of £47,000. It is a column of the Corinthian...
; the Reform Club
Reform Club
The Reform Club is a gentlemen's club on the south side of Pall Mall, in central London. Originally for men only, it changed to include the admission of women in 1981. In 2011 the subscription for membership of the Reform Club as a full UK member is £1,344.00, with a one-off entrance fee of £875.00...
, Conservative Club, Oxford and Cambridge Club
Oxford and Cambridge Club
The Oxford and Cambridge Club is at 71 Pall Mall, London, England. The clubhouse was designed for the membership by architect Sir Robert Smirke and completed towards the end of 1837. It was founded for members of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge...
, Clerkenwell Prison
Clerkenwell Prison
Clerkenwell Prison, also known as the Clerkenwell House of Detention or Middlesex House of Detention was a prison in Clerkenwell, London...
, the Lyceum Theatre
Lyceum Theatre (London)
The Lyceum Theatre is a 2,000-seat West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand. There has been a theatre with this name in the locality since 1765, and the present site opened on 14 July 1834 to a design by Samuel Beazley. The building was unique...
and St. James' Theatre.
The firm became engaged in railway building, including parts of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
. Not liking the risks involved in these massive public works projects, Grissell dissolved the partnership in 1846. Grissell had numerous contracts for work building the Houses of Parliament, again with Charles Barry as architect. But, due to a dispute about the pricing of some of the refined craftwork, Grissell was not able to fully complete the building.
Private life
One of his sons was Hartwell de la Garde GrissellHartwell de la Garde Grissell
Hartwell de la Garde Grissell was born in 1839 as the son of Thomas Grissell, a prosperous public works contractor. He was educated at Harrow School and in 1859 matriculated to Oxford University as a commoner of Brasenose College....
, the Catholic tractarian. Two of his brothers, Henry
Henry Grissell
Henry Grissell , sometimes known as "Iron Henry", was an English foundry-man who was responsible for the ironwork in a number of prestigious buildings in England, Russia, Austria and Egypt.-Early life and education:...
and Martin, founded the Regent's Canal Iron foundry and constructed major ironworks.
As a result of the profits from his business, Thomas Grissell was able to live well. From about 1847 he lived at 19 Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, is one of the Royal Parks of London, lying immediately to the west of Hyde Park. It is shared between the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The park covers an area of 111 hectares .The open spaces...
, London in one of a pair of houses designed in Barry's offices and built by Grissell's firm. He used surplus stone selected for the project of the Houses of Parliament. There his family had a staff of 9 servants.
In 1850 he bought Norbury Park
Norbury Park
Norbury Park is a swathe of land arranged around a small manor house near Leatherhead and Dorking, Surrey, which appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. The manor was also known as Northbury for some time....
in Mickleham
Mickleham, Surrey
Mickleham is a village and civil parish between the towns of Dorking and Leatherhead in Surrey, England covering . The parish includes the hamlet of Fredley.-History:Mickleham lies near to the old Roman road known as Stane Street...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. There he was appointed a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
, and in 1853, high sheriff
High Sheriff of Surrey
-List of High Sheriffs of Surrey:The list of known High Sheriffs of Surrey extends back to 1066 At various times the High Sheriff of Surrey was also High Sheriff of Sussex -1066-1228:...
of the county. While at Norbury Park, he collected Italian and English paintings and sculptures.
Thomas died there in 1874 and was buried in the churchyard at St. Michael's Church in Mickleham. He left an estate of under £200,000.
See also
- Wharncliffe ViaductWharncliffe ViaductThe Wharncliffe Viaduct is a brick-built viaduct that carries the Great Western Main Line railway across the Brent Valley, between Hanwell and Southall, Ealing, UK, at an elevation of . The viaduct, built in 1836-7, was constructed for the opening of the Great Western Railway...
– designed by BrunelIsambard Kingdom BrunelIsambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
, built by Grissell & Peto