Details of Sculptor

Surname

Bingham

Alternative Surname

First Name

Edward, of Peterborough

Initial of Surname

B

Year of Birth/Baptism

Flourished

Year of Death

- 1796

Biographical Details

The son of John Bingham, he was apprenticed to William Charlton of Wisbech ‘mason’ in 1730 (TNA IR 49/260 in GPC). In 1750 he carved chimneypieces for Lord Fitzwilliam at Milton Hall (28) and from 1773 was employed there under Sir William Chambers on marble carving (31). A letter from Fitzwilliam to Chambers, dated 17 August 1776, contains the following instructions: ‘I enclose Mr Bingham’s bill for your examination - upon no account to shew it to Lord Bessborough for there are two articles of the marble frieze & the cleaning of the Columns which I intend should not appear in his bill - as the whole estimate amounted but to 314 £ I am afraid His bill is larger than it should be...’ (Chambers’s Letters, RIBA, CHA/2.47).
Bingham specialised in architectural monuments and tablets in coloured marbles. Examples include the memorial to Ralph Lane, which features pretty rococo decoration and the tablet to William Gery, a classically inspired design which incorporates some subtle gothic detailing (3, 20). A contemporary described Bingham as ‘a top workman for best mason work’ (the estate book of Prebendary John Russell, c1760, quoted by Lewis 1953, 21) and Gunnis thought him an excellent provincial statuary. He died on 16 July 1796.
Literary References: GM, 1796, ii, 621; Lewis 1953, 19-38; Gunnis 1968, 52; Penny 1977 (1), 111
Archival References: GPC