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John (ca 1688–1770) and William Bastard (ca 1689–1766) were British surveyor-architects, and civic dignitaries〔Extracts from John Hutchins' ''History of Dorset'' records John Bastard was mayor of Blandford Forum in 1729, 1738, 1739, 1750, 1754 and 1759. William was mayor in 1744 and 1756〕 of the town of Blandford Forum in Dorset.〔Pevsner 1972:95〕 John and William generally worked together and are known as the "Bastard brothers". They were builders, furniture makers, ecclesiastical carvers and experts at plasterwork,〔Cox 1997〕 but are most notable for their rebuilding work at Blandford Forum following a large fire of 1731,〔Geoffrey Webb, "John and William Bastard, of Blandford" ''The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs'' 47 No. 270 (September 1925, pp. 144–145; 148–150.〕 and for work in the neighbourhood that Colvin describes as "mostly designed in a vernacular baroque style of considerable merit though of no great sophistication.".〔Colvin 1995 sub "Bastard".〕 Their work was chiefly inspired by the buildings of Wren, Archer and Gibbs.〔assertion made by Pevsner p 29.〕 Thus the Bastards' architecture was retrospective and did not follow the ideals of the more austere Palladianism which by the 1730s was highly popular in England. The brothers,〔A third brother, Thomas, who died in 1731 (Colvin 1995, sub "Bastard"), married an heiress and settled down to sire a family, the Horlock-Bastards of Charlton Marshall (Webb 1925).〕 the sons of Thomas Bastard (died 1720), a joiner and architect, the founder of a family firm of provincial architects in the area. However little remains today of the works of the brothers' ancestors, chiefly as the result of the 1731 fire and a previous fire in the town in 1713. ==Rebuilding of Blandford== On 4 June 1731 a fire destroyed the greater part of Blandford. John Bastard worked as a fire assessor before and after this fire, and a book survives in Dorset History Centre in which he detailed assessments from fires at Sturminster Newton Castle (1730), Affpuddle (1741), Beaminster (1741), Puddletown (1753) and Wareham (1762). The inventory for the fire at Blandford shows the losses of everyone in the town including the Corporation of the Borough of Blandford and the church. Bastard and Co. were the largest private losers.〔Cox 1993〕 The Blandford fire, which swept away the heart of a town that had evolved in a haphazard way from the medieval period, presented an opportunity for more regular redevelopment in the classical styles. However, with the exception of a widening the original market square, the fashionable Baroque style of town planning〔The Baroque form of town planning – wide boulevards, often on a grid plan, leading to squares creating vistas, so successfully deployed in 18th century Bath, remained in vogue long after Baroque architecture had passed from fashion〕 was ignored and the town was rebuilt on its former medieval street plan. The first building to be completed in Blandford was the grandiose town hall, finished in 1734.〔It bears the date on the frieze of the central window and BASTARD in the curved pediment above (Webb 1925:144).〕 Constructed, like much of their work, in the local Portland stone, the building is architecturally of interest because of its idiosyncrasies of style. While at first glance appearing to be a typical example of the Palladian style popular at the time, this is not truly the case. The ground floor is an open arcade of three segmented arches more typical of Renaissance Dutch and English market halls. The upper floor however, is in the highest Palladian tradition, as exemplified by Inigo Jones in his Banqueting House at Whitehall, the windows alternating with segmental and pointed pediments. The whole of the facade is surmounted by a uniting pediment, with a circular window at its centre. The design of the facade seems incomplete, as though flanking wings are missing. The provincial design of the building is again emphasised by the placement of three covered urns on the pediment redolent of the Baroque style which by the 1730s had already passed from its brief period of high fashion in England. The pediment appears heavy and lacks support from the pilasters which more urbane architects would have placed at either end of the facade. The Town Hall, designed to provide a central feature to a row of houses, is typical of the work of the Bastard brothers, from which they were to make their fortune. They became entrepreneurs and local politicians.〔(Blandford Forum ).〕 Other works by the Bastards in the town include the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, built between 1733 and 1739; the market place around the town hall, designed in the classical style but not uniform; the Greyhound Inn (1734–35; now a bank), which was their own property; a terrace of almshouses; and many large private houses with classical facades, notably Spetisbury and Coupar House. The rebuilding of the town was officially completed in 1760–a feat commemorated by a memorial in the form of a portico to the church, known as the Fire Monument. Pevsner describes this memorial as a "''detailed tabernacle with Doric columns''".〔Pevsner 1972:97〕 This was designed and paid for by John Bastard, who had it engraved, somewhat immodestly, with the inscription "''in grateful Acknowledgement of the Divine Mercy, that has raised this Town, like a phoenix from its ashes, to its present beautiful and flourishing State''." However, the monument also has a more practical use, built above a piped spring: should a fire break out again it would supply a head of water for the attachment of fire hoses. The monument was converted into a drinking fountain in 1899.〔Cox 1993,8.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bastard brothers」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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