Sharples of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara

It seems the Leper Asylum at Mahaica was designed and built in 1858 by the architect James Bradshaw Sharples (1799-1859). Sharples was born in the Lancaster , in England , in the United Kingdom . Mr. Sharples resided at Golden Grove, East coast, Demerara. He married an African slave. They reproduced numerous off springs. Subsequently, James Bradshaw Sharples (1799-1859) became the father of the legendary African Guyanese kinship of academic excellence; Sharples. Among them are the following;
JOHN BRADSHAW SHARPLES (1845-1913), Building Contractor.
DANIEL EDGAR SHARPLES (1852-1921) Head Master, for 46 years at St. Thomas School in Georgetown.
Dr. LORIS ROHAN SHARPLES (1889-?), Medical Practitioner.
JOHN BRADSHAW SHARPLES (b. 1891), Registrar of Deeds.
MARIE WAVENEY SHARPLES (b. 1899), Guider and Brown Owl.
RICHARD GUI PENNINGTON SHARPLES (1906-1956), Magistrate, and Artist.
O. E. L. SHARPLES, Magistrate.
Dr. E. M. SHARPLES, Medical Practitioner.
ELOISE SHARPLES, Librarian, Reading Rooms of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society.
ELWYTH MENDESHALL SHARPLES.

DANIEL EDGAR SHARPLES (1852-1921) Head Master
One of Guyana ’s most brilliant Teachers. Educated at Bishop’s College and graduated brilliantly. He first taught at St. Swithin’s School and then for 46 years was Head Teacher of St. Thomas Scots School (nicknamed the Tiger Bay Academy ) he was the most successful Primary School Teacher in Guyanese History carrying off the majority of Scholarships year after year. He owned property at Parade and Crown Streets and walked to the school, everyday in his bowler hat along Carmichael Street , swinging a cane to the salutations of passerby, some of whom would say “good Morning Boss”, he was a bachelor and a strong disciplinarian, known to discipline his teachers also, if necessary. His star pupils are said to have been Samuel Edgar Wills, S. J. Van Sertima, Edgar Mortimer Duke, and F. G. Rose.

JAMES BRADSHAW SHARPLES (1799-1859) Architect
Born in Lancaster . He was educated in the United Kingdom , and became an architect and builder. He came to British Guiana and lived at Golden Grove, East Coast, Demerara, where he was connected with the building of the Mahaica Hospital . He is reported to have died either during or at the end of the construction in 1859. While in British Guiana , he had several children by a slave (this is reported in a letter from one of his descendants) and was the founder of the Sharples family.
Source: Seymour, Arthur J. and Seymour, Elma (editors) 1985 A Dictionary of Guyanese Biography pages: 98-99

JOHN BRADSHAW SHARPLES (1845-1913) Building Contractor
In 1880, he started business at the British Guiana Steam Saw Mill and Kingston Steam Woodworking factory at lots 6, 7, and 10 Water Street. Allister MacMillan in his book the West Indies (1909) records that he built all the railway stations, bridges and store shelf for the British Guiana Railway Company between Georgetown and Rosignal in a three year contract for $85,000. He is also built 17 railway carriages for the company. He designed and built many houses in Georgetown , all recognizable by the iron stairs, the gable roofs, and carved doors. The house at 42 Anira and Oronoque Streets, we are informed by one of his descendants by letter, was designed to copy the Switzerland Chalet in which he spent his honeymoon. Son of James Bradshaw Sharples (1799-1859), he had a family of eleven strapping sons and was buried at sea at his own request.
Source:Seymour, Arthur J. and Seymour, Elma (editors) 1985 A Dictionary of Guyanese Biography pages: 98-99

Dr. LORIS ROHAN SHARPLES (1889) Medical Practitioner
Educated at Queen’s College and Edinburgh University , gaining degrees of M.B., Ch. , B. (Edin) and Certificates of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In 1914 he was first appointed Government Medical Officer, Public Hospital Georgetown. In 1918 he was appointed Justice of the Peace. He served as a Government Medical Officer, and resident Surgeon in man districts. On the Corentyne he was regarded as a father of the people. It was reported that he was willing to try out home medicines and he developed a quasi-psychologist approach to the understanding of his patients. The cricketer Kanhai was named Rohan after him. In latter years, he was involved to some degree in Politics.
Source:
Seymour, Arthur J. and Seymour, Elma (editors) 1985 A Dictionary of Guyanese Biography: pages 99-100

RICHARD GUI PENNINGTON SHARPLES (1906-1956) Magistrate, Artist
Educated at Ursuline Convent Kindergarten, St. Thomas School , Queen’s College and Gray’s Inn, London . He was articled to S. L. Van B. Stafford and became a Solicitor. He was appointed Magistrate. He was one of the best of Guyana ’s water-colour artists. Some of his paintings were in 1983 in his widow’s possessions in London and others illustrate Albert Raymond Forbes Webber (1889-1932)’s Centenary History of British Guiana, 1931. He was also involved in amateur theatricals with Dr. Fred Rose and his group.
Source: McWatt Clive W. (2006-05-07) Richard Gui Sharples - magistrate, artist and bon vivant: A centenary tribute http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=54958799Seymour, Arthur J. and Seymour, Elma (editors) 1985 A Dictionary of Guyanese BiographyRoth, Vincent and Delph, Claude Noel (editors) 1948 Who is Who in British Guiana Fourth Edition 1945-1948 Daily Chronicle Co. Ltd., Georgetown, British Guiana.

JOHN BRADSHAW SHARPLES (1845 – 1913)
A distinctive `style’ of domestic architecture emerged in British Guiana during the late 19th century through the creative skill of a slave woman’s son. John Bradshaw Sharples, fathered by British architect, James Bradshaw Sharples (1799-1859) was born in 1845 in the colony.

John followed in his father’s footsteps and became a builder/contractor. In 1880, he started his own business: British Guiana Sawmill and Kingston Steam Woodworking Factory, located in Water Street . His woodworking factory was extensively equipped with machinery allowing for the finest craftsmanship in his work. Venturing into building contracting, John Sharples carried out possibly the largest contract of that time, building all the railway stations, bridges, stores and other railway projects from Georgetown to Rosignol and from Vreed-en-hoop to Greenwich Park . Sharples also designed and built a number of houses in Georgetown , recognised by the iron stairs and balconies, steep gable roofs and carved doors. Two outstanding extant examples can be seen in Queenstown: one in Forshaw Street and the other in Anira and Oronoque Streets. Another fine example, still existing, is in Duke Street , Kingston .

SHARPLES - On the 8th instant at Friendship, East Coast, Demerara, MARIA AGATHA, wife of the late JOSEPH SCOTT SHARPLES. Aged 68 years. Funeral this morning. (Barbados papers please copy)
Source: The Daily Argosy, Georgetown, Demerara, August 6, 1922: Page 4.