Decimus Burton (1800-1881)
Decimus Burton was born on the 30th of September 1800, the tenth son of his parents, James and Elizabeth Burton (nee Westley) in Bloomsbury, London.
In 1815 Decimus Burton came to Hastings with his father, James Burton (1761-1837), where the two would later design and build St. Leonards-on-Sea.
In 1816, Decimus started to work in his father's office. This led to Decimus being present in the design and construction of Regent Street, St. James. At the same time G Decimus was learning architectural draughtsmanship from George Maddox. At the conclusion of his first years learning with his father and Maddox, Decimus submitted a design for a bridge to the Royal Academy which gained a commendation.[1].
He later became one of the founding members of the Royal Institute of British Architects, later rising to Vice-President, and served as architect to the Royal Botanic Society from 1840 and was an early member of the Athenaeum Club, London, whose premises he designed and his father, one of the leading property developers of Georgian London, built. In addition to the various buildings in London and Hastings, which Burton designed, he also surveyed the British Ambassador's residence in Paris (formerly the home of the Princess Borghese)[2] among many other projects.
In 1828, his father purchased a large estate from what was then, the Eversfield Estate, then located on the western outskirts of Hastings which utilising Decimus' plans constructed the town of St. Leonards.
References & Notes
- ↑ Williams, Guy (1990). Augustus Pugin Versus Decimus Burton: A Victorian Architectural Duel. London: Cassell Publishers Ltd. p. 29. ISBN: 0304315613
- ↑ Reports from Committees Vol XVIII Part II (18 Nov 1847-5 Sep 1848) pg.295 Google Books
