Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Tunstal Redmayne | Designation: | | Born: | 27 December 1840 | Died: | 21 August 1912 | Bio Notes: | George Tunstall Redmayne was born on 27 December 1840 at Highgate, London, the youngest of four sons of Giles Redmayne (1892-1857) and Margareta Robey. Like one of his brothers, G T Redmayne was sent to Tonbridge School but remained there for only two years 1852-1854 before going on to several private tutors. Giles Redmayne had moved to London where he established a highly successful linen drapers and silk mercers business, sufficient to allow a house in Portman Square and the purchase in 1833 of the Brathay Hall estate at the head of Lake Windermere in the English Lake District. At Brathay, the young Alfred Waterhouse RA, then of Manchester, was commissioned as architect in the mid-1850's, for works including a new lodge. In 1859 George Tunstall Redmayne became his pupil, passing the voluntary examination of the Institute in 1863, and remained with Waterhouse as his assistant. When Waterhouse opened his London office, the Manchester office continued in operation, run by Redmayne.
In 1867 or 1868 G T Redmayne commenced independent practice in Manchester. According to Paul Waterhouse, Redmayne always practised in Manchester (residing latterly at Alderley Edge), except that after transferring his residence to Great Stoatley, Haslemere in 1894 he continued to conduct a voluntarily restricted practice from his new home. He became an Associate of the RIBA in 1872, proposed by Alfred Waterhouse, Thomas Worthington, and T H. Wyatt and FRIBA in 1877, proposed by A Waterhouse, T Worthington and E Salomons. He was President of Manchester Society of Architects in 1886 and put on the list of Retired Fellows in 1901 or 1902.
Among his most significant commissions were: the Scottish Widows Office, Albert Square; the School of Art, All Saints; and the Racquet Courts, Blackfriars, all in Manchester. Probably his two best country houses were Whitten in Herefordshire for Richard Green and Feldemore in Surrey which he built for his brother-in-law, the accountant Edwin Waterhouse of Price Waterhouse. His best church, St Chrysostom's, Victoria Park, Manchester, was unfortunately destroyed by fire although subsequently rebuilt almost exactly to the original design. He was also responsible for the Phillipson Memorial Orphanage at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Following his removal to Surrey, he became involved in the scheme for a mortuary chapel in an eclectic mix of Celtic and Byzantine design conceived by Mary Watts, wife of the artist G F Watts. Intended to serve the new cemetery for the village of Crompton it was built by the villagers in 1895 to 1898.
In 1870 George Tunstal Redmayne married Katherine Waterhouse (1836-1898) the sister of Alfred Waterhouse. There were two sons, Martin, born 1871, and Leonard, born 1877. The Redmaynes maintained their architectural connections when thirteen years later, George’s nephew, Dr Hugh Redmayne, married Katherine Mary Blomfield, the niece of (Sir) Arthur Blomfield at Brathay Church
G T Redmayne died at Great Stoakley on the morning of 21 August 1912, following several months of illness, and was buried at Haslemere Parish Church, Surrey, leaving moveable estate of £30,210.
Note: In contemporary documentation including RIBA and London Gazette, Redmayne’s name is given as “Tunstal” with a single “l” . Only more recently has the erroneous spelling “Tunstall” appeared. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Royal Insurance Buildings, 67, King Street, Manchester, England | Business | Before 1869 | After 1883 | Note Alfred Waterhouse office was in the same building | | Park Villas, High Street (now Hathersage Road), Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, England | Private | 1870 | 1878 | | | Brookside, Ryley Lane, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, England | Private | 1878 | 1894 | | | 88, King Street, Manchester, England | Business | 1886 | 1894 | | | Great Stoatley, Haslemere, Surrey, England | Private/business | 1894 | 1912 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Alfred Waterhouse | 1859 | 1863 | Apprentice | | | Alfred Waterhouse | 1863 | 1867 | Assistant | |
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Thomas Cooper | 13 June 1892 | for Associateship | | Richard Knill Freeman | 1882 | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 11 October 1912 | | | p422 - abridged obituary taken from RIBA Journal | | Building News | 25 October 1912 | | | p529 - obituary | | RIBA Journal | 1912 | v19 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p723 - obituary by Paul Waterhouse |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | | Manchester Architects 1800-1940 | | |
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