Thomas Archer Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas Archer

Born	c. 1668
Died	(1743-05-22)22 May 1743 his house Whitehall
Nationality	English
Occupation	Architect

Buildings	St. Paul's, Deptford St John's, Smith Square St Philip's Cathedral North Front & Cascade Chatsworth House Heythrop Park Garden pavilion Wrest Park

Thomas Archer (1668–1743) was a famous English Baroque architect. His work is sometimes not as well known as that of his friends, Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. However, Archer's buildings are special because they are the only ones by an English architect from that time to show ideas from Italian architecture.

The Life of Thomas Archer
Churches Designed by Thomas Archer
Other Buildings by Thomas Archer
Buildings Designed by Thomas Archer
Gallery
See also

The Life of Thomas Archer

Thomas Archer grew up at Umberslade Hall in Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire. He was the youngest son of Thomas Archer, a country gentleman and a member of Parliament. His mother was Ann Leigh.

We don't know the exact date Thomas Archer was born. Records show he started at Trinity College, Oxford, on June 12, 1686, when he was 17. His tombstone also mentions his age. Based on these, he was likely born between June 1668 and May 1669.

After university, Thomas went on a "Grand Tour" of Europe. This was a long trip that young, wealthy men often took to learn about art and culture. He spent four years abroad. During this time, he was greatly inspired by the work of famous Italian architects like Bernini and Borromini.

Churches Designed by Thomas Archer

Thomas Archer designed several important churches. One of them was St John Evangelist in Westminster, London. This church has four towers, which were built to help keep the building stable. Some historians thought this was more likely than following Sir John Vanbrugh's style.

Another church was St Paul's, Deptford, built around 1750. It has grand, curved entrances that were quite unique for its time.

At St Philip's in Birmingham (now Birmingham Cathedral), you can see strong Italian influences. The church has high, decorated ceilings, a dome, and a special balustrade (a row of small pillars) on the roof. This was very unusual for English churches.

Both St John's and St Paul's were built for a special group called the "Commission for Building Fifty New Churches." This group was set up to build many new churches in London. A famous historian, John Summerson, said these two buildings were the most advanced examples of the Baroque style ever tried in England. Archer also helped improve designs for St Alfege's in Greenwich.

In Hale, Hampshire, Archer redesigned St Mary's Church. His own memorial, carved by Sir Henry Cheere, is inside this church.

Other Buildings by Thomas Archer

Thomas Archer also designed many non-church buildings. These included Roehampton House in Surrey and Welford Park in Berkshire.

He also worked on Chatsworth House. He designed the Cascade House, which features a waterfall, and the impressive north front of the main building.

From 1709 to 1711, Archer created a beautiful Baroque garden pavilion for the Duke of Kent at Wrest Park in Silsoe, Bedfordshire. After 1712, he designed Hurstbourne Priors in Hampshire.

In 1739, he helped start the Foundling Hospital in London. This was a charity for abandoned children. However, he was not the architect who built the hospital itself; that was Theodore Jacobsen.

Buildings Designed by Thomas Archer

Here are some of the buildings Thomas Archer designed or helped design:

Chatsworth House, North front, Derbyshire, c. 1705
Heythrop Hall, Oxfordshire, c. 1705
St Philip's, Birmingham, 1708–1715
Garden pavilion, Wrest Park, Bedfordshire, 1709–1711
Roehampton House, Surrey, 1712
Cliveden House, Service pavilions and the quadrant colonnades, Buckinghamshire
Hurstbourne Priors, Hampshire, 1712
St John’s, Smith Square, London, 1713–1728
St. Paul's, Deptford, 1712–1730
Hale Park, Hampshire, 1715
St Mary’s Church, additions, Hale, Hampshire, 1717
Harcourt House, Cavendish Square, London, 1722
Hale Park, the house Archer designed for himself.
Welford Park, remodelling of house, Berkshire, 1700
Chicheley Hall, Buckinghamshire, c. 1703
Parish church, chancel, Chicheley, 1708
Addiscombe House, Croydon, Surrey, c. 1703
Monmouth House, Soho Square, London, 1703
Russell House, King Street, Covent Garden, London, c. 1704
Cascade House, Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, 1705
Hill House, Cain Hill, Wrest Park, Bedfordshire, c. 1710, demolished
Bramham Park, Yorkshire, c. 1710
Kingston Maurward, Dorset, 1717–1720
Marlow Place, Buckinghamshire, 1720
Chettle House, Dorset, c. 1730
Monument to Susannah Thomas, Hampton Church, Middlesex, c. 1731
Archer Memorial, St Mary’s Church, Hale, Hampshire
Thomas Archer (his father) monument, St Mary Magdalene Church, Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire