John Henry Brett

John Henry Brett
Born 1835[1]
Died 1920[1]
Belfast, County Antrim
Nationality British / Irish (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland)
Other names John H. Brett
Occupation Surveyor, Architect, Builder
Known for County Surveyor, Architect, Builder

John H. Brett (1835–1920) was an Irish architect, builder, and county surveyor for Counties Limerick (Western Division), Kildare and Antrim, active in late-nineteenth to early twentieth-century Ireland.[2] He was notable in being a prolific designer of utilitarian structures as a county surveyor, with many practical schemes proposed. His designs, however, were often flamboyant in practicing a Ruskinian Gothic blend of Victoian Italianate and Venetian Renaissance styles, heavily influenced by the writer John Ruskin (1819–1900).[1]

Career

Brett's first employment was for William Dargan on the railways, then he was appointed county surveyor for the western division of Co. Limerick (1863), Co. Kildare (1869), Co. Antrim (1885).[2] During the late 1860s, he also practiced with his father as Henry Brett & Son, which was joined by his brother Charles Henry Brett and they continued the business after their father's death in 1882 as John H. & H.C. Brett.[2] He was elected a member of the Architectural Association in Ireland November 1872, ICEI in 1874, and Association of Municipal and County Engineers in 1891.[2] Brett retired February 1914 and was made a JP for Co. Antrim.[2][3]

Personal life

He was born 1835 in Tobercurry, County Sligo, the son of builder Henry Brett and was the brother of Charles Henry Brett.[2] He was educated at Waterford Academy.[2] Brett married Mary Josephine Brady around 1876 in Dublin and have a daughter and five sons.[2] His last address was at 3 Alexandra Gardens, Fortwilliam Park, Belfast.[2]

Works

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Jane Fenlon and Hugh Maguire (writers), An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Waterford, Revised Edition, (Dublin: Wordwell Press / Government of Ireland, Department of the Environment, Heritage, and Local Government, National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, 2010). p.70-71.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 See Brendan O'Donoghue, The Irish County Surveyors 1834-1944 (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2007), p.115-117. Cited in Irish Architectural Archive, Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940.John Henry Brett(Accessed 12 April 2011)
  3. R.M. Young, Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the 20th Century (1909), p. 594
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/12/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.