Benjamin Ferrey

Benjamin Ferrey FSA FRIBA (1 April 1810 – 22 August 1880) was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival.

Early life Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr (1779–1847), a draper who became Mayor of Christchurch, then in Hampshire, and his wife Ann Pillgrem (1773–1824). He was educated at Wimborne Grammar School.

Career After grammar school, Ferrey went to London to study under Augustus Charles Pugin and alongside Pugin's son Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin.

In his early twenties Ferrey toured continental Europe, then studied further in the office of William Wilkins. He started his own architectural practice in 1834, in Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London. Some of the earliest work of his practice was in the design of the new seaside resort of Bournemouth, particularly his work on Bournemouth Gardens with Decimus Burton. The business grew rapidly and was very successful, with Ferrey designing and restoring or rebuilding many Church of England parish churches. Ferrey also designed private houses and public buildings, including a number of Tudor Revival ones in the earlier part of his career.

In his History of the Gothic Revival, Charles Eastlake described Ferrey as "one of the earliest, ablest, and most zealous pioneers of the modern Gothic school," adding that his work "possessed the rare charm of simplicity, without lacking interest".

Ferrey was twice vice-president of the Royal Institute of British Architects and in 1870 was awarded a Royal Gold Medal. He was diocesan architect to the Diocese of Bath and Wells from 1841 until his death, carrying out much of the restoration work on Wells Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace. He was also appointed honorary secretary to the Architects' Committee for the Houses of Parliament.

Personal life Ferrey married twice. On 26 April 1836 at Islington, he married Ann Mary (Annie) Lucas (1812–1871). They had five children: Alicia (1838–1924), Ellen (1840–41), Eleanor Mary (1842–45), Benjamin Edmund (1845–1900) and Annie (1847–1926). Benjamin Edmund or Edmund Benjamin also became an architect, studying under his father and then assisting in his work.

After the death of his first wife in 1871, he married a second time, in 1872 at Weymouth, Dorset, to Emily Hopkinson (1829–1922).

Ferrey died on 22 August 1880 at his London home.

Selected works Buildings Tarrant Hinton, Dorset: Old Rectory, 1836 Westover, Hampshire: estate of villas, 1836 (demolished 1906–29) Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset), 1837–38 St Thomas of Canterbury parish church, Compton Valence, Dorset: rebuilding of church (except tower), 1839–40 Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, Dorset, 1839 onwards Clyffe House, Tincleton, Dorset, 1842 Parish church of St James, Hambridge, Somerset, 1842

Parish church of St Nicholas, Corfe, Somerset, 1842 All Saints' parish church, Dogmersfield, Hampshire, 1843 All Saints' parish church, High East Street, Dorchester, Dorset, (with ADH Acland) 1843–45 St James' parish church, Morpeth, Northumberland, 1843–46

St Nicholas' parish church, Grafton, Wiltshire, 1844 St Mary's parish church, Winterborne Whitchurch, Dorset: rebuilt nave, added south aisle and south transept, 1844 St Thomas' parish church, Keresley, Coventry, 1844–45 St Mary's parish church, Chilton Foliat, Wiltshire: restoration, 1845 Holy Trinity parish church, Nuffield, Oxfordshire: restored chancel, 1845 St Stephen's parish church, Baughurst, Hampshire, 1845 Christ Church parish church, Melplash, Dorset, 1845–46 St Swithin's parish church, Wickham, Berkshire, 1845–49: nave, chancel and upper part of bell-tower Holy Trinity parish church, Yeovil, Somerset, 1843–46 St Osmund's parish church, Osmington, Dorset: reconstruction, 1846 St Barnabas' parish church, Swanmore, Hampshire, 1846 St Edmund's parish church, Vobster, Somerset, 1846 St Mary's parish church, Twyford, Berkshire, 1846 St Peter's parish church, West Lydford, Somerset, 1846 Saints Peter and Paul chapel, Bishop's Palace, Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, 1846

