Samuel Swinton Jacob
Encyclopedia
Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob (1841–1917) was an English engineer, architect and writer, active in India
and best known for the numerous public buildings he designed in the Indo-Saracenic
style.
and then at the East India Company Military College
at Addiscombe
where he was one of the last batch of graduates (graduating as an engineer in 1858). (See Clan Swinton
.)
in Rajasthan
, India. He was to spend the remainder of his working life in this position until he retired at the age of 71.
At the time he became chief engineer and took charge of the public works department of the Jaipur it had only been in existence for seven years, having been founded in 1860. The department was responsible for the construction of everything in the state ranging from walls, outhouses, guard houses, roads, canals to major public buildings. Compared with many British officials in India he was noted for his respect for local building traditions and skills, which lead to his incorporating many Indian architectural features into his building designs. As a result he became — with F. S. Growse, Robert Fellowes Chisholm, Charles Mant, Henry Irwin
, William Emerson
, George Wittet
and Frederick Stevens
— a pioneer of the Indo-Saracenic
style of architecture which incorporated Indian Islamic architecture into European neo-Classical or Gothic Revivalist styles.
He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 6 February 1885. He was promoted to Colonel on 26 February 1889.
He had no sooner retired to England in 1911 then he was recruited by the secretary of state for India to assist Edwin Lutyens
and Herbert Baker
in the design of New Delhi
. Failing health soon forced him to withdraw from the assignment.
He was married to Mary Brown (daughter of Robert Brown of Edinburgh) from 1874 until his death. He died at Weybridge
on 4 December 1917.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and best known for the numerous public buildings he designed in the Indo-Saracenic
Indo-Saracenic
The Indo-Saracenic Revival was an architectural style movement by British architects in the late 19th century in British India...
style.
Early life and education
He was born on 14 Jan 1841 to Colonel W. Jacob (of the Bombay Artillery and a member of a distinguished military family) and Jane Swinton, granddaughter of Capt. Samuel Swinton RN, who was the inspiration for the story of The Scarlet Pimpernel. He was educated at Cheam SchoolCheam School
Cheam School is a preparatory school in Headley in the civil parish of Ashford Hill with Headley in the English county of Hampshire. It was founded in 1645 by the Reverend George Aldrich in Cheam, Surrey and has been in operation ever since....
and then at the East India Company Military College
Addiscombe Military Academy
The East India Company Military Seminary, colloquially known as Addiscombe Seminary, Addiscombe College, or Addiscombe Military Academy was a British military academy at Addiscombe, Surrey, in what is now the London Borough of Croydon. It was established in 1809, and closed in 1861...
at Addiscombe
Addiscombe
Addiscombe is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south of Charing Cross.It is situated just to the northeast of central Croydon, and is home to a high proportion of people who commute to Central London, owing to its proximity to the busy...
where he was one of the last batch of graduates (graduating as an engineer in 1858). (See Clan Swinton
Clan Swinton
Clan Swinton is a Lowland Scottish clan and founder of Clan Gordon, Clan Elphinstone, Clan Arbuthnott, Clan Nisbet and the Greystoke Family. Being a Border family, they were prominent Border Reivers.-Origins:...
.)
Career
He entered the Bombay Artillery in 1858, qualifying five years later as a surveyor and engineer. After initial service in the Public Works Department, and a brief spell with the Aden Field Force in 1865–6, he was appointed in 1867 as chief engineer of the state of JaipurJaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India. He was to spend the remainder of his working life in this position until he retired at the age of 71.
Henry Irwin
Henry Irwin, a renowned architect of British India was born on 21 January 1841, in Tarbett, County Kerry, Ireland. He is mainly known for his works in Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. He was a member of the Institution of Engineers. He died on 5 August 1922, at Ooty, India...
, William Emerson
William Emerson (architect)
Sir William Emerson was a British architect.He was born in 1843 the son of a silk manufacturer in Whitechapel, London, and educated at King's College, London. Around 1861 he was articled to William Gilbee Habershon, who soon thereafter entered into partnership with Alfred Robert Pite...
