© All rights reserved. Building News 3 January 1890 

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Basic Biographical Details

Name: Alfred Waterhouse
Designation: Architect
Born: 19 July 1830
Died: 22 September 1905
Bio Notes: Alfred Waterhouse was born at Aigburth, Liverpool on 19 July 1830 the son of Alfred Waterhouse Senior, a Quaker cotton broker and his wife Mary Brown, also a Quaker from Tottenham where their family was educated at the Friends School, Grove House. Although they still considered themselves Quakers, the family was received into the Church of England in 1864.

Waterhouse was articled to the Quaker Richard Lane of Manchester from 1848 to 1853. In May of the latter year he embarked on an extensive study tour of France Northern Italy and Switzerland and opened his own office in Manchester on his return in 1854, mainly designing houses for Quaker family and friends. A further tour of Belgium, the Rhineland and Switzerland was made in 1857. In 1859 he achieved national fame when he won the Manchester Assize Court competition, and was admitted FRIBA in 1861. In 1865 he moved his practice to London, the catalyst being the commission for the New University Club. In 1868 he won the competition for Manchester Town Hall and in 1872 he was commissioned to build the National History Museum, the architect originally appointed Captain Francis Fowke having died.

From 1877 Waterhouse was the architect to the Prudential Assurance Company, building three large branch offices in Scotland. By marriage he was also connected with the Younger brewing family, the practice's principal private client in Scotland. Except for Rouken Glen House, 1872-75 and the initial Younger commission, Arnsbrae, in 1885-86, Waterhouse's executed Scottish work is in the northern European early Renaissance idiom gradually adopted from 1881 onwards rather than the Romanesque and Gothic with which he had made his name.

Waterhouse was elected ARA in 1878 and RA in 1888 and was President of the RIBA, 1888-1891. As in the case of Charles Barry Junior a decade earlier, his standing in the institute and his presidency resulted in him being assessor for several major Scottish competitions, Edinburgh Municipal Buildings, and Edinburgh Public Library, both 1887, Glasgow Art Gallery, 1891 and the Edinburgh North Bridge reconstruction, 1896.

In 1891 Waterhouse took his son Paul into partnership although the latter claimed to have been in independent practice since 1887. Paul was born in Manchester on 29 October 1861 and educated at Eton. He was articled to his father in 1880, but broke his apprenticeship to go to Balliol, Oxford, from which he graduated MA in Classics. He returned to his father's office, 1884-1887, remaining as an assistant. During that period he won the RIBA Silver Medal in 1886 and followed in his father's footsteps in France, Belgium and Italy. He passed the qualifying exam in 1888, and was admitted ARIBA on 11 March 1889, his proposers being his father, Arthur Blomfield and George Aitchison. Admission to fellow followed very quickly on 11 March 1895, his proposers being his father, Sir William Emerson, Benjamin Ingelow and Ernest George.

Alfred Waterhouse died at the country house he had built for himself in 1878, Yattendon, Berkshire, on 22 September 1905. Paul continued the practice and took his son Michael Theodore Waterhouse into partnership in 1919. Michael Theodore was born on 31 August 1888 and educated at Eton and Balliol like his father, and studied at both the Architectural Association and the Royal Academy Schools. He was admitted ARIBA in 1920.

Paul Waterhouse died at Yattendon on 19 December 1924 when his last work in Scotland, the Younger Hall in St Andrews was only at the design stage. Michael continued the practice, taking Cedric Gurney Ripley into partnership in 1925. He was President of the RIBA in 1948-50 and died on 22 May 1968.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect:
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Manchester, EnglandBusiness18531865 
Item 2 of 220, New Cavendish Street, London, EnglandBusiness1865  

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2Richard Lane18481853Pupil 
Item 2 of 2Alfred Waterhouse & Son189122 September 1905Partner 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 15Thomas Cooper  ApprenticeRemained as assistant
Item 2 of 15George Tunstal Redmayne18591863Apprentice 
Item 3 of 15George Shaw Aitken1860 Assistant ArchitectManchester
Item 4 of 15George Tunstal Redmayne18631867Assistant 
Item 5 of 15Edward Mitchel Gibbs18681868Assistant 
Item 6 of 15Thomas Lennox Watson18711874Assistant 
Item 7 of 15Willink & Thicknesse1873c. 1878ApprenticeW E Willink - pupil
Item 8 of 15George William Hamilton Gordon18741878Apprentice 
Item 9 of 15George William Hamilton Gordon18781882Assistant 
Item 10 of 15Paul Waterhouse1880c. 1881Apprentice 
Item 11 of 15Ravenscroft Elsey Smith18831884Improver 
Item 12 of 15Ravenscroft Elsey Smith18841885Assistant 
Item 13 of 15Paul Waterhouse18841887Apprentice 
Item 14 of 15Paul Waterhouse18871891Assistant 
Item 15 of 15John Begg18891891Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposals

