Jean Tijou

French ironworker

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July 14, 2026

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Jean Tijou was a French ironworker renowned for his exceptional skill in metalwork during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Forced to leave France due to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, he brought his Protestant craftsmanship to England in 1689. Under the patronage of William III, Tijou embellished Hampton Court Palace with extensive screens and gates. He also collaborated with architect Sir Christopher Wren on St. Paul's Cathedral, though his work there was more restrained than at Hampton Court. Tijou's French style, characterized by richness and intricate detail, contrasted with the more severe English aesthetic of the time. His work significantly influenced the revival of ironwork in England.1

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Saint Paul’s Cathedral
History
…assistants were the French ironworker Jean Tijou, who wrought the grillwork of the choir and the iron balustrade of the southwest tower; the sculptor and carver Grinling Gibbons, who produced the wooden choir stalls, the organ case, and the bishop’s throne; the mason-contractors (and brothers) Thomas Strong and Edward Strong;…
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…assistants were the French ironworker Jean Tijou, who wrought the grillwork of the choir and the iron balustrade of the southwest tower; the sculptor and carver Grinling Gibbons, who produced the wooden choir stalls, the organ case, and the bishop’s throne; the mason-contractors (and brothers) Thomas Strong and Edward Strong;…
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metalwork
England
…of ironwork in England was Jean Tijou, a Frenchman who, together with many of his Protestant fellow craftsmen, had been forced to leave his country owing to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. After some years in The Netherlands he went to England in 1689, where he…
Read More
…of ironwork in England was Jean Tijou, a Frenchman who, together with many of his Protestant fellow craftsmen, had been forced to leave his country owing to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. After some years in The Netherlands he went to England in 1689, where he…
Read More