, George Wittet
George Wittet
George Wittet was a Scottish architect who worked mostly in Bombay , India.-Life:George Wittet was born in Blair Atholl, Scotland in 1878. He studied architecture with a Mr...
and Frederick Stevens
Frederick William Stevens
Frederick William Stevens was an English architectural engineer who worked for the British colonial government in India. Stevens' most notable design was the railway station Victoria Terminus in Bombay...
— a pioneer of the Indo-Saracenic
Indo-Saracenic
The Indo-Saracenic Revival was an architectural style movement by British architects in the late 19th century in British India...
style of architecture which incorporated Indian Islamic architecture into European neo-Classical or Gothic Revivalist styles.
He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 6 February 1885. He was promoted to Colonel on 26 February 1889.
He had no sooner retired to England in 1911 then he was recruited by the secretary of state for India to assist Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
and Herbert Baker
Herbert Baker
Sir Herbert Baker was a British architect.Baker was the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, 1892–1912....
in the design of New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. Failing health soon forced him to withdraw from the assignment.
He was married to Mary Brown (daughter of Robert Brown of Edinburgh) from 1874 until his death. He died at Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
on 4 December 1917.
Notable buildings
Among the notable buildings that he designed are:- The main building for St. Stephen's College, DelhiSt. Stephen's College, DelhiSt. Stephen's College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi located in Delhi, India. The college admits both undergraduates and post-graduates, and awards degrees under the purview of the University. Famous for its rich history and many traditions, St...
at Kashmiri GateKashmiri Gate (Delhi)The Kashmiri Gate is a gate located in Delhi, it is the northern gate to the historic walled city of Delhi...
in Delhi. Built 1890 to 1891. - Albert Hall MuseumAlbert Hall MuseumAlbert Hall Museum is a museum in Jaipur city in Rajasthan state of India. It is the oldest museum of the state and functions as the State museum of Rajasthan. The building is situated in Ram Niwas Garden outside the city wall opposite New gate and is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture...
, JaipurJaipurJaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
. Also called the Government Central Museum. Located on Ram Niwas Bagh, it was built between 1881 and 1886. Maharaja Ram SinghRam SinghRam Singh was a religious leader and social reformer and the first Indian to use non-cooperation and boycotting of British merchandise and services as a political weapon. He was the religious leader of the Namdhari sect of Sikhism...
initially wanted this building to be a town hall, but his successor, Madho Singh, decided it should be a museum for the art of Jaipur and included as part of the new Ram Nivas Garden. - Rambagh PalaceRambagh PalaceThe Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan is the former residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur and now a luxury Taj Palace Hotel, located outside of the walls of the city of Jaipur on Bhawani Singh Road...
- Scottish Presbyterian Mission Church, built 1913-1916 on land donated by His Highness Madho Singh II at Chandpole, JaipurJaipurJaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
. - Bikaner House, Mount Abu. Built 1893 as a summer residence for the Maharaja of Bikaner. It has now been converted into the Palace Hotel.
- Laxmi Niwas PalaceLaxmi Niwas PalaceLaxmi Niwas Palace is a former residential palace of the king of the former Bikaner state, Mahārāja Ganga Singh in Bikaner in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was designed by the British architect, Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob in the year 1902. The style of architecture is Indo-Saracenic. It is now a...
, Bikaner. Built in 1902. - Lalgarh PalaceLalgarh PalaceLalgarh Palace is a palace in Bikaner in the Indian state of Rajasthan.The palace was built between 1902 and 1926 according to Rajput, Mughal and European architectural styles...
, Bikaner. Built between 1896 and 1926. - Umaid Bhawan Palace, KotaKota, RajasthanKota , formerly known as Kotah, is a city in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located south of state capital, Jaipur. Situated on the banks of Chambal River, the city is the trade centre for an area in which millet, wheat, rice, pulses, coriander and oilseeds are grown; industries...
. Built in 1904. - King George Medical College, LucknowLucknowLucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
. Built 1905. Now called the Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University. - Daly CollegeDaly CollegeThe Daly College, located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was founded by Sir Henry Daly of the British Indian Army during India's colonial British Raj. It was established in 1881, and is one of the oldest co-educational boarding school in the world....
, IndoreIndoreIndore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
, 1912