Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

County surveyor for Co. Offaly, 1867-1874, and for the northern divison of Co. Tyrone, 1874-1895. Theophilus Bolton French, son of George French, barrister, of 54 Eccles Street, Dublin, was born in Dublin circa 1820. After attending the Feinaglian School, he was admitted to Trinity College, Dublin, on 13 October 1837 and obtained the BA degree in 1842.(1) The next twenty-five years of his life remain unaccounted for; although he sat the county surveyorship examination in 1857, it was not until May 1867 that he was appointed county surveyor for Co. Offaly. In June1874 he was transferred to the northern division of Co. Tyrone, a post which he held until 1895 when he retired on account of old age.(2) He was succeeded by FRANCIS JOHN LYNAM. FRANCIS JOHN LYNAM.

French died at Mullaghmore, near Omagh, on 1 June 1898, at the age of seventy-eight. He had married Sophia Pack on 18 January 1848(2) and had a son, Theophilus, who was appointed one of his assitants in Co. Offaly in 1873 and accompanied him to Co. Tyrone.

ICEI: elected member, 1856.

Address: Mullaghmore, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, at time of death.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise attributed is from Brendan O'Donoghue, The Irish County Surveyors 1834-1944 (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2007), 175-6, which gives the fullest account of French's career.

(1) Alumni Dublinenses, 310.
(2) Tyrone Constitution, 31 May 1895 (B.O'D.).
(3) www.familysearch.org.