William Vertue
Along with his brother Robert, he was involved in the construction of Bath Abbey. The Vertue brothers are reported as telling Bishop Oliver King, the patron of the work, of the vaulting that "Ther shal be no one so goodeley, neither in England nor in France". Vertue designed the vaulting and the clerestory windows and walls of the Henry VII's chapel at Westminster, between 1506 and 1509; as Robert Vertue died in 1506, William is thought to be entirely responsible.
Also recorded as William Vartu · William Vertu · William Vertewe
William Vertue

Balon Greyjoy · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- William Vertue
- Died
- 1527
- Born
- 1401
- Nationality
- Kingdom of England
- Occupation
- architect
- Known for
- Bath Abbey
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q8019716 · wikipedia · William Vertue
In this article
Biography
Biography
William may have advised John Wastell on the design for the fan vaulted ceiling at King's College Chapel, Cambridge, though the design of that vault is thought to be entirely Wastell's. He was also involved in work at the Tower of London in 1501-02.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — William Vertue • Died — 1527 • Significant Buildings — Bath Abbey, St George's Chapel, Windsor, Henry VII Chapel • Illustration — Bath Abbey
Gallery of architectural work
Gallery of architectural work
• Illustration — Bath Abbey, west front • Illustration — Fan Vault, Bath Abbey, the vault by Vertue is in the distance, in the chancel, the nearer vault is a Victorian copy by Sir George Gilbert Scott • Illustration — St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, vaulting, the vault by Vertue is the fan vault over the crossing • Illustration — St George's Chapel, Windsor, exterior • Illustration — Henry VII's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, main vault • Illustration — Henry VII's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, aisle vault • Illustration — Henry VII's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, exterior from the south-east • Illustration — Henry VII's chapel, Westminster Abbey, interior looking west
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1401
William Vertue was born in 1401.
1527
William Vertue died on 15 March 1527.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “William Vertue”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q8019716: William Vertue
General reference · Wikidata
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article William Vertue, revision 1352063759 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Hylson-Smith, Kenneth. Bath Abbey, A History. Friends of Bath Abbey. 113. 2003.
- 2.Correspondence of Bishop Oliver King and Sir Reginald Bray, published in the Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society 60 pt 2 1914 4
- 3.Mortimer, Richard. Westminster Abbey: The Lady Chapel of Henry VII. Boydell. 201. 2003.
- 4.Woodman, Francis. The Architectural History of King's College Chapel. Routledge & Kegan Paul. 203-204. 1986.
- 5.Bradley, Simon. Berkshire. Yale University Press. 656. 2010.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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