Maxwell And Tuke
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Maxwell and Tuke was an architectural practice in Northwest England, founded in 1857 by James Maxwell in Bury. In 1865 Maxwell was joined in the practice by Charles Tuke, who became a partner two years later. The practice moved its main office to
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
in 1884. Frank, son of James Maxwell, joined the practice in the later 1880s and became a partner. The two senior partners both died in 1893, and Frank Maxwell continued the practice, maintaining its name as Maxwell and Tuke. In the early years the practice designed relatively small buildings in and around Bury. Their first major commission came in 1871 for Cambridge Hall, Southport. Later works included the
Ulster Reform Club The Ulster Reform Club is a business, social and dining club in Northern Ireland. The club's clubhouse, which opened on New Year's Day 1885, occupies a conspicuous position on Royal Avenue in the centre of Belfast. In its décor, furnishings and ...
in
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
, and extensive temporary structures to house the
Royal Jubilee Exhibition The Royal Jubilee Exhibition of 1887 was held in Old Trafford, Manchester, England, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria's accession. It was opened by Princess Alexandra, the Princess of Wales (wife of the Prince of Wales, later Edwa ...
in Manchester in 1887/1888. After this they had their most notable commission, the design of
Blackpool Tower Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the British Empire. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in P ...
. Both senior partners died before this could be completed, and the work was continued by Frank Maxwell. The commercial success of Blackpool Tower led to a commission to design the even larger
New Brighton Tower New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...
. The practice continued to design notable buildings into the 20th century.


Partners


James Maxwell (1838–93)

James Maxwell was born on 14 June 1838 in
Haslingden Haslingden is a town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels' or 'valley growing with hazels'. At the time of the 2011 census the town (including Helmshore) had a population of 15,9 ...
,
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
. His father, Thomas, was a builder, plumber and glazier. James was educated at the grammar school in Whalley, and was then articled to Thomas Holmes, an architect in Bury, which was then in Lancashire and later in
Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester. ...
. Maxwell established his own architectural practice in Bury in December 1857. On 28 September 1893 he died at his home in Bury from
cerebritis Cerebritis is the inflammation of the cerebrum, which performs a number of important functions, such as memory and speech. It is also defined as a purulent nonencapsulated parenchymal infection of the brain which is characterized by nonspecif ...
.


William Charles Tuke (1843–93)

William Charles Tuke, usually known as Charles Tuke, was born on 12 January 1843 in the village of Bolton in the parish of
Calverley Calverley is a village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England, on the A657 road, about from Leeds city centre and from Bradford, and lying north of the town of Pudsey. The population of Calverley in 2011 was 4, ...
near
Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...
,
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
. His father, William, was a land agent, architect, and surveyor. He first trained as an
articled clerk Articled clerk is a title used in Commonwealth countries for one who is studying to be an accountant or a lawyer. In doing so, they are put under the supervision of someone already in the profession, now usually for two years, but previously three ...
in his father's practice, moved briefly to
Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
, worked as an architect's assistant in
Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...
, and then undertook the same role in the practice of Mills and Murgatroyd in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
. Tuke joined Maxwell in 1865 and became his partner in 1867. Tuke later lived at The Hydro,
St Annes on Sea Lytham St Annes () is a seaside town in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is on the Fylde coast, directly south of Blackpool on the Ribble Estuary. The population of the built-up area at the 2021 census was 42,695. The town is ma ...
, Lancashire, where he died on 28 March 1893 from
nephritis Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy. Types * Glomerulonephritis is inflammation ...
.


Francis William Maxwell (1863–1941)

Francis William Maxwell, usually known as Frank, was the second son of James Maxwell, and was born in Bury on 7 December 1863. He was educated at the Friend's School in
Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...
and then at
Owen's College The Victoria University of Manchester, usually referred to as simply the University of Manchester, was a university in Manchester, England. It was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University. Af ...
, Manchester. In the late 1880s he joined his father's practice, and was made a partner. He died on 13 August 1941 in the General Hospital,
Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester, southwest of Sale, Greater Manchester, Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2021 United Kingdom ce ...
, Cheshire.


