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Sir Ernest George

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"SIR ERNEST GEORGE (1839-), English architect, was born in London June 13 1839. He began his career in the office of S. Hewitt, and at 19 became a student at the Royal Academy, where in the following year he was awarded the gold medal in architecture. He started professional practice in 1861, in conjunction with T. Vaughan, and with him carried out his earliest large commission - Rowsdon, Devonshire. On his partner's death in 1871 he was joined by Harold Peto, and subsequently by Alfred Yeates. During his connexion with the former of these many of his important works were done. They were almost wholly domestic, his public buildings being inconsiderable in number, and his church work confined to a few small churches, two of them in the Engadine. Amongst the houses for which he was responsible are Buchan Hill, Sussex; Stoodleigh Court, Tiverton; Motcombe, Dorset; Rawdon House, Herts; additions to Welbeck Abbey; Crathorne Hall, Berks, a villa at Antibes, and very many others. To this short list of a few only of his country houses may be added the many town residences with which he almost formed new quarters of London, such as those in Mount Street, in Collingham Gardens, and in parts of Chelsea, and an elaborately finished house in Berkeley Square. Amongst his commercial buildings are the Royal Exchange buildings, London, the (late) Albemarle hotel, and the interesting Venetian design for Sotheran's bookshop in Piccadilly. Before he ceased to take an active part in work his last design was for a great palace for the Maharajah Holkar of Indore.

George was also a most diligent painter and water-colour artist, and the influence of his sketching work not only in England but especially in Belgium, Holland and France makes itself evident in his picturesque design. He published volumes of his etchings on the Loire, and on the Mosel and in Belgium, Venice, etc., and was a constant exhibitor of his water-colour drawings at various galleries. In 1896 he was awarded the gold medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects. In 1910 he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy, and full member in 1917, and received a knighthood in 1911.