1 Pevsner, Nikolaus and Harris, john The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (1964), p. 77.Google Scholar

2 Pevsner, and Harris, op. cit., p. 637 Google Scholar, wrongly describe him as a local architect.

3 It is unusual for many drawings to survive because they would be returned in most cases to their authors, as were those of Lewis V ulliamy for Sleaford, which have found their way to the RIBA Drawings Collection (V 7 21). The remaining designs are in Lincolnshire Archives Office Kesteven Quarter Sessions, ‘roll of plans and designs for Sleaford Sessions House, 1828’, hereafter called LAO KQS Plans. The papers consist of Forbes’s letter books, called ‘proceedings and copies of correspondence, 1826-9’, hereafter called LAO KQS Proceedings and correspondence; and of various loose papers and descriptions, called ‘tenders, correspondence, newspapers, etc. 1828—9’, hereafter called LAO KQS Tenders.

4 Crook, J. Mordaunt ‘The Building of Lincoln County Hall’, Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society Reports and Papers, ix, pt2 (1962), 152.Google Scholar

5 See Davy, C. Architectural Precedents; with Notes and Observations (1841), pp. 93 Google Scholar et seq.

6 Forbes himself negotiated with Smirke in his capacity as County Clerk. See Crook, loc. cit.

7 Olney, R. J. Lincolnshire Politics 1832-188 (1973), pp. 18, 91. On Sleaford see p. 8.Google Scholar

8 Olney, R. J. Rural Society and County Government in 19th Century Lincolnshire (1979), p. 27.Google Scholar

9 But Earl Brownlow of Belton Hall did write to Forbes about the inclusion of a record room in the instructions (LAO KQS Proceedings and correspondence, letter of 6 May 1828); this may have been on the strength of his experience with the County Hall, on which see Crook, loc. cit.

10 On these architects see Howard Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 (1978); Hansom appears under Welch, but their partnership does not seem to have extended to making designs in common for competitions. On Kirk, see Bennett, j. D. Leicestershire Architects 1700-1830 (1968).Google Scholar

11 Colvin, op. cit., records no work building after 1820.

12 W. A. Nicholson came from Lincoln. Perhaps a surprising omission was E.J. Willson, who had built at Blankney for Chaplin, and was well equipped as a designer in Gothic (Colvin, op. cit.).

13 However, he had been defeated in the controversial competition for Brighton Town Hall (see The Brighton Guardian, 4 July 1827) and was embroiled in another competition for an esplanade at Kemp Town, Brighton ( Dale, A. Fashionable Brighton (1947), pp. 81-92).Google Scholar

14 Letter of Vulliamy to Newman, R. F. Guildhall Library Misc. MSS 279 3.Google Scholar

15 The Lincoln Rutland and Stamford Merccury, 10 November 1820, 20 February 1824.

16 LAO KQS Proceedings and correspondence.

17 Ibid., 5 May 1828.

18 See Forbes to Kendall, LAO KQS Proceedings and correspondence, 11 May 1828; and to Moneypenny, ibid., 11 May 1828.

19 A plan of the site by Mr Webb, the county surveyor, is in LAO KQS Tenders.

20 Kendall’s courtroom at Spilsby, on an open site, was 35 ft wide. See Davy, op. cit.

21 Surprisingly, the inclusion of this area was to make no external difference to Kendall’s design, another façade being tacked on to the existing elevation.

22 LAO KQS Proceedings and correspondence, 10 May 1828.

23 Ibid., 11 May 1828.

24 Ibid., 7 May 1828. Willoughby was probably the builder of the County Hall (Crook, loc. cit.) who came from Yorkshire.

25 LAO KQS Tender, 1 January 1828, F. Thirkill (Clerk of the Peace for Holland) to Forbes. Kendall had already met Forbes over the competition for Folkingham house of correction (LAO KQS Letters on the enlargement of Folkingham House of Correction, Kendall to Forbes, 8 March 1824).

