Robert Bridgeman

Born 1844
Died 1 March 1918

Active: 1871 - 1911

Country of birth and death: England

Architectural sculptor, ecclesiastical sculptor, stone carver and stonemason

Born in Burwell, Cambridgeshire. He was the son of Charles Bridgeman (c.1825-1903, Burwell), a farmer, turf dealer and digger. Robert may have learned his craft in Cambridge with one of the large carving firms such as Rattee and Kett. In 1872 he married the daughter of his landlady and by 1877 they were living in Lichfield where Robert worked on the cathedral.

In 1879 Bridgeman established his own firm in Lichfield, which specialised in ecclesiastical and architectural work in wood, stone, alabaster and metal. Sometime before 1912, Robert's son Joseph joined the firm and it traded as Robert Bridgeman & Son. A third generation, Charles William Bridgeman (1902-2004), son of Joseph, later joined the business which then traded as Bridgeman & Sons of Lichfield until his retirement in 1968, when it was sold to Linfords and operated as Linford-Bridgeman.

The firm produced pieces for churches, cathedrals, schools and other historic buildings, as well as doing conservation and restoration work. Their major commissions includes the Gothic façade of the John Rylands Library, Deansgate, Manchester and restoration work on the west front of Lichfield Cathedral during the 1880s as well as pieces in St Philip’s Cathedral and St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham and sculptures in most other cathedrals in England. In addition, their works can be seen in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Italy.

Wealth at death: £10,485 9s. 9d.
Resworn, effects originally valued at £10,153 1s. 6d.
Probate date: 17 April 1918

Citing this record

'Robert Bridgeman', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=ann_1394806036, accessed 23 Mar 2023]