Watson Fothergill (12 July 1841 – 6 March 1928) was a British architect who designed over 100 unique buildings in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

in the

East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire (except for North Lincolnshire and North East ...

of England. His influences were mainly from the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

and

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

vernacular architecture Vernacular architecture (also folk architecture) is building done outside any academic tradition, and without professional guidance. It is not a particular architectural movement or style but rather a broad category, encompassing a wide range a ...

styles. His work dates from 1864 (when he set himself up in practice) to around 1912. His earliest surviving known building dates from 1866.

Early life

Born Fothergill Watson in

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...

, Nottinghamshire in 1841, he was the son of wealthy

Lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...

Robert Watson and Mary Ann Fothergill. He changed his name to Watson Fothergill in 1892 to continue his maternal family name.

Family

He married Anne Hage in 1867 at St. John's Church, Mansfield. They had the following children: *Marian Watson (1868–1955) *Annie Forbes Watson (1869–1930) *Edith Mary Watson (1871–1936) *Eleanor Fothergill Watson (1872–1946) *Samuel Fothergill Watson (1875–1915) *Harold H Watson (1877-1905) *Clarice Watson (1877–1955) His father-in-law was Samuel Hage, one of the founding partners of

Mansfield Brewery Mansfield Brewery was a brewery and public house operating company established in 1855, that was based in the North Nottinghamshire market town of Mansfield, England. The main beer brewed was Mansfield Bitter, along with other popular brands inc ...

. His half-brother was Robert Mackie Watson, chairman of the Mansfield Improvement Commission and the Brunts' Charity.

Career

In 1856, he entered the St Peter's Gate office of Frederick Jackson, an architect and surveyor in Nottingham. In mid-1860 he moved as assistant to Isaac Charles Gilbert who was based in Clinton Street, Nottingham. After spending around 18 months with Gilbert, he moved in early 1862 to join the office of

Arthur William Blomfield Sir Arthur William Blomfield (6 March 182930 October 1899) was an English architect. He became president of the Architectural Association in 1861; a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1867 and vice-president of the RIBA in ...

in London. In 1864 he was working with John Middleton in Cheltenham, but in the same year, left to set up his own office at 6 Clinton Street, Nottingham. He remained at Clinton Street until it was demolished by the works in connection with the arrival of the

Great Central Railway The Great Central Railway in England was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its Great Central Main Line, London Extension. On 1 January 1923, the company ...

in 1894. He moved to a new temporary office at 18 George Street and arranged to rebuild 15 George Street opposite which he completed the next year and moved in on 12 December 1895. He was in partnership with Lawrence George Summers from 1880 and he retired in 1912. He is credited as having had a great impact on the architecture of the major British industrial city of

, and designed over a hundred buildings in the city, from offices, banks and warehouses, to churches and private dwelling houses. His easily recognisable style includes the use of contrasting horizontal bands of red and blue brick, dark timber eaves and balconies, and elaborate turrets and stone carving. On his death in 1928, he left an estate valued at £73,908 5''s'' 11''d'' (). List of major works All Nottinghamshire unless otherwise stated. 1860s * Cemetery Chapels, High Street, Ongar (joint architect with Isaac Charles Gilbert) – 1866 1870s * Dwelling House, Mapperley Road, Nottingham (Fothergill's own house) – 1870 * Two Villas, 5 & 7 Lenton Road, The Park, Nottingham – 1873 * Temperance Hall (later

Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genre ...

), North Circus Street, Nottingham – 1873–1876 * Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Church Street, Mansfield – 1874–1875 * Nottingham Daily Express Offices, Printing Works and Shops, Parliament Street, Nottingham – 1875 * King's Arms, Ratcliffe Gate and Newgate Lane, Mansfield – 1875–1877 * Cattle Market, Nottingham Road, Mansfield – 1876–1878 * Congregational Church (later United Reformed), Westgate, Mansfield – 1876–1878 * Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank and Residence, Thurland Street, Nottingham – 1877–1882 1880s * Villa, Crow Hill Drive, Mansfield – 1880 * Six Dwelling Houses, Shops and Carriage House, Castle Road and Houndsgate, Nottingham – 1882–1883 * Five Houses and Shops, Derby Road, Nottingham – 1884 * Institute and Coffee Tavern, High Street, Hucknall – 1884 * Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Cattle Market, Loughborough, Leicestershire – 1885 * Villa, Loscoe Hill (Clawson Lodge), 405 Mansfield Road, Nottingham – 1885 * Institute and Coffee Tavern (Budworth Hall), High Street, Ongar, Epping Forest, Essex – 1885–1887 * Villa (Walton House), 39 Newcastle Drive, The Park, Nottingham – 1886 * St. Nicholas' Church Rectory, Castle Gate, Nottingham – 1886–1887 * Pair of Villas, Loscoe Hill, 409 and 411 Mansfield Road, Nottingham – 1886–1887 * Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Kirk Gate, Newark on Trent 1885–1887 * Rebuilding Black Boy Hotel (first major rebuild / extension),

Long Row Long Row is a row of retail buildings in Nottingham City Centre forming the north side of Old Market Square, Nottingham, Old Market Square, Nottingham. Notable buildings Long Row West *70 West End Arcade 1920s *67 The Dragon by John Henry Stat ...

