Samuel WYATT
b.1737-d.1807. Samuel was one of several notable architects of the same family, his brother was James, and his father, Benjamin, built the original house and manufactory at Soho for Matthew Boulton between 1765 and 1766. Samuel worked predominantly in the neoclassical style producing some very fine buildings of the eighteenth century all over England. In Birmingham he had developed a friendship with Matthew Boulton who promoted his work and suggested that he produce the facade for the Theatre on New Street, and later employed Wyatt, as well as others, to work on Soho House. Samuel Wyatt also built the home of Boulton's business partner, James Watt.
Examples of Samuel Wyatt's Birmingham work
Date unknown: Remodelled Matthew Boulton's Warehouse, Livery Street (demolished)
1780: Facade of the Theatre, New Street (demolished 1901)
1787-90: Heathfield House (James Watt's house), Handsworth (demolished 1928)
1791: East window surround in St. Paul's, St. Paul's Square
1798: Possibly the redesigning of Soho House, other contenders are James Wyatt and William Hollins, but Samuel definitely worked on the house.
John RAWSTORNE (post)
b.1761-d.1832. Rawstorne was a pupil of James Wyatt, an important eighteenth century architect, and worked with other members of the Wyatt family, including Samuel, designer of the notable frontage of the New Street Theatre in Birmingham. The Wyatt family also worked on Soho House and Rawstorne produced plans for the alterations of Soho in 1788, though they were never implemented.* He began his work as an architect in Birmingham, living in Summer Hill and Ashted, moving to Doncaster in 1795 and then to York.
Examples of John Rawstorne's Birmingham work
1790-3: Crescent, Cambridge Street (never completed)
1792-4: Alterations to Blue Coat School, St. Philip's Church Yard (demolished)
1792-3: Cavalry Barracks, Great Brook Street (demolished)
William HOLLINS*, Architect & Stone Mason (post)
b.1763 (Shiffnal)-d.1843 (B'ham). It has been suggested that William Hollins was Birmingham’s first architect, he was of the generation of ‘builder-architects’ of the time,** and previous names had come from outside the town, but William lived and worked in Birmingham for most of his life. He was self taught, and came under some criticism for some of his buildings due to his lack of formal training. He came from an artistic family, his brother Thomas was a glass painter, engraver and artist, his nephew John moved to London becoming a well known artist, and his son Peter was a sculptor and architect. William himself produced much sculptural work, a number of the memorials in St. Philip's are by him, as well as a sculpture for the Dispensary which is on display in the Birmingham History Galleries.
Examples of William Hollins's Birmingham work
1780: Assisted Samuel Wyatt with facade of the Theatre, New Street (demolished)
1796-1797: Assisted the Wyatt's with revisions to Soho House.
1798-1799: Library, Union Street (demolished)
1805-1813: Christ Church (excluding spire and portico), New & Ann Street (generally believed, demolished)
1805-1807: Public Offices and prison, Moor Street (demolished)
1806-1808: General Dispensary, Union Street (demolished, though an ornament by Hollins depicting Hygeia (goddess of health) that was above the door still survives)
1807: Sculpture surrounding the pump in the Bull Ring (demolished)
1808-1809: St. Austin’s church.
1813: Union Mill, Grosvenor Street West (attributed as a possibility by Andy Foster)
1813: Polychrome trophy of ancient and modern arms over the door to the Gun Barrel Proof House, Banbury Street (proof house designed by John Horton of Deritend**)
1820: Restoration of St. Mary’s church, Handsworth (in the Gothic style, with his son Peter)
1831: Almshouses, Warner Street, Bordesley (demolished, decorated panels survive, which may be his son Peter’s work)
Date unkown: Aetheneum, Temple Row (demolished)
Charles NORTON*, Builder & Architect
The work of builders is much harder to trace than that of architects, but in Provincial towns many properties were designed and erected by builders. Norton probably did much design work, including plans for a Crescent before Rawstorne was employed. He held quite a bit of land in Birmingham, and probably had more input into the building of the town than is easily perceivable. He lived in one of the completed buildings of his Crescent complex. More details on Norton gratefully received.
