Architects

Name:

Richard Knill Freeman

Designation :

Architect

Date of Birth:

Year Only

Exact DOB:

11/01/1925

Year of Birth :

1840

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DOB (2nd 'Or' Year):

Date of Death:

Exact Date

Exact DOD:

23/06/1904

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Bio Notes :

Richard Knill Freeman was born in London, the son of Richard (?) and Harriet Freeman. By 1851, following the early death of his father, the family had returned to his mother’s home town of Portsea, Hampshire. Here Harriet Freeman established Elm Grove House, a preparatory school for boys and here too Richard Knill Freeman was later articled to the local architect, George Rake, between 1854 and 1860. On completion of his articles, he appears to have moved firstly to the Manchester/Bolton area. Contemporary records show that in December 1860 Freeman was actively involved in the formation of the Manchester Architectural Association, becoming its first Honorary Secretary, while in 1861 he was managing assistant to W W Whittaker of Bolton before working in architect’s offices in Portsmouth, Manchester and Bolton in 1862 and 1863 (RIBA Directory).

A number of his obituaries indicate that he began his architectural career in Derby in the early 1860's (1863-1864?) before returning to Bolton about 1865, working initially in partnership with George Cunliffe but after October 1871 mostly alone. In the five years following the dissolution of the partnership, Freeman struggled to obtain major commissions. (Claims that he was responsible for the design of the Indian Pavilion on Blackpool’s North pier in 1874 are incorrect as to date of construction and suspect as to Freeman’s possible involvement). It was only after his appointment as architect for the Museum and Public Library at Derby in 1876 that new commissions of any significance increased and the success of the practice became assured. The library was opened in 1879 and in the intervening three years Freeman operated a branch office in Derby. His later success was aided in part by his appointment as Surveyor to the Diocese of Manchester under the Ecclesiastical Dilapidations Act 1871, and a growing reputation as an authority on church architecture.

Many of his major commissions were won in open competition, a correspondent in the Manchester Guardian noting “Mr Freeman went in freely for architectural competitions in which he was more successful than the majority of those who regard this form of speculation as a profitable investment of time and money.” In addition to the Free Library at Derby, successful entries included Bolton Infirmary (1878), West Hartlepool Municipal Offices (1886), Bolton Central Higher Grade School (1894) and the pavilion at the landward end of Central Pier, Blackpool (1897). Less successful were his entries for Southport Art Gallery (1877), the National Museum of Science and Art, Dublin (1882), and the unplaced entry for Exchange Station, Tithebarn Street, Liverpool (1881).

R K Freeman was elected a Fellow of the RIBA on 9 January 1882, nominated by Lawrence Booth, Alfred Darbyshire and George T Redmayne. He was also a Fellow of the Manchester Society of Architects and its president in 1890-91.

While Freeman generally worked alone, he entered a loose association or partnership from 1886-1897 with S Denison Robins who practised in Sunderland and Newcastle which seems to have been mainly for the purpose of entering competitions in the north east. About 1900 he took his son Frank Richard Freeman into partnership, the firm practising under the style R Knill Freeman and Son, architects, Bolton and it was Frank Freeman who continued the practice from 21 Wood Street, Bolton, following his father’s death.

Richard Knill Freeman died on 23 June 1904, aged 64, the local paper recording that he “had been in failing health for some time back and his demise was not altogether unexpected.” He was interred in the churchyard of St Stephen’s Lever Bridge, Bolton, one of Edmund Sharpe’s famous “pot churches,” following a private ceremony, the chief mourners being his widow, Frank Freeman, and Miss (Constance E) Freeman. However, baptismal records exist for three other sons and one other daughter, some of whom are assumed to have died in infancy or early childhood.

Bio Notes continued...

Additional Notes

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

Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Notes
Derby Derbyshire	Business	As noted in obituaries - CHECK
13 Wood Street Bolton Lancashire	Business	Cunliffe and Freeman. Probably 1865-1871
17 Wood Street Bolton Lancashire England	Business
Derby Derbyshire	Business	Branch office during construction of Library
24 Nelson Square Bolton Lancashire	Business	CHECK
Diocesan Chambers, 51 South King Street Manchester England	Business	Office of the Diocesan Surveyor
15 Wood Street Bolton Lancashire	Business
Sunderland County Durham England	Business	with Robins?
Newcastle upon Tyne England	Business	with Robins?

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

Employers2 classic

Name	Name Link	Date From	Date To	Position	Notes
George Cunliffe	206598	c. 1865	In year 1871	Partner

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

Employees or Pupils2 classic

Name	Name Link	Date From	Date To	Position	Notes
Charles Thomas Marshall	206929	In year 1889	In year 1891	Assistant
Dan Gibson	201146	c. 1889	c. 1892	Assistant	Resident architect - Graythwaite Hall

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

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

Proposer	Proposer Link	Date Proposed	Notes
Alfred Darbyshire	206822	In year 1882
George Tunstal Redmayne	206024	In year 1882

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

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

Person	Date Proposed	Notes
Jonas James Bradshaw	1886/01/18

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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 Name	Date Started	Town, District or Village	Island	City or County	Country	Notes
Graythwaite Hall	In year 1887	Far Sawrey		Cumberland	England	Remodelling of House and new stable block

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The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

Author	Title	Date	Publisher	Part	Notes
British Architectural Library, RIBA	Directory of British Architects 1834-1914	2001
French, David	http://www.davidfrench.org.uk/knillfreeman/index.html				Accessed September 2016

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The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical Name	Date Circ	Edition	Notes
Building News	1904/07/01	LXXXVII	p9 - obituary
Builder	1904/07/09	87	p46 - obituary
British Architect	1904/07/01		p3 - short obituary
Bolton Chronicle	1904/06/25		p8 - obituary
Manchester Guardian	1904/06/28		p12 col 7 memorial notice
Bolton Evening News	1904/06/24		p2 - obituary

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The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive Name	Source	Source Cat No	Building Id	Item Name	Notes
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material	Professor David M Walker personal archive	100041			Information per Graham Potts
Information sent to Dictionary	Courtesy of David French	201697			Sent September 2016

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Basic Biographic Details

Addresses

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

Employment and Training

Employers2 classic

Employees or Pupils

Employees or Pupils2 classic

RIBA Proposers

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

RIBA Proposals

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

Buildings and Designs

Buildings and Designs2 classic

References

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