26 LAO KQS Proceedings and correspondence, 10 May 1828.

27 Ibid., 30June 1828.

28 LAO KQS Tenders.

29 LAO KQS Proceedings and correspondence.

30 Ibid., Heron to Forbes.

31 The descriptions allow guesses at the nature of the designs which have not survived. Hansom made a Classical design, now lost, and Kirk two apparently Classical designs, both lost. Browning, Moneypenny, and Welch each made one Classical design. Bedford made only a Gothic design. Vulliamy made one Gothic design and two Classical designs, and Kendal one of each kind.

32 Vulliamy’s ground plan is not preserved.

33 Although Hansom may have followed his partner, tojudge from his description in LAO KQS Tenders.

34 For example Kendall in his description, LAO KQS Tenders. Davy, op. cit., p. 93, comments on this feature at Spilsby. .

35 LAO KQS Tenders.

36 His estimate was £5,490, easily the highest. Description in LAO KQS Tenders.

37 As in Moneypenny’s design, see PI. ia.

38 Bedford’s description, LAO KQS Tenders.

39 Ibid.?

40 Kendall’s description, LAO KQS Tenders. Their estimates were the same for both designs.

41 Possibly James Wyatt’s façade to Old Palace Yard (illustrated injames Elmes, Metropolitan Improvements (1827), between pp. 154 and 155). But the design looks also like a reworking of that proposed by Soane for the north elevation of his Law Courts in his Designs for Public and Private Buildings (1828). See Mordaunt Crook, J. and Port, M. H. The History of the King's Works, xVI (1973), p. 510 and pl. 39B.Google Scholar

42 Bedford’s description, LAO KQS Tenders.

43 Ibid., Hansom’s description.

44 LAO KQS Draft Minutes.

45 LAO KQS Tenders.

46 LAO KQS Proceedings and correspondence, undated but apparently iÿjuly.

47 Ibid., 2oJuly 1828.

48 Ibid., 2oJuly 1828.

49 Ibid., 22july 1828.

50 Ibid., 24july 1828.

51 Ibid., 26 August 1828.

52 Heron, in his letter to Forbes of 3 May 1828 quoted above, had remarked that Bourne was ‘in an Architect’s way to London’, and therefore likely to influence the designs. There is a rough sketch on the back of a draft of the advertisement in LAO KQS Tenders which may be of the disposition of Bourne Sessions House.

53 He would have been frustrated to discover that the Marquess ofBristol agreed with his choice of style and used the same word ‘harmonize’: see Kendall to Forbes, 21 August 1828, LAO KQS Proceedings and correspondence, which records Kendall’s visit to the Marquess to show him his design.

54 Obituary by Donaldson, T. L. in The Builder, xxxm (1875), p. 33.Google Scholar

55 But he may already have been acquainted with the Marquess ofBristol, who was a landowner at Brighton and for whom he designed a house (Colvin, op. cit.).

56 Colvin, op. cit.

57 Can the magistrates have relished his description of the floor of the Courtroom as an ‘arena’ (Description, RIB AD V7 2i(6)).

58 LAO KQS Tenders, letter to Forbes 23june 1828.

59 Unfortunately we know very little about this competition. The result was announced in The Gentleman's Magazine, xcix, pt 1 (1829), 554.

60 Dorchester House and Westonbirt House for R. S. Holford (Colvin, op. cit.)

61 Pevsner and Harris, op. cit., p, 459.

62 Yet there was an argument even for this. Chaplin wrote to Forbes on 2 May about the question of an arcade: ‘I should strongly recommend that the Architects be requested to suggest any additions ... as from their habits of business they must be most competent judges’ (LAO KQS Tenders).

63 By Crook, J. Mordaunt in ‘The Pre-Victorian Architect: Professionalism and Patronage’, Architectural History, ix (1968), 66.Google Scholar