Charles Thomas Thomas
Encyclopedia
Charles Thomas Thomas (master stone carver) (July 26, 1820-December 25, 1867) was a prominent Anglo-Canadian stone carver and builder in the mid 19th Century. He was the son of a stonemason (Charles Thomas, senior) and some of his brothers were also stonemasons.
, he trained in England
under Thomas Cubitt
and Company, one of England's prominent Victorian building contractors. Charles Thomas apprenticed with Cubitt and Company in the 1840s, when the firm was building the iconic east front of Buckingham Palace
in London, also Belgravia Square and Osborne House
for Queen Victoria on the Isle of Wight
.
.
to work with Worthington Brothers, a well known Toronto
-based building contractor that specialized in sandstone construction. Charles Thomas supervised the stone work and is possibly responsible for stone carvings on the second Brock's Monument
, (Queenston, Ontario) - a high profile public works project in Victorian
Canada. Brock's Monument was designed by noted Toronto architect, William Thomas
(no relation).
to become the master stone carver and contractor for the stone cutting on Cobourg's Victoria Hall, designed by Toronto architect, Kivas Tully
. Again, Thomas was working with Worthington Brothers, using Cleveland sandstone quarried from a quarry owned and operated by John Worthington. The Victoria Hall stone carvings and ornamentation are considered among the finest in Canada.
The Cobourg Star for July 7, 1858 reported on the progress being made by Charles Thomas on the main entrance to Victoria Hall (see photo, right), saying:
"a vast amount of stone cutting has been accomplished .... The carvings on the spandrels of the chief entrance are exceedingly fine. They comprise the national emblems of the three United Kingdoms - the rose, the thistle, and the shamrock disposed on either side by an ancient lyre. These carvings together with the fine bearded face which forms the keystone of the arch [see photo above] are the work of Mr Thomas, contractor for the stone cutting and they certainly do him very great credit".
It should be noted that certain publications from the 1960s to 1980s, incorrectly give credit for Victoria Hall's stone work to Toronto architect William Thomas, based primarily on this July 1858 Cobourg newspaper article and its reference to a "Mr. Thomas". There is no evidence that William Thomas had any part in either the design or construction of Cobourg's Victoria Hall. It is clear based on the evidence presented in this article that the newspaper was indeed referring to Charles T. Thomas.
C.T. Thomas was also contractor for the stonework on an impressive Bank of Montreal in downtown Cobourg, designed by Montreal architect James H. Springle.
While in Cobourg, Charles Thomas also established a stonemasonry business. It was in operation from 1857 to 1859. Two signed works from this private enterprise are known to survive - a wonderfully carved sandstone Celtic cross in St. Peter's Anglican Cemetery and a marble wall plaque honouring a prominent Cobourg citizen found inside St. Peter's Anglican Church in downtown Cobourg.
to be Master Stonemason and Superintendent of Stone Masonry on the construction of a massive railway bridge over the Mississippi River for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway. The bridge was designed by Thomas Curtis Clarke
of Port Hope, Ontario
, who would become one of the most celebrated 19th century civil engineers in North America. Thomas met Clarke while living in nearby Cobourg during the Victoria Hall project and joined Clarke on the Ottawa Parliament Buildings project. The Quincy Bridge opened in 1868.
