Benjamin Ferrey FSA FRIBA (1 April 1810 – 22 August 1880) was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival.
Early life Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr (1779–1847), a draper who became Mayor of Christchurch, then in Hampshire, and his wife Ann Pillgrem (1773–1824).Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 169 He was educated at Wimborne Grammar School.
Career After grammar school, Ferrey went to London to study under Augustus Charles Pugin and alongside Pugin's son Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin.
In his early twenties Ferrey toured continental Europe, then studied further in the office of William Wilkins. He started his own architectural practice in 1834, in Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London. Some of the earliest work of his practice was in the design of the new seaside resort of Bournemouth, particularly his work on Bournemouth Gardens with Decimus Burton. The business grew rapidly and was very successful, with Ferrey designing and restoring or rebuilding many Church of England parish churches. Ferrey also designed private houses and public buildings, including a number of Tudor Revival ones in the earlier part of his career.Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 55
In his History of the Gothic Revival, Charles Eastlake described Ferrey as "one of the earliest, ablest, and most zealous pioneers of the modern Gothic school," adding that his work "possessed the rare charm of simplicity, without lacking interest".Eastlake, 1872, page 220
Ferrey was twice vice-president of the Royal Institute of British Architects and in 1870 was awarded a Royal Gold Medal. He was diocesan architect to the Diocese of Bath and Wells from 1841 until his death, carrying out much of the restoration work on Wells Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace. He was also appointed honorary secretary to the Architects' Committee for the Houses of Parliament.
Personal life Ferrey married twice. On 26 April 1836 at Islington, he married Ann Mary (Annie) Lucas (1812–1871). They had five children: Alicia (1838–1924), Ellen (1840–41), Eleanor Mary (1842–45), Benjamin Edmund (1845–1900) and Annie (1847–1926). Benjamin Edmund or Edmund Benjamin also became an architect, studying under his father and then assisting in his work.
After the death of his first wife in 1871, he married a second time, in 1872 at Weymouth, Dorset, to Emily Hopkinson (1829–1922).
Ferrey died on 22 August 1880 at his London home.
Selected works Buildings Tarrant Hinton, Dorset: Old Rectory, 1836Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 418 Westover, Hampshire: estate of villas, 1836 (demolished 1906–29)Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 117 Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset), 1837–38Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 130 St Thomas of Canterbury parish church, Compton Valence, Dorset: rebuilding of church (except tower), 1839–40Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, Dorset, 1839 onwardsNewman & Pevsner, 1972, page 183 Clyffe House, Tincleton, Dorset, 1842Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 423 Parish church of St James, Hambridge, Somerset, 1842Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 189
Parish church of St Nicholas, Corfe, Somerset, 1842Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 133 All Saints' parish church, Dogmersfield, Hampshire, 1843Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 191 All Saints' parish church, High East Street, Dorchester, Dorset, (with ADH Acland) 1843–45Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 179 St James' parish church, Morpeth, Northumberland, 1843–46Pevsner & Richmond, 1957, pages 214–215 St John the Evangelist Church, Hale, Surrey, 1844, rare example of Romanesque rather than Gothic work St Nicholas' parish church, Grafton, Wiltshire, 1844Pevsner & Cherry, 1975, page 255 St Mary's parish church, Winterborne Whitchurch, Dorset: rebuilt nave, added south aisle and south transept, 1844Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 488 St Thomas' parish church, Keresley, Coventry, 1844–45Pevsner & Wedgwood, 1966, page 326 St Mary's parish church, Chilton Foliat, Wiltshire: restoration, 1845Pevsner & Cherry, 1975, page 166 Holy Trinity parish church, Nuffield, Oxfordshire: