Charles Robert Cockerell (1788–1863)
Charles Robert Cockerell [also known as C.R. Cockerell] was born in London, England on 28 [or 27 - sources differ*] April 1788. He trained as an architect in the office of his father, Samiel Pepys Cockerell (1753-1927) from the age of 16, and in the office of Sir Robert Smirke in 1809-10. From 1810 to 1817 he travelled throughout Greece, Italy and neighbouring countries. Following his return to London in June 1817 he established an architectural practice in in Old Burlington Street, Mayfair. He subsequently designed a number of commercial buildings in the city including banks and office. During the 1830s he designed three major university buildings: Cambridge University Library (1829-42), the Ashmolean Museum, Oxord (1841-45), and the Taylor Institution, Oxford (1845.
From 1841 to 1856 he was professor of architecture at the Royal Academy in London. He was also surveyor of St Paul's Cathedral from 1819, and architect to the Bank of England from 1833. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy (ARA) in 1829 and a Royal Academician (RA) in 1836. In 1848 he was the first recipient of the Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Cockerell wrote extensively on art, architecture and archaeology.
He retired as an architect in 1859 and died at his home, 13 Chester Terrace, Regent's Park, London, on 17 September 1863.
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* The Dictionary of National Biography gives the date as 28 April 1788.
Text source: Arts + Architecture Profiles from Art History Research net (AHRnet) https://www.arthistoryresearch.net/
