W. D. Caroe

W. D. Caroe
St David's Church, Exeter (1897–1900)

William Douglas Caroe (1857–1938) was a British architect, particularly of churches.

Early life

W. D Caroe was born in 1857 near Liverpool in Holmsdale, Blundellsand and the youngest son of the Danish Consul in Liverpool Anders Kruuse Caroe (d.1897) and Jane Kirkpatrick Green (d.1877). He was educated at Ruabon Grammar School in Denbighshire before Trinity College, Cambridge, as a senior optime in the mathematical tripos of 1869[1] and graduated with a BA in 1879.[2] Caroe was articled to John Loughborough Pearson[3] who wrote the article on Pearson in the Encyclopædia Britannica, (11th ed., 1911).

He fathered two sons and a daughter with his wife Grace Desborough (d.1947). His eldest son was Sir Olaf Kirkpatric Kruuse Caroe (1892–1981) an Indian administrator followed by a daughter, Christian Desborough Caroe (1894–1973) and his youngest son Alban Douglas Rendall Caroe (1904–1991) who followed his father’s footsteps in architecture.

Biography

Cardiff University main building
No. 1 Millbank, built for the Church Commissioners (1903)

William Douglas Caroe was a major figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement and described as a “Master of spatial painting”.[4] He became known as "a consummate master of building according to medieval precedent". The firm he founded, Caroe & Partners, still flourishes, specialising in ecclesiastical architecture, especially the restoration of historic churches.

Although Caroe primarily made his name in church architecture, he was also the architect for the Main Building of Cardiff University, inspired by his alma mater Trinity College.[5]

His own country house, "Vann" in Hambledon, Surrey, was featured on the TV series The Curious House Guest in 2006. "Vann" is open on National Gardens Scheme days and by appointment.

References

  1. ↑ MacAlister, Ian (2005). "William Douglas Caroe". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2016.
  2. ↑ "Caröe, William [Douglas] (CRW875WD)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. ↑ "Caröe, William Douglas". Who's Who. Vol. 59. 1907. p. 296.
  4. ↑ "Charismatic Caroe". RIBA 98 (2). 1992.
  5. ↑ "Main Building Centenary Profile: Grand Designs". Cardiff University. Retrieved 28 October 2014.

Bibliography

External links

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William Douglas Caroe
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