HUGIJENOT ARTISTS DESIGNERS AND CRAYPSNEN IN GREAT ...

115.
Whereas in the first half of this period architects of Huguenot
origin were involved in the spate of country house building and royal
commissions that followed the Glorious Revolution, in the second half of
the period architectural patronage is offered by new or growing public
institutions, on the one hand, and the expanding• merchant class on the
other. As the new patrons and the change of architectural style offered
less scope for originality, the publication of architectural treatises
became increasingly &gnificant.
In 1715, a certain Nicholas Dubois produced a translation of
Giacomo Leoni's 'The Architecture of Andrea Palladio'. Dubois describes
himself as 'Architect and one of his Majesty's Engineers', and throws
rather interesting light on architectural employment at the time.
'As most of th se who undertake to build neglect to make any use of any
Architect in order to raise a House .. and because they understand
the Rules of an Art., they frequently prefer their own fancies to the
judgement of the most learned and experienced Architects; or at most
they rely upon Workman, who are often very ignorant, & dare not find
fault with any plan, tho' never so bad, for fear of displeasing and so
losing their work'.57
Nicholas Dubois' later association with the Huguenots Lewis Dolon,
Charles du Bourgay, James Herault, and Stephen de la Creuse, reinforces the
probability that he too was of Huguenot origin, and he is therefore
included in this thesis.
On May 30th, 1718,'Captain Nicholas Dubois of Leicester Fields in the
Parish of St.Martjn in the Fields..and Seignior Aictander Galilei of St.
Parish..agreed to become copartners & joint Lealers together in all
Designs, Buildings, Architecture, Drawings, both Military and Civil, to
commence from the Day of these presents and to be continued for the Terme
of Five years from
Apart from Galilel's work'Cór the Duke of Manchester at Kimbolton,
and a possible association with the Duke of Chandos' house in Cavendish
Square, the partnership does not seem to have attracted any major
commissions, although between 1717 and 1720 Dubois was involved in
the developfinent of Hanover Square (Nos.19-21) of which only no.20
stands today. 59 In 1719, thanks to the influence of Thomas Hewitt,
Surveyor of the King's Works, who had witnessed the contract between
Dubois and Galilei, Dubois was appointed Master Mason in the Office of
Work°By 1720, Dubois had formulated the scheme to set up a Builder's
Company with a monopoly of building in London granted by a Royal Charter
or Patent. Dubois' motivation according to his defence at the Court of
Chancery in 1721, was 'Considering the great number of new buildings
which were daily erecting