Basic Biographical Details | Name: | Benjamin Ferdinand Simpson | | Designation: | | | Born: | c. 1859(?) | | Died: | March 1940 | | Bio Notes: | Benjamin Ferdinand Simpson served his articles with John Edward Watson of Newcastle upon Tyne from 1874 to 1879 and subsequently worked as assistant to Karslake & Mortimer for a year, to Edward Dru Drury and Alfred Lovejoy for five years, and to Arthur B Gibson for a year. He commenced independent practice in Newcastle in 1886, and in that year entered into a partnership with Edward Shewbrooks which lasted until 1888. He later worked in partnership with his nephew Sydney H Lawson from 1899 and from 1904 with Thomas Vincent Rayne who had been his managing assistant and who left in 1909. Simpson was admitted FRIBA in 1894. Fron 1910 he moved to Hurorth near Sarlington and eventually he retired to Eastbourne. There are no known references to him beyond 1920, other than him living in Little Friston, near Eastbourne, Sussex in 1939 and dying in this area in March 1940.
Sidney Lawson took over the firm which continued to do much work for the local breweries. The firm continued into the 1970s as Simpson Lawson & Partners. | Private and Business Addresses| The following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | Emerson Chambers, Newcastle upon Tyne, England | Business | 1902 | | Built by the firm as offices for themselves |
Employment and TrainingEmployers| The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Karslake & Mortimer | 1879 | 1880 | Assistant | |
Employees or Pupils| The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Allan Graham | 1894 | 1898 | Principal Assistant | | | Clare Arnold Clayton Greene | 1894 | 1898 | Apprentice | |
ReferencesBibliographic References| The following books contain references to this : | | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | | | Gettings, L | 1977 | Benjamin Simpson FRIBA | | Northern Architect, no 12, April 1977, pp28-31 and no 13, May 1977, pp33-38 | |
Periodical References| The following periodicals contain references to this : | | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 2 October 1936 | | | p649 Obituary of T V Rayne |
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