Isaac Luck
Isaac Luck | |
---|---|
Chairman of the Christchurch Town Council | |
Preceded by | John Ollivier |
Succeeded by | Edward Bishop |
Personal details | |
Born | 12 May 1817 Oxford, England |
Died | 15 December 1881 Bristol, England | (aged 64)
Spouse | Susan Luck |
Profession | Builder, architect |
Isaac Luck (12 May 1817 – 15 December 1881) was a New Zealand architect. A professional builder, he arrived in Lyttelton on the Steadfast in 1851. He was the third chairman of the Christchurch Town Council. He was the brother-in-law of and in partnership with Benjamin Mountfort, and was the less well-known architectural partner for the design of the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings.
Early life
Luck was born in 1817 in Oxford, England; his parents were Jesse and Mary Luck. He worked in a partnership with John Plowman the younger as builder and architect. Some of his buildings in England include the Littlemore Lunatic Asylum (1846, as builder), the parsonage at Burton Dassett (1847, as architect), additions to the Oxford Lunatic Asylum (1847, as architect), and additions to the Union Poor House in Faringdon (1849, as builder). He was the surveyor for the demolition of the old Aylesbury Prison. His partnership with Plowman was dissolved in 1850.[1]
New Zealand
Builder and architect
Luck arrived in Lyttelton on the Steadfast on 9 June 1851.[2][3] In 1852, Luck built the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Lyttelton, which was architect Benjamin Mountfort's first commission in New Zealand.[2][4] The building proved vulnerable to high winds and was considered unsafe. It was demolished in 1857.[4]
During an 1852 visit to Christchurch of the Governor, George Grey, it was agreed that the government would pay for a lock-up. Luck built the structure on the corner of Armagh Street and Cambridge Terrace at the Market Place, which measured only 10 by 20 feet (3.0 m × 6.1 m), and which was built by June of that year.[5][6] What was long talked about afterwards was that upon completion, he held a ball in it for his friends.[6][7][8]
Luck was the builder of the original wooden St Peter's Church in Upper Riccarton, which was consecrated in 1858 by Bishop Harper. The architectural design work for the later stone church was started by Mountfort.[9]
Luck and Mountfort formed a partnership in mid-1857.
In 1861 the duo designed the Christchurch Club which was probably New Zealand's first club.[14] The building has a Category I heritage order with the NZHPT.[15] He worked in partnership with Mountfort until July 1864.[12][10]
Political career
Luck was elected onto the
Luck stood for election to the fifth
Land holdings
Luck owned or leased various sections in Christchurch in what is now the central city. At the time, when rural land was purchased, the buyer also obtained the right to purchase town sections.[31]
Before he arrived in New Zealand, Luck took up 150 acres (0.61 km2) of land in
Benjamin Lancaster, an absentee landowner with family connections to the Canterbury Association, purchased RS 62, which later became known as Lancaster Park. Lancaster took up the option of also buying town sections, and he chose TS 706 and 707, with the former being adjacent to Luck's TS 705.[31] Luck leased those sections from Lancaster from November 1853, and thus controlled most of the north-west quadrant of the Square.[35] After the lease to Luck expired, Charles Clark purchased TS 706 in 1876.[36]
Luck owned town sections 584 and 586 on the north-west corner of the intersection of Colombo and Gloucester Streets, which took in half the block fronting Colombo Street between Gloucester and Armagh Streets. He also owned town section 755 in Worcester Street, in the section between Manchester Street and Latimer Square.[37]
After Luck had left New Zealand for England, a substantial building was erected on town sections 584 and 586. The Mountfort-designed building became known as Luck's Building.[38] Most of Luck's Building was demolished in 1973 to make way for a new development, the MfL Building.[39][40] Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the block holding Luck's Building was designated for the new Convention Centre.[41] In December 2012, Luck's Building was the first of the 761 central city properties to be purchased by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.[40]
Business interests
From July 1855, Luck had the agency for the Lyttelton Times for Christchurch and Canterbury.[42] Luck was the chairman of the Canterbury Gas, Coal and Coke Company for some time.[43] From November 1861,[44] Luck was the business partner of Charles Clark and they traded as 'Luck and Clark' as land agents and auctioneers from premises on the north-west corner of the intersection of Colombo and Gloucester Streets, with Luck owning that land.[45] Luck and Clark dissolved their partnership on 31 August 1866, Clark moved to new premises further south on Colombo Street, Luck took over the accounts receivable, and Luck carried on under the business name 'Luck and Co'.[46] But only a few months later, the situation was reversed when Luck decided to go back to England. In March 1867, Luck advertised that any remaining debts to 'Luck and Clark' are now due to be paid to Charles Clark, and 'Clark and Co' moved back into Luck's premises on the corner of Colombo and Gloucester Street.[47] Luck also advertised that all claims against him personally are to be presented by 3 April 1867,[48] and he left New Zealand five days later.[49][50] Clark then rented out Luck's house Meriden in Merivale.[51]
Family
Luck had a close association to the Mountfort family beyond his business relationship with the architect. In February 1852, Luck became godfather to Wilfred Lewis Mountfort, a son of the architect.[1] On 20 April 1853, he married Susanna Wale Mountfort (born May 1828[52]), the architect's sister, at Holy Trinity Church.[53][54]
Together with his wife and five children, he left on the Mermaid on 8 April 1867 for London.[49][50]
Retirement and death
Luck retired to England. From abroad, he subscribed to the
Notes
- ^ a b c "Isaac Luck – builder, architect". Early Canterbury Photography. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ a b c "Isaac Luck (1817–1881)". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ "1851". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ a b Lochhead 1999, pp. 66–76.
