Troyte Griffith

Arthur Troyte Griffith (19 June 1864 – 17 January 1942) was a British architect and artist.^[1] He is known for his architectural work in Malvern on buildings such as the All Saints Church and his immortalization in Variation VII of the Enigma Variations, "Troyte," by his friend, Edward Elgar.^[2]

Troyte Griffith
Griffith, circa 1900
Born	Arthur Troyte Griffith (1864-06-19)June 19, 1864 Headington, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Died	January 17, 1942(1942-01-17) (aged 77) Malvern, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
Occupation	Architect
Website	https://www.troytegriffith.org/

Biography

Early life

Griffith was born in Headington, Oxfordshire, England, on June 19, 1864.^[1] He studied architecture at the Harrow School and Oriel College in Oxford and was awarded touring scholarships in architecture. After graduating, rather than applying for Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), he went to work at an architects' offices in London for some initial work experience, before moving to Malvern in 1896.^{[3][dead link]}

Career

In Malvern, Griffith was employed by the architectural firm Nevinson & Newton,^[4] where he designed local buildings in the Worcestershire area. During his career, he created structures such as the All Saints Church, in Malvern Wells, The Toposcope at the Worcestershire Beacon, and a number of houses.^[2]

Personal life

Griffith was a founding member of the Malvern Chess Club, in which he was elected secretary and treasurer in its inaugural meeting on February 28th, 1899. He would occasionally represent Worcestershire in chess tournaments until his death in 1942.^[3]

Griffith died on January 17th, 1942, aged 77. He was buried in Malvern Well Municipal Cemetery.^[5]

Enigma Variations

Further information: Enigma Variations

Griffith was a close friend of the English composer Edward Elgar and was immortalized in Variation VII of Elgar's Enigma Variation titled "Troyte". The variation is written in the unusual time signature of ¹
₁, mimicking his incompetent enthusiasm whilst Elgar attempted to teach him some piano. The following variation, VIII (Allegretto) "W.N", refers to the time Winifred and Florence Norbury sheltered Elgar and Griffith in their eighteenth century home (Sherridge, Leigh Sinton, near Malvern), during a thunderstorm.^[6][7]

Can I have one guess? Is it God Save the King?" – Troyte Griffith in 1924 questioning Elgar of the Enigma Variation's hidden theme.^[8]

Legacy

While Griffith is mostly known for his friendship with Edward Elgar and the variation in the Enigma Variations dedicated to him, in 2018, the Malvern Civil Society unveiled a blue plaque at Griffith's former home Fair View, Lower Wyche Road, in Malvern Wells in honor of him and his architectural work for the community.^[2]

In 2012, the microbiologist, Jeremy Hardie, wrote the book, Troyte Griffith: Malvern Architect and Elgar's Friend, which discusses Griffith's life.^[9]

Works

Buildings

Wyche Institute

• All Saints Church, Malvern Wells^[4]

• Toposcope at the Worcestershire Beacon^[1]
• Wyche Institute^[9]
• Mulberry House

Paintings

British Camp by Arthur Troyte Griffith

• White Sands Bay Saint Davids ^[10]
• Honfleur St. Catherines Church ^[11]
• British Camp^[12]
• Priory stained glass^[12]
• Port Gaverne Cornwall 1928^[13]
• Abbey Archway^[9]
• Malvern Priory^[14]
• The Valley of Teme^[14]

See Also

• Enigma Variations
• Edward Elgar