Résumé

Irish-born architect Bryan J. Clinch worked in San Francisco for about 40 years, designing a variety of structures. He developed close relations to the San Francisco Catholic Archdiocese and designed many churches in Northern CA. A biographical card on Clinch filled out by the California State Library in 1908 said of his career: “He was by profession an architect and built the Cathedral at Sacramento, St. Joseph Church, San Jose, St. Mary’s and St. Anthony’s Churches in Oakland, CA, St. Peter’s in San Francisco, and about thirty other churches in various parts of California and many other buildings.” (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Sacramento County, California, Pioneer Index File (1906-1934), A-Z; California History Room: MICROFILM 734; Roll Number: 42, accessed 06/24/2024.)

Principal, Bryan J. Clinch, Architect, San Francisco, CA, c. 1867-1875. Clinch had an office at 403 Stevenson Street in 1867 and maintained office space at 432 Montgomery Street in 1875. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, Business Directory, Business Directory, 1867, p. 532 and San Francisco, California, City Directory, Business Directory, 1875, p. 774.)

Partner, [Victor] Hoffman and Clinch, Architects, San Francisco, CA, 1877. In 1877, the pair operated their architectural office at 126 Kearny Street, the same building as that use by the French-born architect and civil engineer, Prosper L.E. Huerne (1820-1892). (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1877, p. 465.) In 1880, Clinch and Hoffman, possibly not together, both had architectural offices at 637 Kearny Street. (See Langley's San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1880, p. 212.)

Principal, Bryan J. Clinch, Architect, San Francisco, CA, 1880-1906. Between 1896 and 1901, at least, Clinch continued to lease office space at 126 Kearny Street, in Room #56. (See Crocker-Langley Directory Company's San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1896, p. 1700 and Crocker-Langley Directory San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1901, p. 444.)

Professional Activities

His 1908 California Library biographical card indicated that the architect had written a two-volume book called California and Its Missions, and also had written articles for the The Month (London, a Catholic periodical published between 1882 and 2001), The Catholic World, The American Catholic Quarterly and The San Francisco Monitor. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Sacramento County, California, Pioneer Index File (1906-1934), A-Z; California History Room: MICROFILM 734; Roll Number: 42, accessed 06/24/2024.)

College

A California State Library card for Bryan Clinch indicated that he had been educated at Belvedere College and Catholic University in Ireland. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Sacramento County, California, Pioneer Index File (1906-1934), A-Z; California History Room: MICROFILM 734; Roll Number: 42, accessed 06/24/2024.)

Relocation

A record for a "Brian James Clinch" indicated that he had been baptized in Maryborough, County Laois, Ireland, on 08/20/1843. Other records, however, stated that Clinch was born in Maryborough on 08/15/1842. Because Irish babies were generally baptized very shortly after birth (due to a high infant mortality rate), it seems more likely that Clinch had been born in 08/1843. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Sacramento County, California, Pioneer Index File (1906-1934), A-Z; California History Room: MICROFILM 734; Roll Number: 42, accessed 06/24/2024.)

At age 23, he arrived in New York, NY, aboard the two-masted Cunard liner SS Tripoli on 09/28/1866 from Ireland. The ship set sail from Liverpool, England and operated between 1863 and 1872. It may be that Clinch chose to come to the US once the Civil War had been concluded.

He resided at 227 Chestnut Street in San Francisco, CA, as per 1878 voter records. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 44; FHL Roll Number: 977100, accessed 06/24/2024.)

In 1880, San Francisco voter's records indicated that Clinch, at age 35, lived at 305 Lombard Street, and that he had been naturalized a US citizen in the 4th District Court of San Francisco on 10/04/1872. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 45; FHL Roll Number: 977194, accessed 06/24/2024.)

The architect made his residence at 1716 Stockton Street in 1901. (See Crocker-Langley Directory San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1901, p. 444.)

According to his will, Clinch died in Oakland, Alameda County, on 05/17/1906. He was likely a refugee from San Francisco living in the East Bay following the Great Earthquake and Fire of 04/18-19/1906. He left all of his property and wealth, in excess of $10,000, to his nephew, Michael Campion.

Parents

Baptismal records indicated that his parents were Hugh Clinch and Ann Campion. (The heir to estate in 1906 was Michael Campion.) The 1908 biographical notecard in the California State Library, however, recorded his parents to have been James O'Brennan Clinch and Anne McKey. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Digital images provided by E-Celtic Ltd; Dublin, Ireland; Irish Catholic Registers Source Information Ancestry.com. Ireland, Select Catholic Birth and Baptism Registers, 1763-1917 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Celtic Catholic Registers. Digitized images. Dublin, Ireland: E-Celtic, Limited, accessed 06/24/2024 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Sacramento County, California, Pioneer Index File (1906-1934), A-Z; California History Room: MICROFILM 734; Roll Number: 42, accessed 06/24/2024.)

Spouse

Bryan Clinch never married.

Biographical Notes

According to U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015, Clinch purchased property on 08/01/1892 and 12/09/1902 in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Clinch may have sailed aboard the SS Friesland between Philadelphia, PA, and Liverpool, England, beginning on 06/20/1903. (See Ancestry.com Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; London, England, UK; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Inwards Passenger Lists; Class: Bt26; Piece: 209; Item: 25, accessed 06/24/2024.) This four-masted steamship was operated by the Red Star Line, although during this 1903 voyage, it was chartered by the American Line.