James Edmondson (27 August 1857 – 7 June 1931), known as "the Highbury builder", was an English property developer who was responsible for the creation of the Sotheby Road area in Highbury and the development of several notable shopping parades in suburban north London. With William J. Collins, he was instrumental in the creation of modern

Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, London, Highgate, Hampstead Garden ...

Early life

James Edmondson was born on 27 August 1857 in

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell ( ) is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an Civil Parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish from the medieval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The St James's C ...

, London, to Isaac Edmondson, a carpenter from Penruddock,

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...

, and Hannah Edmondson of

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

. In 1881, the family were living in a sizeable house at 40 Petherton Road, at which time James was probably working in his father's business.Recent Plaques.

London Borough of Islington The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough, borough in North London, England. Forming part of Inner London, Islington has an estimated population of 215,667. It was formed in 1965, under the London Government Act 1963, by the amalg ...

, 22 March 2015. Archived at WaybackMachine. Retrieved 28 December 2016.New People's Plaque pays tribute to James Edmondson, the 'Highbury Builder'.
Andrew Johnson, ''

Islington Tribune The ''Islington Tribune'' is a free, independent newspaper that covers the London Borough of Islington in north London. It was founded in 2003 as a sister paper to the ''Camden New Journal''. It carries significant influence locally due to its hig ...

'', 18 October 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2016.

Career

James at first worked with his father in his building firm. One of their first large projects was a commission with Charles Herbert Shoppe to build a parade of shops at The Broadway in Highbury Park. Their first large solo project was the development of the streets of the Sotheby Road Conservation Area in Highbury. In 1894, trading as the firm of I. Edmondson and Son Limited, they took offices at 8 The Broadway (now 86 Highbury Park). With James in the lead, they developed a formula of residential houses fronted by uniform shopping parades with flats above that they repeated in Crouch End, Muswell Hill, Golders Green, and elsewhere in London. With William J. Collins, James Edmondson was instrumental in the creation of modern Muswell Hill. He retired in 1923 and moved to Bournemouth.

Personal life

Edmondson married Isabel (or Isabele/Isabelle) Anne (or Annie). His eldest son, Albert James Edmondson, joined the family business in the 1920s and later became a Conservative Party member of Parliament and was ennobled as a Baron Sandford in 1945. Their other children were Percival H., Elsee M. and Cyril A. James Edmondson was active in congregationalist circles and worshiped at the Congregational Church in Highbury Quadrant. He was a donor to other non-conformist churches and established the Dudley Lawn Tennis Club. His home was "North Holme" at 12 Aberdeen Terrace (now 52 Aberdeen Road), Highbury.

Death and legacy

Edmondson died at 29

Wimpole Street Wimpole Street is a street in Marylebone, central London. Located in the City of Westminster, it is associated with private medical practice and medical associations. No. 1 Wimpole Street is an example of Edwardian architecture, Edwardian baroq ...

, London, on 7 June 1931, leaving a widow, Isabel Anne Edmondson, and an estate of £248,170.1931 Probate Calendar.
Retrieved 29 December 2016. In 2013, a plaque was placed on his former offices at Highbury Park by members of the Sotheby Road Conservation Society for the London Borough of Islington.

Selected developments

Crouch End Hippodrome The Crouch End Hippodrome, originally the Queen's Opera House, was a theatre that once stood in Tottenham Lane, Crouch End Crouch End is an area of North London, England, from the City of London in the western half of the borough of Harin ...

, Topsfield Parade. *Shopping parades in

Golders Green Golders Green is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet in north London, northwest of Charing Cross. It began as a medieval small suburban linear settlement near a farm and public grazing area green, and dates to the early 19th century. It ...

. *Shopping parades in

. *

Sotheby Road Sotheby is a surname, and may refer to: * Admiral Sir Edward Southwell Sotheby (1813–1902), Royal Navy officer * John Sotheby (1740–1807), English auctioneer and founder of Sotheby's * Samuel Sotheby (1771–1842), English auctioneer and antiqu ...

area, Highbury. *

Topsfield Parade Tottenham Lane is a street in Crouch End and Hornsey in the London Borough of Haringey. The street runs from the centre of Crouch End at the clock tower, north to the junction of the High Street and Turnpike Lane (A504). Buildings The street i ...

Tottenham Lane Tottenham Lane is a street in Crouch End and Hornsey in the London Borough of Haringey. The street runs from the centre of Crouch End at the clock tower, north to the junction of the High Street and Turnpike Lane (A504). Buildings The street i ...

, Crouch End.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Edmondson, James 1857 births 1931 deaths Muswell Hill Crouch End People from Clerkenwell Highbury English Congregationalists British real estate and property developers English businesspeople English philanthropists