Yeoville Thomason

Henry Richard Yeoville Yardley Thomason (17 July 1826 – 19 July 1901) was a British architect active in Birmingham. He was born in Edinburgh to a Birmingham family, and set up his own practice in Birmingham 1853–54.^[1]

Birmingham Council House

Singers Hill Synagogue

The Union Club, Bamford's Trust House, 85-89 Colmore Row//Newhall Street

Monument, Kensal Green Cemetery

Life

Yeoville Thomason was a grandson of Sir Edward Thomason, a silversmith and medallist in Birmingham, and son of Henry Botfield Thomason and Elizabeth Yardley.^{[citation needed]}

He was a pupil of Charles Edge, and after qualifying as an architect he worked for the borough surveyor. He designed the Council House after winning a competition.

As architect to Birmingham, Dudley and District Banking Company he designed several bank buildings in the area.^[1]

He retired in 1896. He died in 1901 and is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.

Significant works

He designed, amongst others:

• In Birmingham:
  • The Council House and its immediate extension, the original Art Gallery, 1874–85, Grade II* listed^[2]
  • Singers Hill Synagogue, 1856, Grade II* listed^[3]
  • Great Hampton Works, 80–82 Great Hampton Street, Hockley, c 1880, Grade II* listed^[4]
  • Union Club, 85–89 Colmore Row, on the corner with Newhall Street, now called Bamford's Trust House, 1870, Grade II listed^[5] The new building was noted by the Illustrated London News in 1869.
  • Birmingham Banking Company, Bennetts Hill, Birmingham. Designed new entrance in 1868. Became Midland Bank.^[6] Grade II listed^[7]
  • 38 Benetts Hill, 1868–70, Grade II listed^[8]
  • Highcroft Hospital, Main Building, Highcroft Road, Erdington (former Aston Union Workhouse). 1869, Grade II listed^[9][10]
  • Birmingham Town and District Bank, 63 Colmore Row, Birmingham. (1867–69) Head Office later to become part of Barclays Bank, facade later remodelled by Peacock and Bewlay.^[11]
  • Lewis's department store, Corporation Street, 1886, (demolished 1929 and replaced by a seven storey building), Birmingham's first iron and concrete building^[12]
  • Acocks Green Chapel, Warwick Green, Acocks Green, 1860 (closed in 1956).
  • St Asaph's Church, Birmingham 1868 (demolished 1961)
  • St John the Baptist's church, Harborne (destroyed by enemy action, 1941)
• Elsewhere:
  • Public Hall, High Street, Smethwick, (1866–67), now the Public Library.^[13]

References

1. "Yeoville Thomason (1826-1901)". The Victoria Web. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
2. Historic England. "Council House (1210333)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
3. Historic England. "Singers Hill Synagogue (1075712)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
4. Historic England. "Great Hampton Works (1075544)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
5. Historic England. "Union Club (1210201)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
6. Birmingham, Douglas Hickman, 1970 Studio Vista. p25
7. Historic England. "Birmingham Banking Company (1075753)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
8. Historic England. "38 Benetts Hill (1075754)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
9. Historic England. "Highcroft Hospital (1351967)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
10. Historic England. "Highcroft Hospital front entrance (1351968)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
11. Birmingham, Douglas Hickman, 1970 Studio Vista. p35
12. Birmingham Buildings, The Architectural Story of a Midland City, Bryan Little, 1971, ISBN 0-7153-5295-4
13. The Buildings of England: Worcestershire, Nikolaus Pevsner, 1968 Penguin. p81

External links

• The Victorian Society in Birmingham (Three City Trails, Victorian Architects of Birmingham)