James Paine (architect) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Paine
James Paine father and son, portrait by Joshua Reynolds
Born	late 1717 Andover, Hampshire
Died	Autumn 1789 France
Nationality	English
Occupation	Architect
Spouse(s)	1. Sarah Jennings 2. Charlotte Beaumont
Children	James Paine (sculptor) Charlotte Charlton Mary "Polly" Kettle
Buildings	Heath House Nostell Priory Kedleston Hall Doncaster Mansion House Chatsworth House Worksop Manor Hickleton Hall

James Paine (1717–1789) was a famous English architect. He designed many grand homes and public buildings during the 1700s. His work helped shape the look of many important places in England.

Who Was James Paine?

His Early Life and Education

James Paine was born in late 1717 in Andover, Hampshire. He was the youngest of five children. His father, John Paine, was a carpenter.

When he was young, James Paine likely studied at the St Martin's Lane Academy in London. This art school was started by the famous artist William Hogarth. There, Paine met other creative people, including architect Isaac Ware.

How Did James Paine Start His Career?

It is believed that Isaac Ware introduced James Paine to important people, like the Earl of Burlington. At just 19 years old, Paine got his first big job. He became the Clerk of Works for Nostell Priory in Yorkshire. This meant he helped oversee the building of this large house.

Paine followed a style called Palladian architecture. This style was inspired by ancient Roman and Greek buildings. It often featured grand, balanced designs.

What Buildings Did James Paine Design?

Important Houses and Public Buildings

While working on Nostell Priory, James Paine lived in Pontefract. He also designed the Mansion House in Doncaster between 1745 and 1748. This is one of only three special "Mansion Houses" for city leaders in England.

By the 1750s, Paine had his own architecture business. He designed many large homes, often with a main building and two matching wings. These homes usually had a beautiful central staircase.

One of his most important projects was Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire. He worked on it from 1759 to 1760. He suggested adding a grand columned hall. However, another famous architect, Robert Adam, later took over and changed some of Paine's plans.

Around the same time, Paine designed the very large stables at Chatsworth House. He was a popular architect for powerful Catholic families. In the 1760s, he rebuilt Worksop Manor for the Duke of Norfolk. He also designed Thorndon Hall in Essex and a house on Park Lane in London. From 1770 to 1776, he built New Wardour Castle in Wiltshire. This castle was even featured in the movie Billy Elliot as the Royal Ballet School!

Later Career and Legacy

James Paine held several important jobs in the Office of Works, which managed government buildings. He became one of the two main Architects of the Works in 1780. However, he lost this job in 1782 due to changes in the office. He also served as High Sheriff of Surrey in 1783. This was an important local government role.

In his later years, Paine's style became less popular. He preferred his traditional designs and did not adopt the newer Neoclassical architecture style. He published two books showing his designs, called Plans, elevations and sections of Noblemen and Gentlemen's Houses (1767 and 1783).

James Paine retired to France in 1789 and passed away there that autumn.

James Paine's Family Life

James Paine was married twice. His first wife was Sarah Jennings. They married in 1741 and had a son, also named James Paine. This son grew up to be an architect, sculptor, and artist.

After Sarah passed away, Paine married Charlotte Beaumont in 1748. They had two daughters, Charlotte and Mary, who was known as 'Polly'. Charlotte married St John Charlton, who later became High Sheriff of Shropshire. Mary married the artist Tilly Kettle.

In 1773, Paine bought a country estate called Sayes Court in Surrey. He also became a justice of the peace for Middlesex and Surrey. This meant he helped keep the peace and deal with local legal matters.

Portraits by Joshua Reynolds

James Paine was friends with the famous artist Joshua Reynolds. Paine even designed a large art gallery for Reynolds's home in London.

In 1764, Reynolds painted a portrait of James Paine and his son together. This painting is now in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The next year, Reynolds painted a matching portrait of Charlotte, Paine's second wife, and their two daughters, Charlotte and Mary. This painting is now in the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Liverpool. The two portraits were meant to hang facing each other.

List of Architectural Works

Here are some of the major buildings and projects James Paine designed:

• Nostell Priory, Yorkshire (c. 1737 – 1750)
• Heath House, Yorkshire (1744–1745)
• Hickleton Hall, Yorkshire (1745–1749)
• Mansion House, Doncaster (1745–48)
• Cusworth Hall, Yorkshire, wings (1749–1753)
• Wadworth Hall, Yorkshire (c. 1749–1750)
• Ormsby Hall, Lincolnshire (1750–1756)
• Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk, new service wing (1751–1756)
• Kirkstall Grange, Yorkshire (1752)
• Cowick Hall, Yorkshire, external and internal changes (1752–1760)
• Blagdon Hall, Northumberland, new stables (1753–1756)
• Raby Castle, County Durham, remodelling and interiors (c. 1753–1760)
• Gibside, County Durham, chapel and Column of British Liberty (1753–1767)
• Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, reconstruction (c. 1754–1768)
• Dover House, Whitehall London (1754–1758)
• Serlby Hall, Nottinghamshire (1754–1773)
• Belford Hall, Northumberland (c. 1755–1756)
• Wallington Hall, Northumberland, bridge (1755)
• Gosforth House, Northumberland (1755–1764)
• Middlesex Hospital, London (1755–1778)
• Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, stable block, bridges, and interior changes (1756–1767)
• Cavendish Bridge, Derbyshire (1758–1761)
• Stockeld Park, Yorkshire (1758–63)
• Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire (1759–1763)
• Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, reconstruction (c. 1760–1775)
• Worksop Manor, Nottinghamshire (1761–1767)
• Thorndon Hall, Essex (1764–1770)
• Weston Park, Staffordshire, bridges and temples (c. 1765–1770)
• Lord Petre's House, Park Lane, London (1766–70)
• Hare Hall, Romford, Essex (1768–1770)
• Shrubland Park, Suffolk (c. 1769–1772)
• Bagshot Park, Surrey, remodelled (1770–1772)
• Chillington Hall, Staffordshire, bridge and temples (c. 1770–1773)
• Wardour Castle, Wiltshire (1770–1776)
• Richmond Bridge, London (1774–1777)
• Chertsey Bridge, Surrey (c. 1780–1785)
• Kew Bridge, Surrey, replacement bridge (1783–1789)
• Walton Bridge, Surrey, second bridge (c. 1783)

Gallery of Architectural Works

• 

  The stables at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire.

• 

  A bridge at Chatsworth House.

• 

  The front of New Wardour Castle in Wiltshire.

• 

  Another view of New Wardour Castle.

• 

  Thorndon Hall in Essex.

• 

  Nostell Priory in Yorkshire.

• 

  The north front of Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire.

• 

  Gibside Chapel in County Durham.

• 

  The Column of British Liberty at Gibside.

• 

  The entrance to Brocket Hall.

• 

  Cusworth Hall, where Paine designed the wings.

• 

  Chertsey Bridge in Surrey.

• 

  The Temple of Minerva at Hardwick Sedgefield.

• 

  Stockeld Park in Yorkshire.

• 

  Worksop Manor in Nottinghamshire, which was later taken down.

• 

  A bridge over the River Derwent at Chatsworth House.

• 

  Belford Hall in Northumberland.

• 

  The Mansion House, Doncaster in Yorkshire.

• 

  Richmond Bridge in London.