Market cross, Glastonbury, Somerset, 1846 Christ Church, Henton, Somerset, 1847 Municipal Buildings, Dorchester, Dorset, 1847–48 St Boniface' parish church, Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, 1847–48 St Peter's College, Saltley, Birmingham, 1847–52 St Barnabas' parish church, Linslade, Bedfordshire, 1848 St John the Baptist parish church, Plush, Dorset, 1848 Holy Trinity parish church, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, 1848 St Mary the Virgin parish church, Stamfordham, Northumberland: restoration, 1848 Christchurch Priory, Hampshire: pulpitum, 1848 Stafford House, West Stafford, Dorset: west front, 1848–50 St Margaret's parish church, Harpsden, Oxfordshire: extended nave, added aisle and bell tower, 1848–54 Holy Trinity parish church, Penn Street, Buckinghamshire, 1849 St John the Evangelist parish church, Tincleton, Dorset, 1849 St Peter's parish church, Cranbourne, Berkshire, 1849 All Saints' parish church, Bisham, Berkshire: restoration, 1849 All Saints' parish church, Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire: restoration, 1849 St Thomas' parish church, Colnbrook, Buckinghamshire, 1849–52 Holy Trinity parish church, Grazeley, Berkshire, 1850 St Michael and All Angels Church, Littlebredy, Dorset: rebuilding of church and addition of spire, 1850 St Botolph's parish church, Swyncombe, Oxfordshire: restoration, 1850 Christ Church, Kensington, London, 1850-51 St Teilo's Church, Merthyr Mawr, (formerly Glamorgan), 1851 St Laurence's parish church, Upton, Slough, Buckinghamshire: south aisle, 1852 St Mark's parish church, Hedgerley, Buckinghamshire, 1852 St Mary's parish church, Kirtlington, Oxfordshire: rebuilt tower, 1853 Holy Trinity parish church, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire, 1853 St Paul's parish church, Neithrop, Banbury, Oxfordshire, 1853 Parish church of St Mary, Buckland St Mary, Somerset, 1853–63 Battleford Hall, Fleet, Lincolnshire. Old Rectory, 1854 St Mark's parish church, Fairfield, Worcestershire, 1854 All Saints parish church, Huntsham, Devon, 1854–56 Holy Trinity, Bengeo, Hertfordshire, 1855 Parish church of All Saints, Castle Cary, Somerset: rebuilding, 1855 Christ Church, Bala, Gwynedd (formerly Merionethshire), 1855. St Giles' parish church, Barlestone, Leicestershire, 1855 St Paul's parish church, Scropton, Derbyshire, 1855–56 All Saints' parish church, Curland, Somerset, 1856 Chapels at Ocklynge cemetery, Eastbourne, East Sussex, 1857

All Saints' Blackheath, Blackheath, London, 1857–67 Christ Church, Eastbourne, East Sussex, 1859 Grammar School, Morpeth, Northumberland, 1859 Chase Cliffe House, Crich, Derbyshire, 1859–61 St Mary's Church, Crich, Derbyshire: restoration, 1861 St Andrew's parish church, West Hatch, Somerset, 1861 Parish church of All Saints, Merriott, Somerset: chancel, chapels, east end of nave, 1862 Bulstrode Park, Buckinghamshire: house, 1862 Christchurch Priory, Dorset (formerly Hampshire): restoration including porch vaulting, 1862 Parish church of St Mary the Virgin, East Stoke, Somerset: restoration, 1862 St Mary's parish church, Eling, Hampshire: restoration, 1863–65 SS Mary and Peter's parish church, Pett, East Sussex, 1864 St Mary's parish church, Warmington, Northamptonshire: restored chancel, 1865 St Michael and All Angels' church, Chetwynd, Shropshire, 1865–67 All Hallows' parish church, Whitchurch, Hampshire: restoration, 1866 St Mary's parish church, East Lydford, Somerset, 1866 Parish church of SS Peter and Paul, Lufton, Somerset, 1866 St Giles' Church, Wrexham (formerly Denbighshire): restoration, 1867

Huntsham Court, Huntsham, Devon, 1868–70 St Michael's parish church, Otterton, Devon: rebuilt 1869–71 Christ Church parish church and vicarage, Colbury, Hampshire, 1870 St James' parish church, Birlingham, Worcestershire: rebuilt 1871–72 St John the Evangelist, Holdenhurst, Hampshire (now Dorset): chancel, 1873 St Mary's parish church, Bransgore, Hampshire: chancel, 1873 Church of St Michael, Enmore, Somerset: restoration, new north aisle, 1873 Church of St Mary Magdalene, Wookey Hole, Somerset, 1873–74 St Mary's parish church, Tarrant Hinton, Dorset: chancel, 1874 St Mary's Church, Wingham 1874–75 Parish Church of St Luke, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset (1874–75) Holy Trinity parish church, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, 1875–76 Parish church of the Holy Cross, Babcary, Somerset: north aisle, 1876 Christchurch Priory, Hampshire: nave gallery

Buildings by Edmund Benjamin Ferrey (the son)

Church of St Deiniol, Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd (1873) St Bartholomew's Church, Burstow, Surrey (1884–95) Church of St Thomas a Becket, Framfield, East Sussex (1892) (Tower rebuilt)

Publications 1 =1. Benjamin Ferrey (1810–80) 2 =2. Benjamin Ferrey (1779–1847) 3 =3. Ann Pillgrem (1773–1824) 4 =4. George Ferrey (1737–1805) 5 =5. Martha Sparks (1737–1788) 6 =6. William Pillgrem 7 =7. Mary Richman (1732–1821) 8 =8. George Ferrey (1708–77) 9 =9. Christiana Sansom (died 1758) 10=10. Benjamin Sparks (1704–77) 11=11. Martha (1700–86) 12= 13= 14= 15= 16=16. Simon Ferrye (1662–1725) 17=17. Elizabeth Frank 18= 19= 20= 21= 22= 23= 24= 25= 26= 27= 28= 29= 30= 31=