Henry Bell (1647–1711) was an English architect, a contemporary of Christopher Wren.
Bell was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk and baptised in St Margaret's Church. He was the son of a wealthy merchant family[1] and his father was twice mayor. He was admitted to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge in 1661.[2]
He designed many buildings in West Norfolk including the Custom House in King's Lynn and All Saints Church in North Runcton.[3]
He served twice as Mayor of King's Lynn,[4] he was well educated and travelled through Europe. In 1676 he met Robert Hooke, who shared with him his experiences of rebuilding London following the Great Fire. This knowledge had a bearing on his future work, as the design of North Runcton Church shows similarities with those employed by Wren, for example St Mary-at-Hill.[5] He was responsible for the rebuilding of All Saints' Church and possibly the Sessions House, Northampton after a fire.
He died in 1711.
References
- ^ "Famous people connected with North Runcton", North Runcton Website
- ^ "Henry Bell (BL661H)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ "Famous people connected with North Runcton", North Runcton Website
- ^ "Famous people connected with North Runcton", North Runcton Website
- ^ "Famous people connected with North Runcton", North Runcton Website
Further reading
- "Henry Bell of King's Lynn", Architectural History, Vol. 4, (1961), pp. 41–62.
- Geoffrey Webb, "Henry Bell of King's Lynn", The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, Vol. 47, No. 268 (Jul., 1925), pp. 24–33
- James Stevens Curl, A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape, 2000 (entry for "Bell, Henry").
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