Details of Sculptor

Surname

Barrel

Alternative Surname

Barrell

First Name

Henry I and II

Initial of Surname

B

Year of Birth/Baptism

Flourished

1775-1805

Year of Death

Biographical Details

At least two craftsmen of this name worked in London during the 18th century. A Henry Barrell, described as the son of Robert Barrell, was apprenticed to Antoine Jary, a carver of St James, Westminster, in 1737. It is not clear whether this man was related to Henry Barrel I, who worked as a mason and carver in the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields. He was in business by 1775, when he received £85 from Lord Radnor in part payment for the ‘capitals of the chapel columns’ at Longford Castle (4) and he died in the spring of 1790. His son, Henry Barrel II, was apprenticed to a mason called Emmanuel Williams on 10 November 1781 and became free in 1788 (Masons’ Co, Freemen List, fol 7).
The elder Barrel was employed at Guy’s Hospital, where he was paid £72 10s for ‘statuary work’, 1777-78 (5). This included ‘12 faces’ and ‘5 pattern’s for ye frieze’ costing £50 and £6 6s respectively. He worked for Sir Robert Taylor at General John Burgoyne’s house, 3 Grafton Street, London, and at Gorhambury, Herts, in 1780 (6). From 1786 onwards he was employed at the ‘new building next the Admiralty’, receiving £139 for wood carving and chimneypieces (TNA ADM/17/1) (1, 7). The latter came from a demolished house at Blackheath belonging to Sir Gregory Page, so Barrel only had to reset most of them, though he did recut one. The last payments for this work were made in 1791, some time after Barrel’s death, so it is possible that it was completed by his son. The Barrells, or perhaps only Henry Barrel II, were employed by Sir John Soane on mason’s work, including a great deal of ornamental stone carving, at the Bank of England between 1788 and 1805 (8). Payments included £4 for a mask-head in 1788 and £75 for four Corinthian capitals in 1789. The younger Barrel worked again for Soane in 1795 as the mason responsible for building 146 Piccadilly for a Mr Crauford. There he received £700, including payments for chimneypieces (2). He also made chimneypieces for the offices of the Commercial Commissioners in 1798, again for Soane (3).
Literary References: Gunnis 1968, 40-1; Binney 1984, 62
Archival References: Masons’ Co, Freemen, fol 7; GPC
Will: PROB 11/1191