William Winde

c. 1642 - 1722. British architect.

William Winde was born as the son of British émigré Henry Winde in the Dutch town of Bergen-op-Zoom in 1622. Little is known about his education as a child, but it has been certified that Winde persued a military career in the English troops in the Netherlands by the 1650s. In the 1660s, Winde relocated to England, further persuing his military career. Winde eventually became involved with military engineering, eventually assisting in the fortification of Gravesend Reach in 1667. In 1708/09, Winde got married to Magdalene, the daughter of Sir James Bridgeman.

Winde turned to architecture when the 1st Earl of Craven, William Craven, assigned Winde to take over architectural work on his manor house Hampstead Marshall in Berkshire after the death of Balthazar Gerbier, the original architect and alleged trainer and mentor of Winde. Winde soon became one of the most renowned and popular country-house architects in England, ranking with well-known architects such as Hooke, May or Talman. Winde worked on projects such as Newcastle House and Combe Abbey. He also supervised changes to the Hall and gardens of Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands, which was owned by his first cousin Sir John Bridgeman. William Winde is probably best known for his work on former Cliveden House in Berkshire, where he created the arcaded terrace and steps. Winde is furthermore linked to carrying out works on Buckingham House, Powis House in Wales, Castle Bromwich Hall and Belton House in Lincolnshire. In 1662, William Winde joined the Royal Society. He was expelled in 1692 for failing to pay his annual subscription. William Winde died in London in 1722. His last resting place was in St Martin-in-the-Fields, an Anglican church in London.

Sources

Beard, Geoffrey. “William Winde (c. 1642 – 1722).” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. https://www.oxforddnb.com/search?q=Winde%2C+William+%28c.+1642%E2%80%931722%29%2C+architect+and+soldier. Accessed 14 January 2023.

“Castle Bromwich Hall“. Parks and Gardens. https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/castle-bromwich-hall. Accessed 15 January 2023.

“Cliveden.“ Parks and Gardens. https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/cliveden. Accessed 15 January 2023.

“Willliam Winde.” Parks and Gardens. https://www.parksandgardens.org/people/william-winde. Accessed 15 January 2023.

“William Winde.” A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/winde-william. Accessed 14 January 2023.