Monkswell; various studios there and in Campden Hill Square; two board-schools in London, and alterations and additions to Beckett Hospital, Barnsley. In conjunction with M. Tronquois, of Paris, he designed Impney Court, near Droitwich.
With his appointment in 1870 as master of the Royal Academy architectural school a fresh phase of Spiers's career opened; but, although he held the post for thirty-six years (until 1906), the outcome was disappointing to his friends. His reputation as an architectural designer and as a water-colourist, his skill as a draughtsman, his close touch with continental tradition, and, above all, his gifts as a teacher, raised hopes that a fresh lead in the development of English architecture would be inspired by the new master of the Academy school. These hopes were not fulfilled. Partly because he allowed his personality and ideas to be overshadowed by those of his brilliant contemporaries, George Edmund Street and Richard Norman Shaw, but mainly because he felt that his influence with and authority over the students were subject to interference by the Academy visitors, Spiers did not give the lead expected of him. It is probable, indeed, that his best teaching was done outside the Academy school; and it was perhaps a matter of regret to his friends that he did not found a private school of his own, where his inspiration and undoubted gifts would have had free play.
In addition to his teaching Spiers pursued incessant investigation into the architecture of all periods and countries. He collected and abstracted a mass of material of all kinds bearing on the subject, and was always adding to it from the reports and studies of the many students with whom he was in constant touch. His point of view was scientific and highly cautious, and no labour was too great with him in ascertaining exact data. His papers thus embodied the results of years of research, and were very carefully compiled, but they possess little charm of style, and are apt to be found rather dry by the average student or amateur. He was in his element in the work of preparing a new edition (1893) of James Fergusson's History of Architecture; though it is unfortunate that his respect for the author prevented his recasting the work and eliminating much that has lost its value. His own book on Architectural Drawing (1887) has been commended for its explanation of technical methods, but some of the illustrations were not happily chosen. His collected papers in Architecture, East and West (1905) contain some of his most valuable work. The book was published in connexion with a testimonial presented to him, on his retirement, by past students of the Academy school and other friends in many parts of the world; a bronze plaque with his portrait, modelled by Edouard Lantéri, was given to him, and smaller replicas were issued to subscribers; a commemorative medal was presented at the same time by the Société Centrale des Architectes Français, of which body Spiers was an honorary and corresponding member. Spiers was president of the Architectural Association in 1867–1868, and served on the council of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1888 to 1903, and was chairman and member of the literature committee for twenty-two years. He died in London 3 October 1916. He was unmarried.
Spiers is memorable for his modest and disinterested devotion to the study and teaching of architecture. He was a discriminating and fearless critic, who tolerated no lowering of a high artistic standard. He regarded architecture as a rational art, and believed in the prevalence, in all periods and styles, of definite principles not to be transgressed.
[Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects, third series, vols. xxiii, xxiv, 21 October and 11 November 1916; Architectural Review, vol. xl, July–December 1916; personal knowledge.]
SPRIGG, Sir JOHN GORDON (1830–1913), South African statesman, was born at Ipswich 27 April 1830, the second son of the Rev. James Sprigg, Baptist minister of that town, by his wife, Maria Gardiner. After a short school career and employment in local insurance and shipbuilders' offices, he joined in 1846 the staff of Joseph Gurney [q.v.], parliamentary shorthand writer. In 1858 he travelled to the Cape for his health. He decided to remain in South Africa, and in 1861 obtained a free farm on military tenure in British Kaffraria some thirty miles from East London.
As a member of the East London divisional council Sprigg took a leading part in advocating the annexation of British Kaffraria to the Cape Colony, provided that self-government were speedily granted to the enlarged colony (1865–1866). In 1869 he was elected member for East London, a constituency which he represented without a break till 1904. He supported (Sir) John Molteno [q.v.] in the successful agitation for self-government (1872); but subsequently, when Molteno became the first premier of the Cape,
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