Thomas Cubitt

Thomas Cubitt (born Buxton, Norfolk 1788–1855) was the leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century, and also carried out several projects in other parts of England.

Background

The son of a Norfolk farmer, he journeyed to India as ship's carpenter from which he earned sufficient funds to start his own building firm in 1810 on Gray's Inn Road, London where he was the first builder to have a 'modern' system of employing all the types of sub-contractors internally, on permanent wages, instead of outsourcing the tradeswork as had been done previously.

Work

Cubitt's first major building was the London Institute in Finsbury Circus, built in 1815. After this he worked primarily on speculative housing at Camden Town, Islington, and especially at Highbury Park, Stoke Newington (now part of Islington).

His development of areas of Bloomsbury, including Gordon Square and Tavistock Square, began in 1820, for a group of landowners including the Duke of Bedford.

He was commissioned in 1824 by Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster, to create a great swathe of building in Belgravia centred around Belgrave Square and Pimlico, in what was to become his greatest achievement in London. Notable amongst this development are the north and west sides of Eaton Square, which exemplify Cubitt's style of building and design. His work in Belgrave Square was helped by the architect Philip Hardwick (1792-1870) who designed Sefton House.

Cubitt was also responsible for the east front of Buckingham Palace. He also built and personally funded nearly a kilometre of the Thames Embankment. He was employed in the large development of Kemp Town in Brighton, and Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, completed in 1851. Cubitt's public works included the provision of public parks, including being an organiser of the Battersea Park Scheme and a guarantor of the Great Exhibition of 1851, and contributing to the Metropolitan Building Act 1855.

In 1827 he withdrew from the management of the business he had established at Gray's Inn Road leaving such matters to his brother William Cubitt; the firm of Cubitts still carried out the work of Thomas Cubitt and the change robbed neither of the partners of the credit for their work.

He died in 1855. After his death, Queen Victoria said "In his sphere of life, with the immense business he had in hand, he is a real national loss. A better, kindhearted or more simple, unassuming man never breathed." Another statue of Cubitt can be seen in Dorking, opposite the Dorking Halls, as he was favoured there for his architecture on his Denbies estate.

In 1883 the business was acquired by Holland & Hannen, a leading competitor, and the combined business became known as Holland & Hannen and Cubitts and subsequently as Holland, Hannen & Cubitts.

Family

Cubitt had two brothers, the politician William and the architect Lewis who designed many of the houses built by Thomas.

His son by his wife Mary Anne Warner, George, who was created Baron Ashcombe in 1892, was the great-grandfather of Camilla Parker Bowles.

External links

* [http://www.thethomascubitt.co.uk The Thomas Cubitt Restaurant]

References

*"Holland & Hannen and Cubitts - The Inception and Development of a Great Building Firm", published 1920

Persondata
NAME= Cubitt, Thomas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Master builder in London
DATE OF BIRTH=1788
PLACE OF BIRTH=Buxton, Norfolk
DATE OF DEATH=1855
PLACE OF DEATH=