"A short time since it became our painful duty to record a sad accident to our late fellow townsman, Mr. Charles T. Thomas, which rendered necessary the amputation of a leg. Subsequent to the amputation he suffered very greatly, and afterwards a fever set in which ended in death on Christmas Day. The remains will be brought to this city for interment, arriving next Tuesday morning. The funeral will be at- tended by the Masons and members of the St. George's Society, of which due notice will be given. The deceased gentleman was, during the erection of the Departmental Buildings in this city, Chief Superintendent of Works, under Messrs. Jones, Haycock and Co., and in that capacity earned for himself a high reputation for zeal and integrity. He was a skilled and experienced stonemason, several years of his life having been passed in the employ of Messrs. Cubit and Co., the eminent contractors of London, England. Mr. Thomas was for sometime Superintendent of Public Works under the Imperial Government of Bermuda, which place he left for Canada about the year 1852; since then and up to the moment of the sad accident resulting in his death, he was engaged as subcontractor in the erection of many important buildings on this continent. The present national monument at Queenston reared by a grateful people to the memory of the "Gallant Brock," was erected under his supervision, so was the Montreal Bank and Town Hall in Cobourg, the latter considered to be one of the handsomest buildings in the Dominion. The subject of our notice was in every respect an excellent man. In business he was strictly correct in all his transactions; as a husband and father, most affectionate, as a philanthropist, his peer was not to be found in this city. In his death the St. George's Society experience the loss of a most indefatigable member, and with us, they mourn over the sad event which has removed him from our intercourse, and deeply sympathize with his bereaved widow and afflicted family."
Early Life/Work
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he trained in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
under Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt , born Buxton, Norfolk, was the leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century, and also carried out several projects in other parts of England.-Background:...
and Company, one of England's prominent Victorian building contractors. Charles Thomas apprenticed with Cubitt and Company in the 1840s, when the firm was building the iconic east front of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
in London, also Belgravia Square and Osborne House
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....
for Queen Victoria on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
.
1851
In 1851 Charles Thomas travelled to North America. He was appointed foreman of works with the Works Department of the British Royal Navy, responsible for development of the strategic Royal Naval Dockyard, BermudaRoyal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda
HMD Bermuda was the principal base of the Royal Navy in the Western Atlantic between American independence and the Cold War. Bermuda had occupied a useful position astride the homeward leg taken by many European vessels from the New World since before its settlement by England in 1609...
.
1853-1856
In 1853 Charles Thomas travelled to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to work with Worthington Brothers, a well known Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based building contractor that specialized in sandstone construction. Charles Thomas supervised the stone work and is possibly responsible for stone carvings on the second Brock's Monument
Brock's Monument
Brock's Monument is a 56-metre column atop Queenston Heights, in Queenston, Ontario, Canada, dedicated to Major General Sir Isaac Brock, one of Canada's heroes of the War of 1812...
, (Queenston, Ontario) - a high profile public works project in Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
Canada. Brock's Monument was designed by noted Toronto architect, William Thomas
William Thomas (architect)
William Thomas was an Anglo-Canadian architect.Thomas was apprenticed under Charles Barry and A.W. Pugin as a carpenter-joiner. His younger brother was the sculptor John Thomas .Thomas began his own practice at Leamington Spa in 1831 but in 1837 went bankrupt...
(no relation).
1857-1859
In 1857 C.T. Thomas relocated to Cobourg, OntarioCobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
to become the master stone carver and contractor for the stone cutting on Cobourg's Victoria Hall, designed by Toronto architect, Kivas Tully
Kivas Tully
Kivas Tully was an Irish-Canadian architect.Born in Garryvacum in County Laois, Ireland, Kivas Tully was the son of John P. Tully, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and Alicia Willington...
. Again, Thomas was working with Worthington Brothers, using Cleveland sandstone quarried from a quarry owned and operated by John Worthington. The Victoria Hall stone carvings and ornamentation are considered among the finest in Canada.
The Cobourg Star for July 7, 1858 reported on the progress being made by Charles Thomas on the main entrance to Victoria Hall (see photo, right), saying:
"a vast amount of stone cutting has been accomplished .... The carvings on the spandrels of the chief entrance are exceedingly fine. They comprise the national emblems of the three United Kingdoms - the rose, the thistle, and the shamrock disposed on either side by an ancient lyre. These carvings together with the fine bearded face which forms the keystone of the arch [see photo above] are the work of Mr Thomas, contractor for the stone cutting and they certainly do him very great credit".
