Item 1847/5 - Transverse section of the Choir

Open original Digital object

Identity area

Reference code

JCCA/JCAD/7/1/5/1847/5

Title

Transverse section of the Choir

Date(s)

  • 25th January 1847 (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

1 item, paper

Context area

Name of creator

(1824-1899)

Biographical history

Richard Reynolds Rowe was born on 5 June 1824. His parents, who lived at 1 Brunswick Terrace (off Maids’ Causeway), were Richard Rowe, a keeper at the University Library and Alderman of Cambridge Borough and Sarah Rowe (née Reynolds).

Little is known of his schooling, or of his training as an engineer and architect. He became an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1854 (later a Fellow), and a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers in 1855. He was appointed Engineer to the Cambridge Improvement Commissioners in 1850, holding this position to 1869. He was also Surveyor of Bridges and Public Works in the Isle of Ely from 1852. In these capacities he was responsible for overseeing a wide range of projects within the borough and county. He produced a trigonometric survey map of Cambridge, dated 1858 (Cambridgeshire Archives CB/4/19/1/19), showing the streets with building frontages, coloured to show different types of buildings. The map was reprinted in 1872.

As an architect in his own right from 1850, he designed the vestry of Christ Church, Newmarket Road (1863), St Matthew’s Church, Petersfield (1866), the iron-and-timber church hall of St Mark’s Church, Newnham (1871), the Cambridge Corn Exchange (1875‒76), the neighbouring Red Cow public house (1898), the alms houses on King Street (1880), and many private houses and other buildings in Cambridge.

He was for many years Clerk of Works to Ely Cathedral, and was involved, under Sir George Gilbert Scott, in the restoration of the octagon, about which he wrote a paper in 1876. He was also involved in the restoration of many medieval churches throughout Cambridgeshire, including within Cambridge the chapel of Jesus College, and Great St Mary’s. Jon Harris described his architecture as “strong, very distinguished, usually quiet and always original”.

Reynolds married Charlotte Hedley in Caistor, Lincs, in the spring of 1879, after which the couple lived at “Park House”, 16 Parkside, Cambridge for the remainder of their lives, apparently childless. His architectural office was at 10 Emmanuel Street.

He took an active interest in local affairs, being for some years a member of the Town Council, of the Improvement Commission, and of the Board of Guardians of the Cambridge workhouse. He was a Knight of Justice of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, and took considerable part in the formation of the Church Congress. At the time of his death he was president of several national societies. He is described as having been “kind and benevolent, his intellect strong, and his energy untiring” (Grace).

Reynolds died on 21 December 1899, aged 75 and his funeral on 27 December at St Andrew the Great and at Mill Road Cemetery was a grand affair, with many architects, engineers, city dignitaries and college heads as mourners.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Section showing one of Rowe's executed designs for restoring the College Chapel

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Digital object (Master) rights area

Digital object (Reference) rights area

Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

Accession area

Related subjects

Related genres

Related places