Thomas Worthington (architect)
Thomas Worthington (11 April 1826 – 9 November 1909) was an English architect of the 19th century, best known for his public buildings in and around Manchester. His preferred architectural style was Gothic Revival.
Early life
Thomas Worthington was born in Crescent Parade, Crescent, Salford, Lancashire, on 11 April 1826. He was the fourth of six sons of a Salford Unitarian cotton merchant, also called Thomas, and his second wife Susanna (1792–1869). He left school, aged 14, and was articled to Henry Bowman, architect (Bowman & Crowther).[1] Before he was 20 he had won two medals: one for a church design (Royal Society of Arts) and one for an essay on "Brick" (Royal Institute of British Architects).[2] After completing his articles in 1847, he assisted William Tite who was building Carlisle railway station. On the suspension of this work in 1848, he went on an eight-month study tour to France, Italy and Switzerland accompanied by a friend, Henry A. Darbishire.[3] Their journey took them through Tuscany, Latium and Campania; Worthington's notes and sketches from the trip provided him with a first-hand knowledge of Italian Gothic and Renaissance architecture, which give him inspiration for his own later work.[2][4]
After returning to Manchester in October 1848, Worthington spent a short time gaining experience of quantity surveying, before opening his own architectural practice on King Street the following year.[4]
Social concerns
Worthington was strongly influenced by his Unitarian upbringing, becoming committed to social reform and joining numerous learned societies, including the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society,[5] the Portico Library and the Royal Manchester Institution.
Partly as a result of his social concerns, Worthington was often commissioned to design public buildings, ranging from public baths and hospitals to workhouses and Unitarian churches. These were often designed in a Gothic style, not dissimilar to that of his contemporary and rival Alfred Waterhouse.
Projects in Manchester and district
- Estate Exchange, Overseers and Churchwardens Office, 46 Fountain Street (1852–1859); listed Grade II*[6]
- Greengate Public Baths, Collier Street (1855); listed Grade II*[7]
- Mayfield Baths (1857–1940)[8]
- Albert Memorial (1862–1867); listed Grade I[9]
- The Memorial Hall, Albert Square (1863–1866); listed Grade II*[10][11]
- City Police Courts (1867–1873); listed Grade II*[12]
- Chorlton Union Workhouse, afterwards Withington Hospital (1865)
- Prestwich Union Infirmary, afterwards Delaunays Hospital (1866–1870)
- The Towers, Didsbury (1868–1872); listed Grade II*.[13] Home to Manchester industrialist Daniel Adamson from 1874, this building was later (from 1920) used by the British Cotton Industry Research Association, later called the Shirley Institute
- Brookfield Unitarian Church, Gorton (1870); listed Grade II*[14]
- Monton Green Unitarian Church, Monton, Eccles (1875)
- Flowery Field Church, Newton Street, Hyde (1876–1878)
- Ellen Wilkinson High School, Ardwick, formerly Nicholl's Hospital (1879–80); listed Grade II*[15]
- Dovecote, Sale Old Hall (1880)
- Arlington House, Salford, home to Kenworthy's Chambers (1880)
- Peacock Mausoleum, Gorton (1890); listed Grade II*[16]
- Diamond Jubilee Memorial Fountain, Albert Square (1896–97); listed Grade II[17]
- Dunham Road Unitarian Chapel, Altrincham
Other projects
- Unitarian Chapel, Liverpool; listed Grade I[18]
- Garlands Hospital, Carlisle (originally the Cumberland and Westmorland Lunatic Asylum, 1862)
- Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan (1870)
- Sutton Oaks (a country house), London Road, Macclesfield, Cheshire (1875)
- Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, Hampstead, added north aisle and chancel (1885); listed Grade II[19]
- Manchester College, Oxford (1889–1893); listed Grade II[20]
- Royal Bath Hospital, Harrogate
- Royal Infirmary, Halifax
Legacy
His sons also trained as architects and worked in the family firm, Thomas Worthington & Sons. Hubert, later Sir Hubert Worthington (1886–1963) trained with Sir Edwin Lutyens and was professor of architecture at the Royal College of Art before becoming Slade lecturer in architecture at Oxford University. Percy Worthington (1864–1939), also worked for the firm.[4]
Worthington is buried at the churchyard of the Victorian Gothic Brookfield Unitarian Church in Gorton, Manchester.
References
- Notes
- ^ Some of his drawings appeared in Bowman and Crowther's Churches of the Middle Ages; Stewart, Cecil (1956) The Stones of Manchester. London: Edward Arnold; pp. 80–87
- ^ a b Stewart (1956); pp. 80–87
- ^ Darbishire was another pupil of Bowman & Crowther, and later designed the Columbia Market in Bethnal Green.
- ^ a b c Archer, John H. G. (2004). "Worthington family (per. 1849–1963)". Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/65161. Retrieved 18 October 2009. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Complete List of the Members & Officers of the Manchester Literary & Philosophical Society.From its institution on February 28th 1781 to April, 1896.
- ^ Historic England. "Estate Exchange (Grade II*) (1200835)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Former Public Baths (Grade II*) (1386123)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "Mayfield Baths and laundries, Manchester, England: interior. Wood engraving by W.E. Hodgkin, 1858, after B. Sly after T. Worthington". Wellcome Collection. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Albert Memorial (Grade I) (1197820)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Memorial Hall (Grade II*) (1254637)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ The Memorial Hall does not commemorate Prince Albert but the constitutional changes of 1662 when the reform of the Church of England under the Commonwealth was undone. For most of its existence it was a base for many local organisations and a venue for meetings.
- ^ Historic England. "City Police Courts (Grade II*) (1219894)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "The Towers (Shirley Institute) (Grade II*) (1270516)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Brookfield Unitarian Church (Grade II*) (1218832)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Former Nicholls Hospital including gymnasium, governor's house, stone setted and flagged forecourt, boundary walls and gates, stone gate piers on Ford Street and Devonshire Street, and two granite memorials in the forecourt (Grade II*) (1291812)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Peacock mausoleum to west of Brookfield Unitarian Church (Grade II*) (1218905)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Jubilee Fountain, Albert Square, Manchester (Grade II) (1200811)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Ullet Road Unitarian Church (Grade I) (1218227)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel (Grade II) (1130399)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "Harris Manchester College (Grade II) (1046676)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 November 2025.