It should be noted that certain publications from the 1960s to 1980s, incorrectly give credit for Victoria Hall's stone work to Toronto architect William Thomas, based primarily on this July 1858 Cobourg newspaper article and its reference to a "Mr. Thomas". There is no evidence that William Thomas had any part in either the design or construction of Cobourg's Victoria Hall. It is clear based on the evidence presented in this article that the newspaper was indeed referring to Charles T. Thomas.
C.T. Thomas was also contractor for the stonework on an impressive Bank of Montreal in downtown Cobourg, designed by Montreal architect James H. Springle.
While in Cobourg, Charles Thomas also established a stonemasonry business. It was in operation from 1857 to 1859. Two signed works from this private enterprise are known to survive - a wonderfully carved sandstone Celtic cross in St. Peter's Anglican Cemetery and a marble wall plaque honouring a prominent Cobourg citizen found inside St. Peter's Anglican Church in downtown Cobourg.
1859-1866
In 1859 Port Hope, Ontario building firm, Jones, Haycock and Clarke won the contract to build the East and West Blocks of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario. Charles T. Thomas was recruited as Chief Superintendent of Works on this important national public works project. The Canadian Parliament Buildings project was among the largest public works efforts in 19th Century Canada.1866-1867
On December 1, 1866 he relocated to Quincy, IllinoisQuincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
to be Master Stonemason and Superintendent of Stone Masonry on the construction of a massive railway bridge over the Mississippi River for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway. The bridge was designed by Thomas Curtis Clarke
Thomas Curtis Clarke
Thomas Curtis Clarke was a railway engineer, builder and author best known for a series of cast iron bridges in the United States. While living and working in Port Hope, Ontario, his firm won the contract to build the east and west blocks of the Canadian Houses of Parliament...
of Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
, who would become one of the most celebrated 19th century civil engineers in North America. Thomas met Clarke while living in nearby Cobourg during the Victoria Hall project and joined Clarke on the Ottawa Parliament Buildings project. The Quincy Bridge opened in 1868.
Death
In the Fall of 1867 Charles Thomas was supervising the lifting of rocks on a derrick when the structure collapsed, crushing his left leg. It had to be amputated but an infection set in and he died on December 25, 1867. His remains were returned to Ottawa where he was buried.Obituary
His obituary was published in the December 28, 1867 issue of the Ottawa Times newspaper:"A short time since it became our painful duty to record a sad accident to our late fellow townsman, Mr. Charles T. Thomas, which rendered necessary the amputation of a leg. Subsequent to the amputation he suffered very greatly, and afterwards a fever set in which ended in death on Christmas Day. The remains will be brought to this city for interment, arriving next Tuesday morning. The funeral will be at- tended by the Masons and members of the St. George's Society, of which due notice will be given. The deceased gentleman was, during the erection of the Departmental Buildings in this city, Chief Superintendent of Works, under Messrs. Jones, Haycock and Co., and in that capacity earned for himself a high reputation for zeal and integrity. He was a skilled and experienced stonemason, several years of his life having been passed in the employ of Messrs. Cubit and Co., the eminent contractors of London, England. Mr. Thomas was for sometime Superintendent of Public Works under the Imperial Government of Bermuda, which place he left for Canada about the year 1852; since then and up to the moment of the sad accident resulting in his death, he was engaged as subcontractor in the erection of many important buildings on this continent. The present national monument at Queenston reared by a grateful people to the memory of the "Gallant Brock," was erected under his supervision, so was the Montreal Bank and Town Hall in Cobourg, the latter considered to be one of the handsomest buildings in the Dominion. The subject of our notice was in every respect an excellent man. In business he was strictly correct in all his transactions; as a husband and father, most affectionate, as a philanthropist, his peer was not to be found in this city. In his death the St. George's Society experience the loss of a most indefatigable member, and with us, they mourn over the sad event which has removed him from our intercourse, and deeply sympathize with his bereaved widow and afflicted family."