Practice and notable works

The earlier works of the practice were in and around Bury, and consisted of small shops and schools, and larger churches and chapels. Their first major contract resulted from winning the competition in 1871 for the design of Cambridge Hall (1873–74) in
Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...
, Lancashire. This commission led to the firm being appointed as architects to the Southport Pavilion and Winters Garden Company, for whom they designed the Southport Winter Gardens (1874), the first such building for the seaside leisure market. James Maxwell became director of the St Annes on Sea Land and Building Company and the partnership became its architects and agents. They worked with the Clifton family of
Lytham Hall Lytham Hall is an 18th-century Georgian country house in Lytham, Lancashire, from the centre of the town, in of wooded parkland. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, the only on ...
in designing the layout of the resort, and in designing houses, hotels, and the promenade in 1874–77. The practice continued to undertake local commissions, and they also took part in competitions for larger works. In 1883 they won the competition for the design of the
Ulster Reform Club The Ulster Reform Club is a business, social and dining club in Northern Ireland. The club's clubhouse, which opened on New Year's Day 1885, occupies a conspicuous position on Royal Avenue in the centre of Belfast. In its décor, furnishings and ...
in
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
(1883–85), and came second in the competition for
Belfast Central Library Belfast Central Library is a public library in Royal Avenue, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Opened in 1888, it was one of the first major public library buildings in Ireland. A competition for the design of the building was won by architect Will ...
. In 1884 the firm moved its main office from Bury to 29 Princess Street, Manchester, and in 1887 were invited to submit plans for temporary buildings to celebrate the
Royal Jubilee Exhibition The Royal Jubilee Exhibition of 1887 was held in Old Trafford, Manchester, England, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria's accession. It was opened by Princess Alexandra, the Princess of Wales (wife of the Prince of Wales, later Edwa ...
. This resulted in a series of large interconnected greenhouses with a central dome over high. Following the erection of the
Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889. Locally nicknamed "''La dame de fe ...
, the Blackpool Tower Company was formed with the intention of building a similar structure in
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
, Lancashire. Maxwell and Tuke prepared detailed plans, and the construction of
Blackpool Tower Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the British Empire. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in P ...
began in the summer of 1891. When completed, Blackpool Tower was Britain's tallest building, and second in the world to the Eiffel Tower. During construction of the tower the practice was also involved in other works, including the Marine Drive (1892–93) on the
Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
that included a tramway and involved the building of viaducts. In 1893, and before the completion of Blackpool Tower the following year, both senior partners died. The practice was then continued by Frank Maxwell as sole principal with the help of some of his assistants, and he continued to use the title of Maxwell and Tuke. Following the commercial success of Blackpool Tower, the seaside resort of New Brighton, then in Cheshire and later in
Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Wales, Welsh county of Flintshire across ...
, decided to build its own tower and the New Brighton Tower and Recreation Company commissioned Maxwell and Tuke to design
New Brighton Tower New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...
(1897–88). This was taller than Blackpool Tower and included an octagonal building at its base with the largest theatre in Britain outside London, and a large octagonal ballroom. Later notable commissions for the practice included Goodall's (1902), a
half-timbered Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
store in King Street, Manchester, a pavilion and entrance kiosks for the
North Pier, Blackpool North Pier is the most northerly of the three coastal piers in Blackpool, England. Built in the 1860s, it is also the oldest and longest of the three. Although originally intended only as a promenade, competition forced the pier to widen its ...
(1903), the dome of Rhyl Pavilion (1908, demolished), and the Whitehead Clock Tower (1914) in Bury.


Recent history and present day

To 2014, more than 30 of their buildings persist, ten of which are recorded in the
National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, ...
as designated
listed buildings In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
. Some of their buildings have been demolished, and others have been converted for other uses than their original intention. The most notable demolition is that of New Brighton Tower. Its condition was allowed to deteriorate during the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, and the tower itself was demolished in 1919–21. The buildings at its base continued in use until 1969 when they were severely damaged in a fire, and subsequently demolished. St Stephen's Church (1868) in
Haslingden Haslingden is a town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels' or 'valley growing with hazels'. At the time of the 2011 census the town (including Helmshore) had a population of 15,9 ...
, Lancashire, has been moved to a new site and adapted for retail use. The Cooperative shop and attached hall (1973) in
Eagley Eagley is a village of the unparished area of South Turton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it lies on southern slopes of the West Pennine Moors. Eagley Brook passes through ...
,
Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...
, Greater Manchester, has been converted into residential use and is known as Eagley Hall. The pavilion and entrance kiosks at the
North Pier, Blackpool North Pier is the most northerly of the three coastal piers in Blackpool, England. Built in the 1860s, it is also the oldest and longest of the three. Although originally intended only as a promenade, competition forced the pier to widen its ...
, Lancashire, (1903) have been rebuilt and altered, and Rhyl Pavilion (1908) was demolished in 1974.


See also

* List of works by Maxwell and Tuke


References


Notes


Citation


Sources

*


External links

*{{cite web , url=http://oupacademic.tumblr.com/post/83611572862/odnb-podcast-maxwell-tuke , title=Oxford DNB biography podcast: James Maxwell and Charles Tuke, architects of Blackpool Tower , publisher=
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, date=23 April 2014 , type=Podcast , access-date=12 September 2014 Architecture firms of England Architects from Lancashire Design companies established in 1857 British companies established in 1857 1857 establishments in England