Henry John Cridland

Henry John Cridland (1821–1867) was a New Zealand architect and surveyor. Cridland started his architectural career in Wellington but later was appointed as Superintendent of Public Works to the Canterbury Association, which saw him survey and develop Lyttelton, Christchurch, and Kaiapoi. Most of Cridland's work has since been demolished with his best surviving work being St Andrew's Church, Christchurch.

Early life

Cridland was born in Somerset, England in 1821. Cridland married his wife Mary 1837 in London. She eloped to marry Cridland. before moving into architecture.

Cridland came to New Zealand with the patent for Oropholithe, a material invented in France for roofing. The material was used on a store on Lambton Quay but no other recorded usage exists suggesting that the material was not useful. In Wellington, Cridland owned his own sawmill and brickworks, allowing him to have stable prices for materials when supplying estimates. In 1846 Cridland submitted a design for Henry Samuel Chapman's house in Karori but his design was unpopular. Cridland's house was seriously damaged in the 1848 Marlborough earthquake. and St James Church, Lower Hutt in 1849. Cridland was the first to survey Kaiapoi. Cridland gained certification as a civil engineer in 1854. In 1856 Cridland designed St Andrew's Church, Christchurch, according to Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, St Andrew's was the last building designed by Cridland.

In 1864–1865 Cridland purchased a station near Ashburton named Scarness, that he renamed to Spaxton. Around this time Cridland was involved in surveying the Rangitata Plains.

Personal life

Cridland left his wife a property at York Bay, where she lived following Cridland's death until she died in 1902.

According to Cridland's entry in The Concise Dictionary of New Zealand Artists his drawings are historically significant.

List of buildings Replaced in 1880 St Michael's Church, Christchurch1851Cridland based his design off of work of the English architect George Gilbert Scott Replaced in 1871. St Andrew's Church, Christchurch Has been expanded and altered significantly but the original design remains. Registered as a category 1 building with Heritage New Zealand