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 AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Barn Hill, Stamford, Lincolnshire, England | Business | 1842 | | | | 10, Dundas Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1854 | | | | 9, South-East Circus Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1854 | 1860 | | | Inchglas, Broich Terrace, Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland | Private | 1860 * | | | | 6, North Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | 1860 * | | | | 24, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | 1860 | 1863 | | | Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland | Private/business | 1863 | 1874 | | | 2, Abercorn Villas, Joppa, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1874 | 1878 | | | Bourne, Lincolnshire, England | Private | 1878 | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
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 | | Henry Hall (senior) | 1843 | | Apprentice | | | T Pilkington & Son | 1854 | 1863(?) | Senior Partner | |
Employees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Frederick Thomas Pilkington | | | Apprentice | |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Colvin, H M | 1954 | A biographical dictionary of English architects 1660-1840 | 1st edition | | | | Dixon, Hugh | 1969 | The Architecture of Frederick Thomas Pilkington in Scotland | | Unpublished thesis for the Diploma in the History of Art, Edinburgh University, May 1969 | | | Post Office Directories | | | | | |
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