Basic Biographical Details

Name: Thomas Pilkington
Designation:  
Born: c. 1799
Died:  
Bio Notes: Thomas Pilkington was born c.1799. His father Jonathan Pilkington, a Stamford parson (d.1844), came of building and carpenter stock. In 1830 he married Jane Butterworth, who belonged to an ardent Methodist family. Thomas set up architectural practice in Stamford and took up his freedom in 1832 but was burnt out of his first office in 1838 and moved to Barn Hill in Stamford by 1842; by 1849 he was in Bourne with his own brickworks. His elder son Frederick Thomas, the future architect, was born in 1832, probably in Stamford. He first trained with his father before being articled in London for one year, subsequently returning to his father's firm.

The family moved to Edinburgh in 1854, apparently because of a lawsuit. Thomas opened an office at 10 Dundas Street and set up house at 9 South-East Circus Place. The firm exhibited designs at the RSA in that year under the name of T Pilkington & Son but Frederick's younger brother, James, returned to Stamford c.1857 after two years at the University of Edinburgh. Frederick studied mathematics under Professor Kelland, passed his exams in 1858 and was Hamilton prizewinner in Logic, but did not bother to graduate. He signed the University Matriculation Register 1856/7 as of Stamford. In 1858 he married with a house at Mary Cottage, Trinity and in 1859 he built Inchglas, Broich Terrace, Crieff (as a weekend house?); he never lived there himself but his father was living there in 1860. About 1859-60 the practice was based at 6 North Charlotte Street which was his father's house and office, but in the latter year house and office were moved to 24 George Street. On 10 March 1861 Frederick's first wife died in childbirth, and he married Elizabeth Cropley from Ely five months later, first with a house at 27 St Bernard Crescent and then at 14 Cumin Place later in the same year.

In 1863 Thomas and his wife moved to Kelso, remaining there for 11 years; while there Thomas was responsible for supervising the building of St John's Edenside. In 1874 they gave up the Kelso practice, moving back to Edinburgh to 2 Abercorn Villas Joppa in 1874, and in 1878 to Bourne, Lincolnshire.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 9Barn Hill, Stamford, Lincolnshire, EnglandBusiness1842  
Item 2 of 910, Dundas Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1854  
Item 3 of 99, South-East Circus Place, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate18541860 
Item 4 of 9Inchglas, Broich Terrace, Crieff, Perthshire, ScotlandPrivate1860 *  
Item 5 of 96, North Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/business1860 *  
Item 6 of 924, George Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/business18601863 
Item 7 of 9Kelso, Roxburghshire, ScotlandPrivate/business18631874 
Item 8 of 92, Abercorn Villas, Joppa, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate18741878 
Item 9 of 9Bourne, Lincolnshire, EnglandPrivate1878  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2Henry Hall (senior)1843 Apprentice 
Item 2 of 2T Pilkington & Son18541863(?)Senior Partner 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 1Frederick Thomas Pilkington  Apprentice 

Buildings and Designs

This 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 261832RectoryMarket Deeping LincolnshireEnglandAddition of south front
Item 2 of 261832RectoryTinwell NorthamptonshireEngland 
Item 3 of 261832RectoryBarrowden NorthamptonshireEngland 
Item 4 of 261832St Michael'sStamford LincolnshireEnglandPlans prepared for restoration of old church which collapsed while work was in progress.
Item 5 of 261833Town HallMarket Deeping LincolnshireEngland 
Item 6 of 261834St Michael'sStamford LincolnshireEnglandPlans for new church
Item 7 of 261847RectoryBillingborough LincolnshireEngland 
Item 8 of 261854Cemetery ChapelsSpalding LincolnshireEnglandWon competition to secure job
Item 9 of 261854Church design     
Item 10 of 261854Houses for the working classes     
Item 11 of 261854Mansion for Charles HannahSpalding LincolnshireEngland 
Item 12 of 261856Crieff SchoolCrieff PerthshireScotlandWest end of front block
Item 13 of 261858Four houses, Broomhill RoadBurntisland FifeScotland 
Item 14 of 261859InchglasCrieff PerthshireScotland 
Item 15 of 261859Kirkhill SchoolPenicuik MidlothianScotland 
Item 16 of 261860ParkendPenicuik MidlothianScotland 
Item 17 of 26c. 1860Valleyfield Mill School and schoolhousePenicuik MidlothianScotlandAlterations including fireplace
Item 18 of 261861Monumental shrine for BeithBeith AyrshireScotland 
Item 19 of 261861Scottish National Institution for the Training of Imbecile ChildrenLarbert StirlingshireScotlandOriginal building (Skye Building and principal block) - completed by F T Pilkington alone
Item 20 of 261861Trinity ChurchIrvine AyrshireScotland 
Item 21 of 261862Barclay ChurchBruntsfield EdinburghScotlandWon commission and secured job.
Item 22 of 261862Free ChurchPenicuik MidlothianScotland 
Item 23 of 261862Free Church, Canongate  EdinburghScotland 
Item 24 of 261862WoodsleePenicuik MidlothianScotland 
Item 25 of 261863 or 1864Free ChurchKelso RoxburghshireScotlandAs Clerk of Works
Item 26 of 261865Morebattle UP ChurchMorebattle RoxburghshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Colvin, H M1954A biographical dictionary of English architects 1660-18401st edition  
Item 2 of 3Dixon, Hugh1969The Architecture of Frederick Thomas Pilkington in Scotland Unpublished thesis for the Diploma in the History of Art, Edinburgh University, May 1969 
Item 3 of 3Post Office Directories