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English architect From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Major Rohde Hawkins (born 4 February 1821 in Nutfield, Surrey; died 19 October 1884, Holmwood, Surrey)[1] was an English architect of the Victorian period. He is known for the schools and churches that he built.
Major Rohde Hawkins | |
|---|---|
Hawkins in middle age, ca 1860 | |
| Born | 4 February 1821 Nutfield, Surrey, England |
| Died | 19 October 1884 Holmwood, Surrey, England |
| Resting place | Holmwood, Surrey, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Education | Thomas Cubitt; Edward Blore |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Employer(s) | self-employed; Privy Council |
| Spouse | Mary Littledale Greenwood |
| Children | – |
| Parent(s) | Edward Hawkins, Eliza Rohde |
Note: Both his given names "Major" and "Rohde" frequently cause difficulty; he was not an army major, and Rohde was his mother's maiden name: she was of a German family.
Hawkins was the third son of numismatist and keeper of antiquities at the British Museum, Edward Hawkins (1780–1867) and Eliza Rohde, who had married on 29 September 1806.[2]
Hawkins was educated at Charterhouse School from 1831 to 1837; the school was then still part of the London Charterhouse in Finsbury.[1]
He was engaged by John Greenwood, a Yorkshire mill owner and politician at Swarcliffe, to rebuild Swarcliffe Hall in 1848.[1] Hawkins became close enough to the Greenwood family to marry John Greenwood's granddaughter, Mary Littledale Greenwood of Holmwood, Surrey,[1] on 4 August 1853.[3] Mary was the younger sister of John Greenwood.[4] John Bowyer Nichols and sons, London, 1858. A friend of the Greenwoods wrote effusively: "Mr Hawkins married our great friend John Greenwoods sister. He is one of the 1st Architects of the day. He is the Government architect for all these schools &c &c."[5]
Hawkins and his wife Mary lived at Redlands, South Holmwood,[1] which he designed.[4] He and his wife are both buried at St Mary Magdalene's Church, Holmwood, which he also designed, and where there is a memorial window to him.[1]
He was gazetted as Captain in the Queen's (Westminster) Rifle Volunteer Corps on 25 February 1860.[6]
Hawkins studied under the wealthy London architect Thomas Cubitt,[7] designer of Queen Victoria's Osborne House in the Isle of Wight. Hawkins then worked for the architect Edward Blore, designer of Buckingham Palace.[8] He then explored his father's interest in antiquities, spending time studying in Asia Minor (now Turkey).[9]
Hawkins is known today mainly for schools such as the Châteauesque Royal Victoria Patriotic Building in Wandsworth[10] and Gothic style churches.[9] The Builder described him as "both a skilful artist and a thorough English gentleman".[11]
From 1854 to his death he was employed as architect to the Privy Council's Education Department, alongside his private work.[9]
After his death, an auction of his "Objects of Art" on 9 June 1891 by Christie, Manson & Woods included ancient Chinese Cloisonné enamels, Japanese ivory carvings, bijouterie, old Persian, Venetian and French metal work, and Old Nankin, powdered blue and other enamelled Chinese porcelain.[12]
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