This architect proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 17George Murray Alexander1 November 1886for Fellowship
Item 2 of 17John Begg8 June 1891for Associateship
Item 3 of 17Hippolyte Jean Blanc1 April 1901for Fellowship
Item 4 of 17(Sir) Reginald Theodore Blomfield1881for Associateship
Item 5 of 17John McKean Brydon23 May 1881for Fellowship
Item 6 of 17Thomas Cooper13 June 1892for Associateship
Item 7 of 17Thomas Cooper29 February 1904for Fellowship
Item 8 of 17George William Hamilton Gordon21 June 1886for Associateship
Item 9 of 17William Henman11 March 1895for Fellowship
Item 10 of 17Alexander Marshall Mackenzie30 November 1896for Fellowship
Item 11 of 17George Tunstal Redmayne1872For Associateship
Item 12 of 17George Tunstal Redmayne1877for Fellow
Item 13 of 17(Sir) John William Simpson3 December 1900for Fellowship
Item 14 of 17Leonard Aloysius Scott Stokes16 June 1890for Fellowship
Item 15 of 17Paul Waterhouse11 March 1889for Associateship
Item 16 of 17Paul Waterhouse11 March 1895for Fellowship
Item 17 of 17Thomas Lennox Watson9 June 1884for Fellowship

Buildings and Designs

This architect was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 281859Manchester Assize Courts  ManchesterEnglandWon competition (£250 premium) and secured job
Item 2 of 281866Manchester Town Hall  ManchesterEnglandWon competition and secured job
Item 3 of 281870Eaton Hall  CheshireEnglandRebuilding
Item 4 of 281872CoodhamKilmarnock AyrshireScotlandChapel, music room, conservatory. Lodge, cottages and design for garden; farm buildings
Item 5 of 281872Coodham, cottagesKilmarnock AyrshireScotland 
Item 6 of 281872Coodham, farm steadingKilmarnock AyrshireScotland 
Item 7 of 281872Coodham, lodgeKilmarnock AyrshireScotland 
Item 8 of 281872Thornliebank HouseThornliebank RenfrewshireScotlandCarriage porch and other additions, also stables, lodge and cottages
Item 9 of 281873Thornliebank SchoolsThornliebank RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 10 of 281877Thornliebank HouseThornliebank RenfrewshireScotlandAlterations
Item 11 of 281879Baron's CraigRockcliffe KirkcudbrightshireScotland 
Item 12 of 281880Haddo House, graveyard for the Earl of AberdeenHaddo AberdeenshireScotland 
Item 13 of 281884Arnsbrae, CambusAlloa ClackmannanshireScotland 
Item 14 of 281884Arnsbrae, lodge, CambusAlloa ClackmannanshireScotland 
Item 15 of 281884Arnsbrae, stables, CambusAlloa ClackmannanshireScotland 
Item 16 of 281884Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, first competition  LiverpoolEnglandShortlisted competition design
Item 17 of 281886Alloa Town Hall and library, MarshillAlloa ClackmannanshireScotland 
Item 18 of 281888Prudential Building  GlasgowScotland 
Item 19 of 281892Leighton Park SchoolReading BerkshireEnglandOriginal building
Item 20 of 281895Prudential Assurance Building  DundeeScotland 
Item 21 of 281895Prudential Assurance Company Buildings  EdinburghScotland 
Item 22 of 281896Arnsbrae, CambusAlloa ClackmannanshireScotlandAddition to house
Item 23 of 281898Arisaig  Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 24 of 281900Glasgow Royal Infirmary  GlasgowScotlandCompetition design - unplaced
Item 25 of 28c. 1902University of LeedsLeeds YorkshireEnglandExtensions
Item 26 of 28c. 1902University of Liverpool  LiverpoolEnglandExtensions
Item 27 of 28c. 1902University of ManchesterChorlton-on-Medlock ManchesterEnglandExtensions
Item 28 of 28Before 1904King's Weighhouse ChurchMayfair LondonEnglandChurch

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architect:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Cunningham, Colin and Waterhouse, Prudence Alfred Waterhouse 1830-1905: biography of a practice   
Item 2 of 2Maltby, Sally1893Alfred Waterhouse1830-1905   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architect:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 8Architect and Building News1905  Obituary
Item 2 of 8British Architect25 May 1905  Obituary of Alfred
Item 3 of 8Builder22 August 1905  Obituary of Alfred
Item 4 of 8Builder2 September 1905  Obituary of Alfred
Item 5 of 8Building News8 July 1887  Alfred
Item 6 of 8Building News3 January 1890  Alfred
Item 7 of 8RIBA Journal30 September 1905 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsObituary of Alfred
Item 8 of 8RIBA Journal11 November 1905 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsObituary of Alfred

Images

© All rights reserved. Building News 3 January 1890 

© All rights reserved. Building News 3 January 1890