, Nottingham – 1886–1888 * Pair of Villas, 62 and 64 Castle Boulevard, Nottingham – C1888 * Pair of Villas, 3 and 4 Huntingdon Drive, Nottingham – C1888 * Samuel Smith & Co's Bank, 24 Market Place, Long Eaton, Derbyshire – 1889 * Warehouse (Milbie House), 33 Pilcher Gate, Nottingham – 1889 1890s * Villa, (Elberton House), Cavendish Hill, 9 Hardwick Road, Nottingham – 1890 * Eight Ladies' Homes – Norris Almhouses, Berridge Road, Nottingham – 1892–1893 * Emmanuel Church, Woodborough Road (1883–1893) – demolished 1972 * Woodborough Road Baptist Church, Woodborough Road and Alfred Street North, Nottingham – 1893–1895 * Simons and Pickard Paper Warehouse, Lenton (Castle) Boulevard, Nottingham – 1893–1894 * House, Kingswood,

Bulcote Bulcote is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 330, reducing to 309 at the 2011 census, and 272 at the 2021 census. The village is on ...

– 1893 * Two Semi-Detached Villas (Cleave House), 1 and 3 Sherwood Rise, Nottingham – 1894–1895 * Rebuilding of Nos 15 & 17 George Street, Nottingham ( Watson Fothergill's offices) – 1894–1895 * Jessops' Shop and Workrooms, 14–30 King Street, Nottingham – 1894–1897 * Four Shops and Offices ( Queen's Chambers),

and King Street, Nottingham – 1896–1899 * Shop and Office (Furley and Co) (now Lloyds Bank), Parliament Street and Clinton Street, Nottingham – 1896–1897 * Ellenborough House, 3 South Road, The Park, Nottingham – extended 1896–1897 * Cuckson, Hazeldine and Manderfield Warehouses, Stoney Street and Barker Gate, Nottingham – 1897–1898 * Black Boy Hotel Additions and Two Shops (second major rebuild/extension),

, Nottingham – 1897–1900 * Rebuilding of the Rose of England Inn, Mansfield Road, Nottingham – 1898–1900 * Brewery, Mar Hill, Carlton – 1899 * Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank and House, 111

Carrington Street, Nottingham Carrington Street is a street in Nottingham city centre between Nottingham station and Broadmarsh. History The street was laid out by Henry Moses Wood, Surveyor in 1828. The opportunity offered by the construction of this new road was taken ...

– 1899 1900s * Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Branch Bank, St Ann's Well Road, Nottingham – 1900–1901 * Sixteen Houses, Foxhall Road, Nottingham – 1901–1902 * Union of London and Smith's Bank, Market Place, Bulwell – 1904 * Villa, Mapperley Road, Nottingham (Joint Architect with Lawrence George Summers) – 1905 * Four Houses, Mansfield Road and Bingham Road, Nottingham – 1906–1907

Gallery

File:Watson Fothergills Offices at 15 George Street in Nottingham.jpg, Watson Fothergill's office at 15–17 George Street,

File:Statue on the frontage of Watson Fothergills offices.JPG, Statue (by Nathaniel Hitch) on the frontage of Watson Fothergill's office File:Villa at Bridgegate in Retford.JPG, Villa at Bridgegate in Retford File:Houses and Shops at Castle Road in Nottingham.jpg, Houses and Shops at Castle Road in Nottingham File:Banking House at Kirkgate in Newark.JPG, Banking House at Kirkgate in Newark File:Eight Ladies Homes at Sherwood Rise in Nottingham.JPG, Eight Ladies Homes at Sherwood Rise in Nottingham File:Woodborough Road Baptist Chapel.JPG, Woodborough Road Baptist Chapel File:Shops and Offices at Long Row and King Street in Nottingham.jpg, Queen's Chambers at Long Row and King Street in Nottingham File:Carlton Laundry - geograph.org.uk - 1738487.jpg, Carlton Laundry File:Castle Court - geograph.org.uk - 1734201.jpg, Castle Court, Castle Boulevard File:Rose of England - geograph.org.uk - 1024335.jpg, Rose of England public house, Mansfield Road, Nottingham File:Black Boy Hotel.jpg, Black Boy Hotel, Long Row, Nottingham

References