Thomas Cubitt. William Fawke. 1995. Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey. Cubitt's house in Dorking, on what is now the Denbies Vineyard, was demolished in 1953, but its owner is commemorated on the main road into the town, by a statue to match the one near his old London works in Pimlico. Looking rather dapper, Cubitt is shown standing on a raised platform behind a partially uncovered stack of bricks, with a brick measure in his hand, as if checking his materials. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
The wording on the plaque differs from that used in Pimlico, which names him the "developer of Belgravia and Pimlico," and says that "his workshops were close to this site." The Surrey plaque simply reads: "Thomas Cubitt — MasterBuilder. Born 1788 — Died 1855 at 'Denbies,' Dorking. 'A GREAT BUILDER AND A GOOD MAN.'" The tribute is, by all accounts, accurate. Stephen Halliday quotes from one of his obituaries: "to those under him, and holding responsible situations, he was generous and kind, blending his position as master with that of a friend" (qtd. p. 78).
Links to related material
Photographs and text by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.
Bibliography
Halliday, Stephen. Making the Metropolis: Creators of Victorian London. Derby: Breedon, 2003.
Hobhouse, Hermione. "Cubitt, Thomas (1788-1855)." The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online ed. Web. 15 August 2008.
Created 15 August 2008
Last modified 7 November 2021