Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Military engineer and architect. Thomas Jarratt's relationship to JOSEPH JARRATT  JOSEPH JARRATT has not been established; O'Dwyer suggests that there may be a connection with the Dublin family of weavers of the same name.(1) Like Joseph Jarratt, Thomas Jarratt worked for THOMAS EYRE THOMAS EYRE , the Surveyor General, at Dublin Castle.(2) Thomas Jarratt is mentioned several times during the 1750s and early 1760s in Eyre's letter book and account book.(3) Between 1753 and 1762 he was in charge of the maintenance of the fire engines and water buckets for Dublin Castle, for which he was paid £10 per annum, and in 1755 he was also paid £17.19s.6d 'for pulling down the old Excise office adjoyning the custom house' the previous year. In 1756 and 1757 Eyre appointed Jarratt paymaster and 'Overseer over the Masons and artificers' for works carried out at Charles Fort, near Kinsale, under Captain Charles Vallancey, for which he was paid £623, 13s. 9½d in 1756 and £490. 11s. 4½d in 1757. On 30 June 1760 Jarratt was given a commission in the Royal Engineers; promotions followed on 27 January 1762 to third engineer, on 22 May 1766 to chief engineer, and on 10 November 1780 to major.(4) He is recorded as being at work on the Shannon defences in 1782.(5) He died on 2 December 1785.(6)

In 1768 Thomas Jarratt submitted three schemes in the Royal Exchange competition,(7) for which he was awarded one of the three consolation prizes given to Irish entrants 'as an encouragement to the Architects of this country and from a due sense of the merit of their several designs'.(8) The only building which is known to have been executed to his design is the town hall at Lancaster, built in 1781.(9) He had become a member of the Royal Irish Academy by May 1785.(10) He died on 2 December 1785.

Thomas Jarratt was a subscriber to Thomas Malton's, The Seats and Demesnes of the nobility and gentry of Ireland (Dublin, 1783-1794). A Thomas Jarratt was registered in Dublin masonic lodge No. 173 in 1760 and in Dublin lodge no. 198 in 1768.(11)

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References



(1) F. O'Dwyer, 'Making connections in Georgian Ireland', BIGS 38 (1996-97), 10-13; or perhaps there is a connection with the Thomas Jarrett who is mentioned in connection with 'the Pumps at the Cross' at Drogheda in 1715 (Rev. T. Gogarty, ed., Council Book of the Corporation of Drogheda. Vol. I. From the year 1649 to 1734 (1915), 324.
(2) Eyre's account book also mentions a Hugh Jarratt who was paid 'for labourer's work' at the Castle in 1759.
(3) In IAA, Acc. 86/149: Jarratt is mentioned in the letter book at f. 52 and in the account book at ff. 24,25,43,50,62,67,74,85,91,107,112; a Hugh Jarratt is also mentioned in the account book at f. 65.
(4) W.J. Conolly, Roll of Officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers (1898), 112.
(5) Freeman's Journal, 19-21 Sep 1782 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc. 2008/44).
(6) See note 4, above.
(7) List of plans for the Royal Exchange (1768).
(8) Faulkner's Dublin Journal, 21-23 Mar 1769.
(9) See F. O'Dwyer, loc. cit., above, for an illustration and discussion of this building.
(10) RIA minutes, May 1785 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc. 2008/44).
(11) Information from Alex Ward, GLFI archives.


2 work entries listed in chronological order for JARRATT, THOMAS


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Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CORK HILL, ROYAL EXCHANGE
Date: 1768-69
Nature: Submitted 3 plans in competition; one of the 3 Irish entrants who was awarded a consolation prize 'as an encouragement to the architects of this country'.
Refs: B 27, 2 Oct 1869, 781; Freeman's Journal, 14-18 Mar 1769 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc.2008/44); Faulkner's Dublin Journal, 21-23 Mar 1769

Building: ENGLAND, LANCASTER (LANCASHIRE), TOWN HALL
Date: 1781
Nature: 5-bay, 2-storey Doric. Cupola not carried out to TJ's design but to design of Thomas Harrison.
Refs: Howard Colvin, A Biographical dictionary of British architects 1600-1840 (4th edn., 2008), 569; F. O'Dwyer, 'Making connections in Georgian Ireland', BIGS 38 (1996-97), 10-13(illus.)