Story of Jean Tijou/Hampton Court Palace, screen representing England

Contributed By

SandeeMac

I know very little about the immediate ancestors of my father(Walter Tijou); but back in the 17th century Jean Tijou, was a Hugenot Frenchman who had escaped to Holland and became famous for his "wrought iron work." so when William and Mary came to the throne of England in the late 17th century they brought him with them from Holland.

At that time a great deal of building was going on in England or London as an aftermath of the great London Fire of 1666. Sir Christopher Wren was a very eminent Architect at that time who had most of the important jobs. Apparently the royal pair wished Jean Tijou on him and although Wren did not like Jean and Jean did not like Wren, they together created the noblest architectural works of London.

It is amusing that Wren wrote a book about his churches and described everything and everyone in them; but he did not mention the name of, "Tijou" though the course others did so.

Later Jean wrote a book about fancy iron work in Wren's churches he described everything; but did not mention Wren. Both these books have many illustrations of fancy scrolls etc. that he put into his ironwork but the "no mention" joke is well known in England. As if Eisenhower had written the history of the Last war without mentioning Montgomery or churchill and they had written a book without mentioning Eisenhower.

The Chancel Gates (probably his most famous) in St Paul's Cathedral is Tijou's work of art; but he did work on nearly all the old churches in London. The Tijou screen at Hampton Court Place is world famous.

It now appears that none of the Tijou strain has attained world stature since Jean Tijou (pronounced TEASE YOU) so it is up to the present generation to bring the old line out of its 300 year sleep.

26 January 1960

Originally By Charles Egbert Tijou 1890-1968

typed by Sandee Macdonald

Jean Tijou was a French Huguenot ironworker. He is known solely through his work in England, where he worked on several of the key English Baroque buildings. He arrived in England in c.1689 and enjoyed the patronage of William and Mary for whom he made gates and railings for Hampton Court Palace. He produced the screens and grilles of St. Paul's Cathedral for Sir Christopher Wren, and worked at country houses such as Easton Neston, Burghley and Chatsworth. At Chatsworth his surviving works include the balustrade of the upper flight of the grand staircase and the set of gates known as the Golden Gates, which were moved to their present location at the north entrance to the park in the 19th century. Tijou published his New Book of Drawings in 1693 and continued to work in England until around 1711.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Tijou