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]

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.

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]

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