Frederick Marrable
Frederick Marrable (January 1819 – 22 June 1872) was a British architect who was notable as the first Chief Architect for the Metropolitan Board of Works, responsible for designing its headquarters.
Early career
Marrable was the son of Sir Thomas Smith Marrable, who was Secretary of the
Metropolitan Board
He was selected without any great controversy as the first Chief Architect of the Metropolitan Board of Works on 1 February 1856. Marrable was not a particularly well-regarded architect but no greater figure applied for the job, partially because the salary being offered was relatively low, but also because the architect would largely be responsible for building roads and not distinctive buildings. Marrable approached this task with a methodical eye, but often ended up being perceived as boring, as The Elector for 27 June 1857 said that he was "squeezing every word to death almost in a half-closed mouth, so that nobody scarcely knows what he says".
Under his supervision,
Resignation
By the end of 1860, Marrable was beginning to feel that he was being grossly underpaid and overworked. He referred to having written more than five thousand reports for the Board, and demanded an increase in his £800 annual salary. The Board, conscious of the opposition of the Vestries to any increase in its demands for money, reluctantly offered a raise to £1,200 (to then go up in stages to £1,500). There was indeed an outcry, with John Nicholay (member for Marylebone, a vestry committed to strict economy) describing the proposal as an act of suicide. The proposed new salary was then scaled back to £1,000. Marrable thought this a contemptible offer and resigned in February 1861.
Subsequent career
After his resignation, Marrable designed his most notable surviving building, the
Death
Marrable died suddenly on a visit to inspect the Bethlehem Hospital for Convalescents in Witley, and is buried at the Kensal Green Cemetery in London. His posthumous reputation tends to concentrate on his work for the Metropolitan Board, rather than his contribution to architecture.
References
- The Government of Victorian London by David Owen (Belknap Press of ISBN 0-674-35885-6
- The Buildings of England by Nikolaus Pevsner (Penguin Books, London)
- Frederick Marrable by Geoffrey Tyack in Oxford DNB (Oxford University Press, 2004)
- Royal Commission on the Metropolitan Board of Works, 1888