Lewis Cubitt

[This page is an early draft still under development]

Lewis Cubitt (29th September 1799 – 9th June 1883) was an English civil engineer and architect.

He was a younger brother of Thomas Cubitt, the leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century, and he designed many of the housing developments constructed by his sibling. He also was a younger brother of William Cubitt, later the Lord Mayor of London, with whom he worked on a number of developments and railway projects.

Lewis worked, amongst many other engagements, on the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) which was an early railway in England. It opened in 1839 and in February 1846 merged with other railways to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR).

Training

1814 his eldest brother, Thomas Cubitt (1788–1855) became a member of the Carpenters’ Company.

By 1815 Lewis was bound to Thomas as an apprentice

[insert image of certificate here]

In 1822 Lewis became a member of the Carpenters’ Company.

[insert image of certificate here]

By 1822 his eldest brother, Thomas, had already placed him in charge of smaller jobs, such as the construction of two houses in Berkeley Square [reference required].

Professional Life & Projects

[It would likely be worth carrying out out a survey of The Builder for tender notices to be retuned to Lewis Cubitt as this would give a good gauge of the scale and pace of his public works practice – in progress].

[1831 PAUPER LUNATIC ASYLUM, HANWELL, BY WILLIAM AND LEWIS CUBITT

Designs: signed dated 1830 LMA MA/DCP/005

Bills: LMA MJ/SP/1831/11/053]

November 1831, William and Lewis tendered successfully to ‘Erect and Finish the New Buildings for Mr. Babbage’s Calculating Engine in East Street Manchester Square’.

1833 Lewis Cubitt of Grays Inn Lane Road, a builder and contractor for public works, became an Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers [Elected Associate Member 30 April 1833 – CC/000292]. [check that is really what the ICE membership application says].

Later in the 1830s Lewis set up his own architectural practice at 77 Great Russell Street, London, probably engaged in house building [This is probably erroneous in Grace’s Guide].

[20th Dec 1837 (1) London Grand Junction Railway Co., (2) Wm. and Lewis Cubitt of Grays Inn Road, holders. Viaduct near Ampton St., St. Pancras – LMA Q/HAL/440]

From around 1843 Lewis Cubitt’s practice address was listed at 17 Great Russell Street, London [Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General Advertiser – Saturday 16 September 1843].

The Builder Volume 1, 1842, pg. 154.

A splendid hotel is in the course of erection at the terminus at Colchester, and will be opened in about two months. It is designed in the pure Italian style, by Mr. Lewis Cubitt, and the builders are Messrs. Grisell and Peto. Tastefully laid out gardens will be attached, which, with the hotel, will cover about an acre and a half of ground. Mr. Osborne, the brewer, of Colchester, is, we understand, the proprietor ; but we are not positively informed by whom the hotel will be occupied.

The Builder Volume 1, 1842, pg. 315.

This building is much admired, and yet it is a mere conversion of a boat-building and shipwright’s shed — shewing how much may be done with the meanest materials by the hand of the man of taste. This title has been earned by Mr. Lewis Cubitt, the able engineer of the London and Dover Railway, who has contrived a complete establishment for travellers— refreshment-rooms, parlours, and bedrooms— within the despised carcase we have described.

The Builder Volume 1, 1842, pg. 487

Notices of Contracts

South-Eastern Railway Terminus, Dover. — Mr. Lewis Cubitt, 77, Great Russell-street ; the Chairman and Directors, London Bridge. Nov. 20.

From around 1850 his practice appears to have been at 52 Bedford Square, London [Daily News, London Thursday 04 April 1850]. And judging by the volume of tender notices it was a very active practice from 1850 up to about 1855, when his bother Thomas died, he appears to have retreated from professional life.

He built a large number of bridges in his career, most of them being in South America, Australia and India. Lewis was jointly responsible for designing the rebuilt London Bridge railway station in 1844. He also designed Bricklayers Arms (1844) and King’s Cross railway stations (1851–52) and the Great Northern Hotel (1854) as a part of his works for The Great Northern Railway.

As part of the contemporary redevelopment of the adjoining railway lands, now known as King’s Cross Central, a granary designed by Cubitt has been refurbished as the main campus facility for Central Saint Martins, a constituent college of the University of the Arts London.

King’s Cross Station: Designer – Lewis Cubitt; Builders – John and William Jay, Euston Road, London. 1852. Grade I listed.

The land was acquired for £65,000 and the station cost £123,500 to build. The train shed comprises two vaults of clear arch construction. The ribs supporting the roof covering were originally of laminated timber but were replaced in steel [or is it actually iron? check]. The roof spans are 105ft wide by 800 feet long.

“Cubitt, perhaps because he came from a family of builders and engineers, looked at his job with equal pride but no romanticism. [He was comparing King’s Cross with Hardwick’s Euston.] The two arched roofs . . . are frankly displayed as the predominant motif of the façade . . . The roof of the clock tower heralds the coming of the new Italian villa ideals. Otherwise one does not look for Ômotifs’ at King’s Cross [Pevsner, London Vol, Buildings of England, 1952.

The architect was satisfied to depend, as The Builder put it in 1851, ‘on the largeness of some of the features, the fitness of the structure for its purpose, and a characteristic expression of that purpose’

[Insert image of the article from The Builder here].

A part of Lewis Cubitt’s drawings for King’s Cross entitled ‘Great Northern Railway. London Terminus Passenger Station’: transverse…survive in the National Archives [below].

Lewis Cubitt was a student of Kendall was in turn a student of Thomas Leverton and possibly of John Nash. His wide-ranging styles included Greek, Italian and Tudor revival.

His son, Henry Edward Kendall Jr. (1805–1885) was also an architect and, for a while, the two ran a practice together, which, in 1834, was located at 17, Suffolk Street, London. The Esplanade and Tunnel in Kemp Town, Brighton, dating between 1828 and 1830, was one of their notable works.

Lewis Cubitt (who married his daughter Sophia in 1830) was amongst those who worked at the practice before setting up on his own. Both were amongst the co-founders of what became the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Kendall designed many civic buildings including workhouses, hospitals and schools. In 1832 he won the hundred guinea prize for his Gothic design for Kensal Green Cemetery and his Italianate design was runner-up, yet, despite this, his designs were overlooked in favour of a Greek revival design by John Griffith. The cemetery contains a monument to Kendall’s son, attributed to Kendall senior.

Henry Edward Kendall died in Westminster, 4 January 1875, aged 98.

Lewis Cubitt married Sophia Kendall (1811-1879) on 23 January 1830.

Works with his brother William

Lewis worked extensively with William taking on Thomas’ Grays Inn Road works when Thomas moved to his Pimlico and Belgravia sites. Early on they worked on building and development very much in the mould of their brother Thomas such as continuing his development of the Calthorpe Estate.

Later they both moved into larger commercial works and both carried out considerable railway projects such as The  Extension from Camden to Euston for the London and Birmingham Railway Company and on Kings Cross Station amongst many others.

However, the brothers all continued to work together at various junctures to support each other.

William and Lewis Cubitt’s signature on the Contract with The London and Birmingham Railway Company and William Cubitt and Lewis Cubitt for the Extension from Camden to Euston. Dated 25th Nov 1835. The National Archives. RAIL 384/154.The Cubitt family connection with the Barings clan continued with Lewis carryout design works for their London offices.

Further work

Agreement for performance of works, with plans (signed by Geo. Rennie)