Francis Bird

Francis Bird
Francis Bird, miniature, oil on copper
Born1667
London
Died1731
London
NationalityEnglish
EducationFlanders under Cozins, Rome under Le Gros, England under Gibbons and Cibber
Known forSculpture
Notable workThe Conversion of St Paul, Queen Anne, St Paul's Cathedral, London
SpouseHester Bird

Francis Bird (1667–1731) was one of the leading English sculptors of his time. He is mainly remembered for sculptures in Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral. He carved a tomb for the dramatist William Congreve in Westminster Abbey and sculptures of the apostles and evangelists on the exterior of St Paul's, a memorial to William Hewer in the interior of St Paul's Church, Clapham as well as the statue of Henry VI in School Yard, Eton College. Despite his success, later in life Bird did little sculpting. He had inherited money from his father-in-law and set up a marble import business.