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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

(Sir) Edward Guy Dawber
Architect
Exact Date
Exact Date
24/04/1938
Edward Guy Dawber was born at King's Lynn in 1861, the son of a merchant there. He was articled to William Adams in the same town about 1877 and then moved to Dublin as assistant to Sir Thomas Newenham Deane, but in 1882 the Land League riots brought all building work to a close and he had to return to England. The quality of his draughtsmanship secured him a place in the office of Ernest George and admission to the Royal Academy Schools, but in 1877 trouble with his eyesight resulted in him being sent as clerk of works to Batsford Park, then building for the diplomat and politician, Algernon Bertram Freeman Mitford, later (1902) Lord Redesdale. This enabled him to study the vernacular architecture of the Cotswolds, sometimes in the company of Herbert Baker who was then George & Peto's chief assistant. He passed the qualifying exam in 1889 and was admitted ARIBA on 3 June 1889 his proposers being George, Sir William Emerson and John Belcher. With the support of Freeman Mitford, Dawber commenced independent practice at Bourton-on-the-Hill in 1890, returning to London to rent an office at 22 Buckingham Street, Strand, where he became an active member of the Art Work's Guild.

Within a decade Dawber built up a large practice specialising in middle-sized stone-built country houses in a refined slightly understated idiom which varied in style from Tudor to late Stuart. He designed only two major urban buildings, the London and Lancashire Fire Office in Pall Mall, London (1906) and the low-profiled Foord Almshouses at Rochester (1926). His largest commission was the extensive Lord Wandsworth Agricultural College, Long Sutton, Hampshire (1915 onwards) where he replaced Reginald Blomfield.

With David 27th Earl of Crawford and 10th of Balcarres Dawber founded in 1925 the Council for the Preservation of Rural England of which he was vice-president and chairman; in his earlier years he had written extensively on vernacular buildings, particularly those of the Cotswolds and Kent and Sussex. He then had a fairly high profile as President of the RIBA, an office he held from 1925 until 1927, the year in which he was belatedly elected ARA. In 1928 he was awarded the Royal Gold Medal, the first architects with an exclusively domestic practice to be so honoured: elevation to full academician followed in 1935, and a knighthood in 1936.

Dawber died in London on 24 April 1938. He was survived by his wife Mary Eccles, sister of the architect Thomas Edward Eccles.

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From CharDate From TypeDate To CharDate To TypeNotes
Bourton-on-the-Hill Gloucestershire EnglandPrivate

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
22 Buckingham Street Strand London EnglandBusinessBefore 1894After 1914
18 Maddox Street Hanover Square London EnglandBusinessBefore 1923After 1926

Employment and Training

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this person (click on an item to view details):

Employers2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
Dawber & Whitwell206088Before 1900Partner
Ernest George & Peto100285In year 1886
William Adams207588c. 1877Apprentice
(Sir) Thomas Newenham Deane205488Before 1882Assistant

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this person (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
Oliver Frederick Savege203514After 1909In year 1914Head Draughtsman
Stanley Davenport Adshead100009In year 1892Before 1894Assistant
Thomas Millwood Wilson202590In year 1901In year 1910Assistant
Robert Carruthers-Ballantyne (or Robert Ballantyne Carruthers; or Roy Carruthers Ballantyne)100350In year 1912In year 1914Apprentice
Edwin Herbert Horsley Williams403477In year 1922In year 1930Assistant
Edwin Herbert Horsley Williams403477In year 1930In year 1938Chief Assistant

RIBA Proposals

This person proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

PersonDate ProposedNotes
Percy Richard Morley Horder1904/01/04For Fellowship
Neil Campbell Smith1905/03/06for Associateship
William Courtenay Le Maitre1905/12/04for Associateship
John Douglas Dixon Watt1909/11/29for Associateship
Thomas Geoffry Lucas (or Geoffry Lucas)1911/03/27for Fellowship
Courtenay Melville Crickmer1911/03/29for Licentiateship
Courtenay Melville Crickmer1912/12/02for Fellowship
Oliver Frederick Savege1920/03/01For Associateship
James Andrew Minty1926/06/14for Fellowship
Robert Carruthers-Ballantyne (or Robert Ballantyne Carruthers; or Roy Carruthers Ballantyne)1930/10/15for Licentiateship

Buildings and Designs

This person was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2 classic

Building NameDate StartedTown, District or VillageIslandCity or CountyCountryNotes
Edgerston HouseIn year 1915RoxburghshireScotlandLibrary refitted

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
British Architectural Library, RIBADirectory of British Architects 1834-19142001
Gotch, J AThe Growth and Work of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1834-19341934London: RIBAPortrait by Orpen
Grove Dictionary of ArtGrove Dictionary of Art
Gray, A StuartEdwardian Architecture: A Biographical Dictionary1985
Reilly, C HRepresentative British Architects of the Present Day1931London: Batsford Ltdpp80-87

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIBA Journal1928/06/23*Royal Gold Medal
RIBA Journal1938/05/09v45pp666-7 - obituary and list of works
Builder1938/04/29*
Architect1925/07/03*
Architect1925/07/22*