Yeoville Thomason

Birmingham Council House Singers Hill Synagogue The Union Club, Bamford's Trust House, 85-89 Colmore Row//Newhall Street Monument, Kensal Green Cemetery

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]

## Life

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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

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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

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1. ^ a b "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

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

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

Artists|

* ULAN
* Musée d'Orsay

People|

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