Morrison, William Vitruvius

Morrison, William Vitruvius (1794–1838). Irish architect, son and collaborator of Richard Morrison. His work was more Neo-Classical than his father's, but he also carried out a number of Tudorbethan designs. Apart from the distinguished buildings they designed together (e.g. Baronscourt, Co. Tyrone (from 1835)), W. V. Morrison produced many houses of great interest, including Clontarf Castle, Clontarf, Co. Dublin (1836–7—Tudorbethan), Glenarm Castle and ‘Barbican’, Glenarm, Co. Antrim (1823–4—Tudor Gothic—not unlike his work at Borris, Co. Carlow), Hollybrooke House, Bray, Co. Wicklow (c.1835—Tudor Gothic), and Mount Stewart, Newtownards, Co. Down (1825–8—Neo-Classical, essentially alterations and additions to the house by George Dance of 1803–6, with later changes by Charles Campbell). His public buildings include Carlow County Court House (1828—with handsome Ionic portico and two semicircular court-rooms separated by the entrance and stairs), and Tralee County Court House, Co. Kerry (1828—the plan of which is related to Carlow Court House). His Ross Monument, Rostrevor, Co. Down (1826), a massive obelisk on an Egyptianizing base, is one of the noblest memorials in Ireland, commemorating Major-General Robert Ross (1766–1814).

Bibliography

Bence-Jones (1988);
J. Curl (2005);
Graby (ed.) (1989);
McParland et al. (1989);
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004)