- ^ "Untitled". Lyttelton Times. Vol. II, no. 77. 26 June 1852. p. 10. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ a b Burke, William Ellison. "Burke Manuscript". Christchurch City Libraries. p. 150. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ Mosley, Montague (1885). Illustrated Guide to Christchurch and Neighbourhood. Christchurch: J. T. Smith & Co. p. 23. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ Burke, William Ellison. "Burke Manuscript". Christchurch City Libraries. p. 235. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery, Upper Riccarton". Christchurch: Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ a b Artgallery 1998, p. 18.
- ^ Gardner 1971, pp. 83–84.
- ^ a b c Lochhead, Ian J. "Mountfort, Benjamin Woolfield". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand.
- ^ "1861". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ "Christchurch Club". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand.
- ^ "Councillors of the City of Christchurch". Christchurch: Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ "Chairmen and mayors". Christchurch: Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "City Council". The Press. Vol. VII, no. 690. 14 January 1865. p. 3. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "Christchurch City Council". Lyttelton Times. Vol. XXIII, no. 1350. 24 January 1865. p. 4. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "Christchurch City Council". Lyttelton Times. Vol. XXIII, no. 1353. 31 January 1865. p. 4. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ Gardner 1971, p. 139.
- ^ "Christchurch Nomination". The Press. Vol. IX, no. 1119. 9 June 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Mr. James George Hawkes". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 197.
- ^ Cooper, Ronda. "Wakefield, Edward Jerningham". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "Christchurch Election". The Press. Vol. IX, no. 1120. 11 June 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 192.
- ^ "Lincoln Nomination". The Press. Vol. X, no. 1142. 6 July 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ Scholefield 1950, pp. 194, 196.
- ^ "Lincoln Election". The Press. Vol. X, no. 1143. 7 July 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ a b "The origins of Lancaster Park". Christchurch: Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ "Rural Sections Chosen". Lyttelton Times. Vol. I, no. 11. 22 March 1851. p. 6. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Harper, Margaret. "Christchurch Street Names R" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 3. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ NZ Federation of University Women 1995, p. 22.
- ^ NZ Federation of University Women 1995, p. 19.
- ^ NZ Federation of University Women 1995, p. 14.
- ^ "Electoral District of City of Christchurch". The Press. Vol. IX, no. 1093. 10 May 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "Luck's Building, corner of Colombo & Gloucester Streets, Christchurch". Christchurch: Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ "Christchurch: Now and Then". Canterbury Heritage. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ a b Wood, Alan (14 December 2012). "Luck's building sold to Cera". The Press. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ Wright, Michael. "Christchurch city buyout begins". The Press. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ "Untitled". Lyttelton Times. Vol. V, no. 310. 20 October 1855. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ "Canterbury Gas, Coal and Coke Company". The Press. Vol. XI, no. 1347. 2 March 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ "Messrs. Luck and Clark, Auctioneers, Land, Estate, House, Stock, and General Commission Agents, Accountants and Valuers". Lyttelton Times. Vol. XVI, no. 945. 30 November 1861. p. 5. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "Mr Charles Clark". The Press. Vol. LXII, no. 12689. 31 December 1906. p. 8. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ "Dissolution of Partnership". The Press. Vol. X, no. 1192. 1 September 1866. p. 1. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "Page 1 Advertisements Column 5". The Press. Vol. XI, no. 1371. 30 March 1867. p. 1. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "Notice". The Press. Vol. XI, no. 1371. 30 March 1867. p. 1. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Shipping". The Press. Vol. XI, no. 1379. 9 April 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ a b c Sewell 1980, p. 503.
- ^ "To Be Let at a Low Rent". The Press. Vol. XI, no. 1409. 15 May 1867. p. 1. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ Artgallery 1998, p. 17.
- ^ "Untitled". Lyttelton Times. Vol. III, no. 120. 23 April 1853. p. 6. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ "18 & 44 Winchester Street". Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
References
- W. J. Gardner, ed. (1971). A History of Canterbury. ISBN 0-7233-0321-5.
- Lochhead, Ian (1999). A Dream of Spires: Benjamin Mountfort and the Gothic revival. Canterbury: Canterbury University Press. ISBN 0-908812-85-X.
- NZ Federation of University Women (1995). Round the Square : A History of Christchurch's Cathedral Square. Christchurch: Clerestory Press. ISBN 0-473-03399-2.
- B.W.Mountfort and the Gothic Revival in Canterbury : A Centennial Exhibition (PDF). ISBN 0-908874-34-0. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
- Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
- ISBN 0-7233-0624-9.
External links
- Christchurch survey map, identifying sections owned by Luck (584, 686, 755)