Thomas Henry Wyatt was born at Lough-Glin House in co. Roscommon, Ireland on 9 May 1807. He trained as an architect under Philip Hardwick (1892-1870) in London until 1832 when left to set up his own practice. In 1832 he was appointed District Surveyor for Hackney, a position he held until 1861.
From 1838 to 1851 he was in partnership with David Brandon (1813-1897). The partnership designed numerous private houses; lunatic asylums in Wiltshire and Buckinghamshire; and a railway station in Florence. Following the dissolution of the partnership Wyatt worked alone until about 1860 when he formed a partnership with his son, Matthew Wyatt (1840-1892).
During his career Wyatt designed over 400 buildings and was responsible for numerous Gothic Revival churches and restorations. The estate churches he designed in Wiltshire in the 1860s and 1870s, notably at Savernake, Hindon, Fonthill Gifford, Semley and Bemerton, are considered his best. [John Martin Robinson. Wyatt family. Oxford Grove Art Online]
Wyatt was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British architects (FRIBA) in 1839 and was President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (PRIBA) from 1870 to 1873. He was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in 1873
He lived and worked at 77 Great Russell Street, London where he died on 5 August 1880. His brother was the art historian and architect Matthew Digby Wyatt (1820-1877).
Most of the churches designed, altered or restored by Wyatt were in Wiltshire. These included a Christchurch in Shaw (1836-38); Christ Church in Derry Hill, with Brandon (1839-40); St. Mary in Codford St. Mary (1843); St. Mary and St. Nicholas in Wilton (1843); Holy Trinity in Cockerton (1843); Christ Church in Worton, with Brandon (1843); Holy Trinity in Dilton Marsh (1844); St. John the Baptist in Horningsham, with Brandon (1844); All Saints in Woodford (1845); St. Mary in Chittoe (1845); St. Michael in Melksham (1845); St. Alfred the Great in Monkton Deverill (1845); St. John the Evangelist in West Ashton (1846); All Saints in Westbury (1847); St. Nicholas in Cholderton (1840-50); St Martin in Salisbury (1849-50); St Mary Magdalene in Woodborough (1850-61); Christchurch in Cadley, Savernake (1851); St Paul's in Salisbury (1851-53); All Saints in Charlton-All-Saints (1851); St Paul in Fisherton Anger, Salisbury (1851-53); St Michael in Hilperton (1852); St Mary in Maddington (1853); All Saints in West Harnham (1854); All Saints in Burbage (1854); St Andrew in Nunton (1854-55); St Mary in Shrewton (1854); St Andrew in Littleton Drew (1856); St Nicholas in Berwick Bassett (1857); St Andrew in Laverstock (1858); St Andrew in Laverstock (1858); Holy Trinity in Stourpaine (1858); St Mary in Boyton (1860); St John in Bemerton (1860-61); St Katherine in Savernake Forest (1861); All Saints in Sutton Mandeville (1862); St Andrew in South Newton (1862); St Nicholas in North Bradley (1862); Saints Peter & Paul in Marlborough (1862-63); All Saints in Chitterne (1863); St Giles in Wishford (1863-64); St Nicholas in Little Langford (1864); All Saints in Winterslow (1866); St Mary in Alvediston (1866); Holy Trinity in Fonthill Gifford (1866); St Michael in Winterbourne Earls (1867-68); St Michael in Little Bedwyn (1868); Christ Church in Warminster (1871); St Mary in Upavon (1875); St Mary in Upavon (1875); St Leonard in Semley (1875); St John the Baptist in Hindon (1878); All Saints in Fonthill Bishop (1879). Other churches which he designed or on which he worked included St Paul's Church in Newport, Monmouthshire (1835-36); St Mary's in Glyntaff, Pontypridd (1838); St Andrew in Bethnal Green, London (1840-41); Holy Trinity Long Newnton, Gloucestershire (1841/1870); Holy Trinity in Abergavenny, Monmouthire (1842); St. Mary in Llanfair Clydogau, Gwynedd (1842-43); St George in New Wolverton, Buckinghamshire (1843-44); St. Andrew in Greensted, Essex (1845); St Peter in Goetre, Monmouthshire (1845-46); St James in East Cranmore, Somerset (1846); St Dingat in Dingestow, Monmouthshire (1846); St. Matthias in Bethnal Green, London (1846-47); St Michael in Glascoed, Monmouthshire; St Catherine in Govilon, Monmouthshire (1847-48); St Peter in Stanton Lacy, Shropshire (1847-79); St. Mary's in Atherstone, Warwickshire (1849); St Thomas in Woolton Hill, Hampshire (1849); Holy Trinity in Haverstock Hill, London (1850); St John the Baptist in Old Sodbury, Gloucestershire (1850); St Michael in Brynford, Flintshire (1851-52); St Mary in Acton in Turville, Gloucestershire (1853); St Mary Magdalene in Tormarton, Gloucestershire (1853); St Peter in Pilning, South Gloucestershire (1855); St Johns in West Littleton, Gloucestershire (1855); St George's Garrison Church in Woolwich, London (1863); St John the Baptist in Shipton Moyne, Gloucestershire (1864-65); St Michael and All Angels Church in Abbeyleix, County Laois, Ireland (1865); St Bartholomew's Church in Dublin (1867); St Margaret's Church in Horsmonden, Kent (1867); Church of St Cadoc in Raglan, Monmouthshire (1867-68); St Lawrence in Weston Patrick, Hampshire (1868); St Leonard in Oakley, Hampshire (1869); St John in March, Cambridgeshire (1870); St Peter in Wimblington, Cambridgeshire (1872); St Michael in Didmarton, Gloucestershire (1872; St Michael in Dalton, Lancashire (1875); St Matthew in Otterbourne, Hampshire (1875); Holy Trinity, Martin in Lincolnshire (1876); St Luke's Church in West Orchard, Dorset (1876-77); Holy Cross in Swainby, North Riding of Yorkshire (1877); St Andrew in Bredenbury, Herefordshire (1877); St Mary in Stalbridge (1878); and St Peter in March, Cambridgeshire (1880)
Country houses designed or altered by Wyatt included Llantarnam Abbey, Monmouthshire (1835); Malpass Court, Monmouthshire (1838); Llandogo Priory, Monmouthshire (1838); Westerdale Hall, Yorkshire (1841); Craig-y-Nos Castle, Brecon (1841-43); Fonthill House, Wiltshire (1848); Hensall Castle, Glamorganshire (1848); Orxhardleigh House, Somerset (1855-58); Sutton Court, Somerset (1858); Carlett Park, Cheshire (1859-60); Capel Manor, Kent (1859-62); Arley Hall, Cheshire (1860); Cranmore, Somerset (c.1866); Brockenhurst House, Hampshire (1869); St. Mary-in-the-Fen in Westry, Cambridgeshire (1872); St. John in March, Bredenbury Court, Herefordshire (1875); Nuneham Paddox, Warwickshire (1875); Barcote Manor, Berkshire (1876); and North Perrott Manor, Somerset (1878).
Other notable buildings included the Assize Courts in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire (1842); St John's Hospital, Stone, Buckinghamshire (1850-53); New Liverpool Exchange (1864-67); Town Hall, Ringwood, Hampshire (1868); Consumption Hospital in Brompton, London (1879)
Source of Images
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Linstrum, Derek. Catalogue of the Drawings Collection of the RIBA: The Wyatt Family. London: Gregg International/Royal Institute of British Architects, 1973
McGarvie, Michael. ‘The Duckworths and the building of Orchardleigh House’ [Architect: (1850s) Thomas Henry Wyatt]. Ancient Monuments Society. Transactions vol. 27, 1983, pp. 119-145.
Memoirs of Thomas Henry Wyatt and Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt, architects. [The obituaries of Thomas Henry Wyatt and Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt from the Builder, 14 August 1880 and 2 June 1877] [Weston Patrick] : Matthew Wyatt, [1888].
Robinson, John Martin. The Wyatts: an Architectural Dynasty. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1879
Whire, William H. ‘The decease of Thomas Henry Wyatt, FSA, Past President’. Royal Institute of British Architects. Proceedings 1st series vol. 33, no. 18, 26 August 1880 pp. 149-150.
'Obituary’ The Times 12 August 1880 p. 8
‘Obituary’ Building News vol. 39, 20 August 1880 pp. 204-205
‘Obituary’ The Builder vol. 39, 14 August 1880 pp. 193-194
‘Thomas Henry Wyatt, FSA, Past-President and Honorary Secretary’ Transactions of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1979-80 pp. 230-232