Examples of Charles Norton's Birmingham work
1790-94: Crescent, Cambridge Street, John Rawstorne architect (never completed, parts that were are demolished)
1792-95: The Theatre (exc. facade, rebuild after fire), New Street (demolished)
1805: Base of Christ Church, William Hollins architect (demolished)
John HORTON*, Builder, Architect & Stone Mason
The work of builders is much harder to trace than that of architects, but in Provincial towns many properties were designed and erected by builders. There were a number of Horton builders, including two John's, that could be a father and son. The John Horton working in and around 1813 lived in Bradford Street, Deritend. More details on Horton gratefully received. Bankrupt 22 April 1855
Examples of John Horton's Birmingham work
1813: Possibly 90 Moseley Road (attributed Andy Foster)
1813-14: Gun Barrel Proof House, Banbury Street
George JONES*, Builder & Architect (post)
The work of builders is much harder to trace than that of architects, but in Provincial towns many properties were designed and erected by builders. Father of a number of builders including Edward Jones. More details on Jones gratefully received.
Examples of George Jones's Birmingham work
1814-15: 60 Calthorpe Road (for self)
Thomas Stedman WHITWELL (post)
c.1764 (Coventry)-d.1840. Whitwell spent much of the early part of his career in London, but worked in Coventry and Birmingham from about 1813 to 1825. From 1825 to 1826 he visited America and was involved in Robert Owen's envisioning of the Utopian town, New Harmony, in Indiana. His most notable building in Birmingham was the Pantechnetheca, now demolished.
Examples of Thomas Stedman Whitwell's Birmingham work
1819-1820: Meeting House, Carrs Lane (demolished)
1820-1821: New Library, Temple Row (demolished)
1823: Pantechnetheca, New Street (demolished)
Thomas RICKMAN* (post)
b.1776-d.1841 (B'ham). Thomas Rickman was self taught in his profession, but was one of the most influential writers and architects contributing to the Gothic Revival in England, and was celebrated for his knowledge of Gothic architecture. He should probably be remembered better in Birmingham where he completed some excellent work, but so few of his buildings survive. In the early part of his career he worked with the young and talented Henry Hutchinson until Hutchinson's death in 1831.
Examples of Thomas Rickman's Birmingham work.
Rickman and Hutchinson years
1819-1822: St. George's on Tower Street (enlarged in 1882, demolished 1960)
1822: St. Barnabas' Church on High Street, Erdington (enlarged in 1883 by J. A. Chatwin and re-roofed in 1893)
1823: Alterations to Thornhill House (drawing room) for Anne Boulton, Handsworth
1823-1824: Rebuilt St. Mary's Church on St. Mary's Row, Moseley (rebuilt 1884-1910 by J. A. Catwin)
1825: Infant School at 48 Ann Street (demolished)
1825-1827: St. Peter's on Dale End, repaired after fire (rebuilt 1835 by Charles Edge) (demolished)
1826: New offices for Rickman and Hutchinson practice at 45 Ann Street (demolished)
1826: The Watt Chapel in St. Mary's Church on Hamstead Road, Handsworth (original design by R. H. Bridgens)
1826-1829: St. Thomas' Church on Bath Row, Holloway Head (bomb damaged-1940)
1827-1829: St. Mary's Church, Harbourne (enlarged later by Rickman, then altered extensively by Yeoville Thomason)
1828: Additions to the News Rooms on (Temple Row) (demolished)
1828: Society of Arts Building on New Street (demolished)
1829: The Master's House at the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, Edgbaston (demolished)
1830: Bank for the Birmingham Banking Company on the corner of Bennetts Hill and Waterloo Street (altered in c. 1870 by Yeoville Thomason)
1830: Two houses on Islington Row, Edgbaston, one occupied by Rickman (demolished)
1831: Bordesley School on Camp Hill, Bordesley (demolished)
Years with Edwin Rickman
1832: Lodge entrance to Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston
1833: All Saints Church on All Saints Street (chancel added in 1881)
Alone
1834: Rebuild of St. Margaret's Church, Ward End
Years with R. C. Hussey
1838: Bishops Ryder Church on Great Lister Street
Charles EDGE* (post)
b.1800 (B'ham)-d.1867 (B'ham). Charles Edge was a talented Birmingham born and based architect who had been trained by the self taught Thomas Rickman. Most of Edge's early work was classically inspired, being typical, yet elegant, examples of the Regency era. Edge's Italian Gothic building for Powell's, the gun manufacturers, is an excellent example of the skilled development of his work into the Victorian era.