restored chancel, 1845Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 724 St Stephen's parish church, Baughurst, Hampshire, 1845Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 94 Christ Church parish church, Melplash, Dorset, 1845–46Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 282 St Swithin's parish church, Wickham, Berkshire, 1845–49: nave, chancel and upper part of bell-towerPevsner, 1966, page 266 Holy Trinity parish church, Yeovil, Somerset, 1843–46Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 356 St Osmund's parish church, Osmington, Dorset: reconstruction, 1846Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 308 St Barnabas' parish church, Swanmore, Hampshire, 1846Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 616 St Edmund's parish church, Vobster, Somerset, 1846Pevsner, 1958 (North Somerset and Bristol), page 273 St Mary's parish church, Twyford, Berkshire, 1846Pevsner, 1966, page 243 St Peter's parish church, West Lydford, Somerset, 1846Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 339 Saints Peter and Paul chapel, Bishop's Palace, Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, 1846Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 563
Market cross, Glastonbury, Somerset, 1846Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 186 Christ Church, Henton, Somerset, 1847Pevsner, 1958 (North Somerset and Bristol), page 203 Municipal Buildings, Dorchester, Dorset, 1847–48Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 182 St Boniface' parish church, Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, 1847–48Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 733 St Peter's College, Saltley, Birmingham, 1847–52Pevsner & Wedgwood, 1966, page 201 St Barnabas' parish church, Linslade, Bedfordshire, 1848Pevsner, 1960/73, page 188 St John the Baptist parish church, Plush, Dorset, 1848Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 317 Holy Trinity parish church, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, 1848Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 637 St Mary the Virgin parish church, Stamfordham, Northumberland: restoration, 1848Pevsner & Richmond, 1957, page 292 Christchurch Priory, Hampshire: pulpitum, 1848Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 176 Stafford House, West Stafford, Dorset: west front, 1848–50Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 448 St Margaret's parish church, Harpsden, Oxfordshire: extended nave, added aisle and bell tower, 1848–54Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 634 Holy Trinity parish church, Penn Street, Buckinghamshire, 1849Pevsner, 1960/73, pages 223–224 St John the Evangelist parish church, Tincleton, Dorset, 1849 The (Old) School House, Tincleton, Dorset, circa 1849. Holy Trinity parish church, Wood Green, Witney, Oxfordshire, 1849Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 845 St Peter's parish church, Cranbourne, Berkshire, 1849Pevsner, 1966, page 123 All Saints' parish church, Bisham, Berkshire: restoration, 1849Pevsner, 1966, page 88 All Saints' parish church, Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire: restoration, 1849Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 562 St Thomas' parish church, Colnbrook, Buckinghamshire, 1849–52Pevsner, 1960/73, page 100 Holy Trinity parish church, Grazeley, Berkshire, 1850Pevsner, 1966, page 147 St Michael and All Angels Church, Littlebredy, Dorset: rebuilding of church and addition of spire, 1850Newman & Pevsner, 1972, pages 253–254 St Botolph's parish church, Swyncombe, Oxfordshire: restoration, 1850Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 801 Christ Church, Kensington, London, 1850-51 St Teilo's Church, Merthyr Mawr, (formerly Glamorgan), 1851 St Laurence's parish church, Upton, Slough, Buckinghamshire: south aisle, 1852Pevsner, 1960/73, page 237 St Mark's parish church, Hedgerley, Buckinghamshire, 1852Pevsner, 1960/73, page 160 St Mary's parish church, Kirtlington, Oxfordshire: rebuilt tower, 1853Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 675 Holy Trinity parish church, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire, 1853Pevsner & Cherry, 1961/73, page 176 St Paul's parish church, Neithrop, Banbury, Oxfordshire, 1853Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 443 Parish church of St Mary, Buckland St