Ernest Richmond facts for kids

Ernest Tatham Richmond (born August 15, 1874 – died March 5, 1955) was a British architect. He designed buildings in many places, including Egypt, Britain, France, and a region called the Holy Land.

Ernest Richmond's Early Life and Career

Ernest Tatham Richmond was born in Hammersmith, London, on August 15, 1874. His father, Sir William Blake Richmond, was a famous painter and designer. Ernest became a qualified architect in 1900. Even before that, in 1895, he visited Egypt. There, he helped Somers Clarke with a book about the ancient temple of Amenhotep III.

Working in Egypt

From 1902 to 1903, Richmond worked with the Royal Engineers. This group is part of the British army. He helped build things for the British forces in Egypt. In 1904, he became an architect for the Ministry of Works. He eventually became the Director of the Department of Towns and State Buildings. He held this important job until 1911. After that, he returned to Britain to work as a private architect. In 1906, he married Margaret Muriel Lubbock.

Service During World War I

During the First World War, Richmond worked for the War Office. This was from 1914 to 1916. He first joined the Ambulance Corps, helping injured soldiers. After he hurt his hand from a grenade, he got a new job. From 1917 to 1918, he was the Architect for the War Graves Service in France. He helped design and build places to honor fallen soldiers.

Work in the Holy Land

After the war, Richmond moved to Jerusalem. From 1918 to 1920, he was a consulting architect for the Haram ash-Sharif. This is a very important religious site. Then, from 1920 to 1924, he worked for the British Government of Palestine. He was an Assistant Civil Secretary. He later resigned from this job. He disagreed with the British government's policy that favored Zionist goals. This policy supported creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

His Faith and Later Career

In 1926, Richmond became a Roman Catholic. His Christian faith became a much bigger part of his life and his writings. From 1927 to 1937, he held another important job. He was the Director of Antiquities for the Government of Palestine. This meant he was in charge of protecting ancient sites. After this, he went back to Britain. He settled in Gloucestershire. He kept writing and stayed interested in what was happening in Palestine.

Ernest Tatham Richmond passed away in 1955 when he was 80 years old. His important papers and records are kept at the University of Durham.