Examples of Charles Edge's Birmingham work.
1827: 1-6 Bennetts Hill (facaded)
c. 1828: 102 Colmore Row (attributed by D. Hickman)
1828-1835: The Market Hall, High Street (bombed 1841, demolished 1960s)
1829-1838: Enlarged the Public Office, Moor Street (demolished)
1830: Probably added extension to Portugal House for its conversion into the New Royal Hotel, New Street (demolished)
1832: Office for New Hall Coal Co., Bennetts Hill (demolished)
1833: Bank of Birmingham, Bennetts Hill (demolished)
1834-1862: Key Hill Cemetery and Chapel, Key Hill (chapel demolished)
1835: Rebuilt St. Peter's Church, Dale End (demolished)
1835-1851: Completed and extended the Town Hall, Paradise Street
1837: 15 Chad Road, Edgbaston
1838: Albert Street (road) (not completed)
1838: Holy Trinity Church, Smethwick (mainly demolished)
1838: Regent Works, Regent Street (attributed by A. Foster)
1838: Enlarged St. George's Church, Westbourne Road, Edgbaston (enlarged further in 1856)
1839: Victoria Works, Graham Street (attributed by A. Foster)
1841: Alterations to the New Royal Hotel to accommodate the main Post Office, New Street (demolished)
1843: Joseph Gillot premises, New Street & Bennetts Hill (bombed then demolished)
1846: Norwich Union fire engine house, 17 Temple Street
1850: Protico to Apsley House, 39 Wellington Road, Edgbaston (probably also the main house)
1852: Lily House at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Westbourne Road, Edgbaston
1853: Infant School and the mistress' house for the parish school, Ampton Road, Edgbaston
1860: Proof Hole at the Proof House, Banbury Street
1860-1861: Shop and works for Mr. Powell, gunmaker, 35-37 Carrs Lane
(Henry Richard) Yeoville THOMASON (post)
b.1826 (Edingurgh)-d.1901 (). Yeoville Thomason was born in Edinburgh to an established Birmingham family. His grandfather was Sir Edward Thomason who was a manufacturer running one of Birmingham's largest factories for decorative wares. Thomason was a pupil of Charles Edge and set himself up in Birmingham in about 1853 at 64 New Street and then on Bennetts Hill near Edge.*/*
b.1826 (Edingurgh)-d.1901 (). Yeoville Thomason was born in Edinburgh to an established Birmingham family. His grandfather was Sir Edward Thomason who was a manufacturer running one of Birmingham's largest factories for decorative wares. Thomason was a pupil of Charles Edge and set himself up in Birmingham in about 1853 at 64 New Street and then on Bennetts Hill near Edge.*/*
Examples of Yeoville Thomason's Birmingham work.
1852: Singers Hill Synagogue (grade II listed)
1852: Singers Hill Synagogue (grade II listed)
1860: Temperance Hall, 8 Temple Street (demolished - image)
1860: Acocks Green Chapel, Warwick Green in Acocks Green (closed in 1956)
1868: St Asaph's Church (demolished 1961)
1868: Entrance to Birmingham Banking Company on Bennetts Hill (grade II listed)
1868-1870: 38 Bennetts Hill (grade II listed)
1869: Aston Union Workhouse (later Highcroft Hospital, Highcroft Road in Erdington (grade II listed)
1870: Union Club, 85–89 Colmore Row (grade II listed - image)
1874–85: The Council House and original Art Gallery (grade II listed - image)
c. 1880: Great Hampton Works, 80–82 Great Hampton Street in Hockley (grade II listed)
1886: Lewis's department store, Corporation Street (demolished 1929 and replaced - image)
** Andy Foster, Birmingham (2005)
** Andy Foster, Birmingham (2005)