Thomas Paty
| Thomas Paty | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1713 |
| Died | 4 May 1789 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Architect |
Thomas Paty (c.1713 – 4 May 1789) was a Britishsurveyor, architect and mason working mainly in Bristol. He worked with his sons John Paty and William Paty.
Thomas Paty came from a family of builders but little is known of his origins. He was responsible for building many of the 18th century buildings in Bristol, and his sons, John and William, joined the business. He and his family were involved in the parish life of St Augustine's Church and contributed to various charities. The business prospered and spread to South Gloucestershire, Wales and Somerset. It seems to have been successful at a time when other firms collapsed after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and many builders went out of business. They were also involved in the carving of monuments, some as far away as Bury St Edmunds and the West Indies, which allowed them to keep working throughout the winter. Thomas Paty was sometimes accused of a lack of opiginality, but during his lifetime, Bristol was transformed from a medieval city of wooden houses to a modern city with paved streets, stone buildings and suburbs.
Between 1763 and 1769, James Bridges, and later Thomas Paty who replaced him when he resigned, were involved in the building of Bristol Bridge to replace a medieval structure over the floating harbour, the original course of the River Avon through Bristol. Both these men were described as surveyors, but they played no part in valuing the structures that were taken down, this being the responsibility of a group of master builders who often made use of the salvaged materials. Thomas Paty was the only one of the trustees of the bridge-building project who was in the building trade.
After the bridge was completed, Thomas Paty was involved in the rebuilding of St Nicholas Church which stood beside the end of the bridge. The trustees had set aside £1400 for this but the parish wanted a larger building, the wooden tower was discovered to be rotten and costs increased, the final sum being about £7000.
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