Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

County surveyor for Co. Wicklow, 1834-1845. William Hampton was a son of a merchant in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, and a younger brother of JOHN HAMPTON. JOHN HAMPTON. (1) In 1813 he was working on the county map of Co. Roscommon, and he also assisted WILLIAM EDGEWORTH. WILLIAM EDGEWORTH. (2) He was appointed County Surveyor of Co. Wicklow in May 1834,(3) retaining the post until his death in 1845. He was simultaneously surveyor to the trustees of the Dublin-Carlow turnpike road for which he received a salary of £50 a year.(4) In 1841 he was responsible for the maintenance of 870 miles of road; he complained that as he had only three assistants he could not exercise proper control over the operations of the road contractors.(5) He built a relatively small mileage of new roads, but was responsible for the construction of a significant number of jack arch bridges throughout the county.(6) He had some involvement in the provision of sessions houses at Arklow and Tinahely in 1842-1843, although it seems likely that an outside architect, either WILLIAM DEANE BUTLER  WILLIAM DEANE BUTLER or WILLIAM CALDBECK WILLIAM CALDBECK , may have provided the designs.(7)

Hampton died from a burst blood vessel at his house in Harrington Street on 23 November 1845(8) and was succeeded in the Co. Wicklow surveyorship by JAMES BOYD JAMES BOYD . He married Clementina St Clair (1803ca-1847) by whom he had three sons and seven daughters. One of the sons was ROBERT JOHN HAMPTON ROBERT JOHN HAMPTON ; another was William Hampton (d.1908), who emigrated to Canada, where he became Inspector of the Canadian Railways.(9)

ICEI:  founder member, 1835.(10)

Addresses: Rathdrum, 1842;(11) Harrington Street, at time of death.(12)

See WORKS.



References



(1) Information from Shirley McGlynn, of Lavender Bay, New South Wales, Australia, great-great-granddaughter of William Hampton, in letter of 25 Feb 1997.
(2) J.H. Andrews, Plantation Acres (Ulster Historical Foundation, 1985), 316,357.
(3) Dublin Evening Post, 20 May 1834.
(4) Information from Mrs Shirley McGlynn, citing O'Donoghue.
(5) See note 4, above.
(6) See note 4, above.
(7) See note 4, above.
(8) O'Donoghue, citing Dublin Evening Mail, 1 Dec 1845.
(9) See note 1, above.
(10) Photocopy of transcript of minutes of first meeting of Engineers' Society of Ireland, 6 Aug 1835, in IAA, Jones File F73.
(11) Jones, transcript from Pettigrew & Oulton's Dublin Almanac 1842.
(12) See note 4, above.


3 work entries listed in chronological order for HAMPTON, WILLIAM


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Building: CO. WICKLOW, ARKLOW, SESSIONS HOUSE
Date: 1842-43
Nature: As co. surveyor, WHhad some involvement in provision of sessions houses at Arklow and Tinahely in 1842-1843; architect probably either WILLIAM DEANE BUTLER or WILLIAM CALDBECK.
Refs: Information from Mrs Shirley McGlynn, citing O'Donoghue.

Building: CO. WICKLOW, TINAHELY, SESSIONS HOUSE
Date: 1842-43
Nature: As Co. Surveyor, WH had some involvement in provision of sessions houses at Arklow and Tinahely in 1842-1843; architect probably either WILLIAM DEANE BUTLER or WILLIAM CALDBECK.
Refs: Information from Mrs Shirley McGlynn, citing O'Donoghue.

Building: CO. WICKLOW, GREENAN, BRIDGE
Date: 1844
Nature: New bridge over Avonbeg River non road from Drumgoff to Rathdrum. Builder: Samuel Evans. (Was this designed by WH as Co. Surveyor?)
Refs: Plaque on bridge (does not mention Hampton)(information from Brendan O'Donoghue)