Thomas Nicholls (sculptor)

For other people named Thomas Nicholls, see Thomas Nicholls (disambiguation).

Thomas Nicholls (c. 1825 – 24 March 1896) was an English sculptor.^[1]

Thomas Nicholls
The Bear – one of Nicholls's sculptures for the Animal Wall
Born	c. 1825 Westminster, London
Died	24 March 1896 Clapham, London
Nationality	English
Notable work	Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral Cardiff Castle Castell Coch

Life and works

Nicholls was born in Westminster, London around the year 1825.^[1] In 1858, he began a long partnership with the architect William Burges,^[2][3] beginning with Burges's commission for the embellishment of Gayhurst House in Buckinghamshire for Lord Carrington.^[4] Nicholls went on to assist Burges in his first major commission, Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork^[5] subsequently following him to Cardiff, working on both Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch, the fantasy palaces Burges constructed for John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute.^[6][7]

Nicholls had two sons who followed him as sculptors, Thomas O. Nicholls (born c.1863) and Edward W. Nicholls (born c.1867).^[1] Nicholls died at Clapham in 1896.^[1]