Mary, Somerset, 1853–63Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 109 Battleford Hall, Fleet, Lincolnshire. Old Rectory, 1854Pevsner & Harris, 1964, page 527 St Mark's parish church, Fairfield, Worcestershire, 1854Pevsner, 1968, page 150 All Saints parish church, Huntsham, Devon, 1854–56Pevsner & Cherry, 1989, page 497 Holy Trinity, Bengeo, Hertfordshire, 1855 Parish church of All Saints, Castle Cary, Somerset: rebuilding, 1855Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 116 Christ Church, Bala, Gwynedd (formerly Merionethshire), 1855. St Giles' parish church, Barlestone, Leicestershire, 1855Pevsner, 1960, page 59 St Paul's parish church, Scropton, Derbyshire, 1855–56Pevsner & Williamson, 1978, page 315 All Saints' parish church, Curland, Somerset, 1856Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 145 Chapels at Ocklynge cemetery, Eastbourne, East Sussex, 1857
All Saints' Blackheath, Blackheath, London, 1857–67Pevsner, 1952, page 139 Christ Church, Eastbourne, East Sussex, 1859Nairn & Pevsner, 1965, page 486 Grammar School, Morpeth, Northumberland, 1859Pevsner & Richmond, 1957, page 215 Chase Cliffe House, Crich, Derbyshire, 1859–61Pevsner & Williamson, 1978, page 157 St Mary's Church, Crich, Derbyshire: restoration, 1861 St Andrew's parish church, West Hatch, Somerset, 1861Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 338 Parish church of All Saints, Merriott, Somerset: chancel, chapels, east end of nave, 1862Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 235 Bulstrode Park, Buckinghamshire: house, 1862Pevsner, 1960/73, page 77 Christchurch Priory, Dorset (formerly Hampshire): restoration including porch vaulting, 1862
Parish church of St Mary Magdalene, Taunton, Somerset: rebuilding, with George Gilbert Scott, 1862Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 310 Parish church of St Mary the Virgin, East Stoke, Somerset: restoration, 1862Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 303 St Mary's parish church, Eling, Hampshire: restoration, 1863–65Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 207 SS Mary and Peter's parish church, Pett, East Sussex, 1864Elleray, 2004, page 44 St Mary's parish church, Warmington, Northamptonshire: restored chancel, 1865Pevsner & Cherry, 1961/73, page 446 St Michael and All Angels' church, Chetwynd, Shropshire, 1865–67Pevsner, 1958 (Shropshire), pages 97–98 All Hallows' parish church, Whitchurch, Hampshire: restoration, 1866Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 650 St Mary's parish church, East Lydford, Somerset, 1866Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 163 Parish church of SS Peter and Paul, Lufton, Somerset, 1866Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 225 St Giles' Church, Wrexham (formerly Denbighshire): restoration, 1867
Huntsham Court, Huntsham, Devon, 1868–70 Parish church of All Saints, Chipstable, Somerset, 1869Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 125 St Michael's parish church, Otterton, Devon: rebuilt 1869–71Pevsner & Cherry, 1989, page 614 Christ Church parish church and vicarage, Colbury, Hampshire, 1870Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, pages 180–181 St James' parish church, Birlingham, Worcestershire: rebuilt 1871–72Pevsner, 1968, page 87 St John the Evangelist, Holdenhurst, Hampshire (now Dorset): chancel, 1873Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 295 St Mary's parish church, Bransgore, Hampshire: chancel, 1873Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 142 Church of St Michael, Enmore, Somerset: restoration, new north aisle, 1873Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 166 Church of St Mary Magdalene, Wookey Hole, Somerset, 1873–74The Western Gazette – Wookey Hole: Opening of the new church – 26 June 1874 – page 8 St Mary's parish church, Tarrant Hinton, Dorset: chancel, 1874Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 417 St Mary's Church, Wingham 1874–75 Parish Church of St Luke, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset (1874–75)Pevsner & Lloyd, 1967, page 158 Holy Trinity parish church, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, 1875–76Newman & Pevsner, 1972, page 181 Parish church of the Holy Cross, Babcary, Somerset: north aisle, 1876Pevsner, 1958 (South and West Somerset), page 79 Christchurch Priory, Hampshire: nave gallery