Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Ivory, Thomas (d.1786)

1318001Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 29 — Ivory, Thomas (d.1786)1892Bertha Porter

IVORY, THOMAS (d. 1786), architect, is said to have been self-educated. He practised in Dublin, and was appointed master of architectural drawing in the schools of the Royal Dublin Society in 1759. He held the post till his death, and among his pupils was Sir Martin Archer Shee [q. v.] In 1765 he prepared designs (plate in Gent. Mag. 1786, fig. i. p. 217) and an estimate for additional buildings to the society's premises in Shaw's Court, but these were not executed. Ivory's principal work was the King's Hospital in Blackhall Place (commonly known as the Blue Coat Hospital), a handsome building in the classic style. The first stone was laid on 16 June 1773, but from want of funds the central cupola has never been finished. The chapel and board-room are especially beautiful; in the latter some of Ivory's drawings of the design hung for many years, but are now in a dilapidated condition (cf. in Warburton, Dublin, i. 564–71; thirteen neatly prepared drawings, signed Thomas Ivory, 1776, in the King's Library; plate, with cupola and steeple as intended, in Malton, Dublin; elevation of east front in Pool and Cash, Dublin, p. 67). He designed Lord Newcomen's bank, built in 1781, at the corner of Castle Street and Cork Street (Gent. Mag. 1788, fig. iii. p. 1069). The building is now the public health office. The Hibernian Marine School, usually attributed to him, was probably the work of T. Cooley [q. v.] He made a drawing of Lord Charlemont's Casino at Marino, near Dublin (designed by Sir W. Chambers), which was engraved by E. Rooker. Ivory died in Dublin in December 1786. In the board-room of the King's Hospital is a picture (assigned to 1775) representing Ivory and eight others sitting at or standing round a table on which are spread plans of the new building.

[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists (in which Ivory is erroneously called James); Dict. of Architecture; Bye-Laws and Ordinances of the Dublin Society, p. 12; Gilbert's Hist. of Dublin, i. 26, ii. 301–2, iii. 222; Warburton, Whitelaw, and Walsh's Hist. of Dublin, i. 566–7; Pasquin's Artists of Ireland; Hibernian Mag. 1786, p. 672; Herbert's Irish Varieties, pp. 57, 63; information from G. R. Armstrong, esq., King's Hospital, Dublin.]

B. P.