Richard Turner

Richard Turner (1798–1881) was an Irish iron founder and manufacturer of glasshouses, born in Dublin. He is rated as one of the most important glasshouse designers of his time. His works included the Palm House at Kew Gardens (with Decimus Burton), the glasshouse in the Winter Gardens at Regent's Park in London, the Palm House at Belfast Botanic Gardens and the Curvilinear Range at the Irish National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Ireland.

Life Turner was born in Dublin around 1798, the son of a merchant Timothy Turner and Catherine (née Sissons). Both his grandfather and great-grandfather were also ironsmiths, the elder of which worked on the provost's house at Trinity College, Dublin. Turner inherited the ironworks from his uncle, also named Richard Turner. Turner became a property speculator, building houses on Pembroke Road, Leeson Street and Rathmines Road in Dublin. All of the houses were known for their geometric fanlights. He married Jane Goodshaw in 1816, and the couple had at least 10 children.

Premises Turner's premises from the 1830s was at Hammersmith Works, Ballsbridge. The site was later owned by the building firm G&T Crampton until 1963, and is now the site of Hume House offices. In Samuel Lewis’s 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, he describes the new Hammersmith Works as part of the entry for ‘Ball’s-Bridge’ as follows: ‘Near the village are the Hammersmith iron-works, established in 1834 by Mr. R. Turner: the front of this extensive establishment is 200 feet long, presenting a handsome façade towards the road; and at the back are numerous dwelling houses for the workmen, which are called the Hammersmith cottages. The road on which these works are situated has been greatly improved; wide footpaths have been formed, and the whole is lighted with gas. Nearly adjoining the works are the botanical gardens belonging to Trinity College’.

Selected works Marlfield, Clonmel, County Tipperary (1835–40) Bellvue at Enniskillen (1835) The wings of the palm house at Belfast Botanic Gardens (1839–40) Temperate House, Kew Gardens with Decimus Burton Palm house, Kew Gardens with Burton Waterlily House, Kew Gardens with Burton The winter garden at Regent's Park, London (1845) dismantled in 1932 Roofs at Dublin Broadstone railway station (1847) Rath House, Ballybrittas, County Laois (1847–50)