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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: radstockjeff on Monday 25 March 19 10:58 GMT (UK)
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I am currently undertaking some research into Robert Curwen ARIBA who was responsible for the design, amongst other buildings, of a number of Wesleyan Methodist Church buildings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ashbrooke Church in Sunderland is a particulrly good example
I am particularly interested in his work for Methodist Churches but also a general overview of his life and work.
Does anyone know of any definitive biographical details of him and where I could search further.
I have contacted the Methodist Church but with little result to date.
My particular reason for interest in him is that he designed two churches in the local Methodist circuit (North East Somerset and Bath) one of which was recently considered (unsuccessfully) for Listing.
Any help or leads on this would as usual be gratefully accepted.
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Just a bit from , Dr Michael Johnson. The Architecture of Sunderland, 1700-1914 . The History Press. Kindle Edition.
Curwen had been trained in Liverpool by C.O. Ellison before moving to London. He was the
winner of the limited competition for The Leys School in Cambridge, which was built by the Wesleyans,
St John’s Wesleyan Church in Ashbrooke Road, which opened in 1888 was the most expensive church ever built in the town – at £17,000
.
Stan
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Thanks Stan. Next time we are up in Sunderland I want to pay a visit to St Johns and get some piccies.
I looked up Robert Curwen on the RIBA Directory of Architects but unfortunately there was no record of any of his buildings.
I think at least four of his buildings are Listed. I am looking for the other ones!
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In the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette - Friday 02 July 1886
There is a notice about the contract for building the Ashbrooke Chapel, and the address for Robert Curwen is Palmerston Buildings, Old Broad Street, London E.C
Stan
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From various newspaper reports, He was the architect for the Chapel at Thornbury, Gloucestershire, 1876, his address then was 23, South Castle Street, Liverpool. The English Wesleyan Chapel, Conway, 1880. Punshon Memorial Church, Colwyn Bay 1882. The Bristol Children's Hospital, 1883. The Wesleyan Chapel Redfield, 1883. Weslyan Chapel and Sunday School, Williton, 1884. Wesleyan Chapel, Watford, 1888. The Wesleyan Chapel, Chard, 1895. Chapel and School, Lower Weston, Bath, 1890. The T.C. Hinksman Memorial School, Preston, 1899.
He died October 3rd 1915, aged 66.
Stan
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Do you have this?
Is this the sort of info you are looking for?
1881 Census
7 Bedford Road, Aston, Middlesex
Robert CURWEN, 31, Head, Mar. Architect, born Freewood (Fleetwood), Lancashire
Ann C. Curwen, 25, Wife, born Bristol
Robert B. Curwen, 4
Constance M. Curwen, 1
Infant Curwen
Ada C. May, 18
Ellen Yates, 27
Elizabeth King, 18
Alice J. Wilson, 43
(not transcribed)
He married Ann Constance BOWYER 24 Feb 1876, Clifton, Gloucestershire.
1871 he is Boarding in Kennington, London and unmarried, occp Architect.
His Parents were Robert/Alice and his Father was a Timber Merchant.
Last Census available he is a Retired Architect A R I B A.
Trish :)
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His Daug Marjorie was an Artist;
Royal Academy of Arts site ;
MARJORIE Curwen
RA Schools graduate
Born: 1882
RA Schools student from 28 July 1903 to July 1908
Gender: Female
His Daug Constance married 1900 in the Wesleyan Church, Hampstead
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Thanks for all the responses so far.
Please keep them coming!
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According to the National Probate Calendar, his effects were £42 10s 10d, probate to his widow Ann Constance Curwen.
Stan
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I don't know whether Robert Curwen had a connection with Canada, but his youngest son, Francis Gilbert Curwen b1886 was a sergeant in No 1COY 13 bn (Quebec Rgt) Canadian Infantry C.E.F.
He served with the Expeditionary Force in France and was killed in action there on the 27th April 1915,aged 29. He is buried at Tyne Tot cemetery in Belgium. His obituary reads, youngest son of Robert Curwen ARIBA of 14 Buxton Road, Cricklewood, London N by his wife Anne Constance of Pinner, Mdx.
Added:- Francis Gilbert Curwen is on the 1901 British census.
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The RIBA have an archive section, may be worth contacting them.
https://www.architecture.com/about/riba-library-and-collections
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Robert was married in 1876 and living in London where in 1877 his first child Robert Basil Curwen was born.
He seems to have maintained an office presence in Liverpool presumably to cover his work at the time on churches in North Wales , Conway and Colwyn Bay.
His Liverpool addresses were 34 South John St and possible 11 Bells Buildings.
Are there any on-line directories which would enable me to verify these?
I have an office address for him in London but not sure of the date. 103-4 Palace Chambers Westminster.
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I can confirm
the Bell's Building address the addresses in Liverpool are one premises
Rhyl Advertiser 14 May 1881
TO BUILDERS. TENDERS are required for the ERECTING and completing of an INDEPENDENT CHAPEL and SCHOOLROOM, at Llanrwst. The plans, specifications, &c., may be inspected at and SCHOOLROOM, at Llanrwst. The plans, specifications, &c., may be inspected at the Office of Mr. R. DAVIES, Albion Hotel, Llanrwst, after Saturday, May 21st. Sealed Tenders must be sent to ROBERT CURWEN, ESQ., Architect, 11, Bell's Buildings, 34, South John Street, Liverpool, by the 8th of June, 1881. The Trustees do not bind themselves to accept the lowest or any tender.
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Thank you for that piece of info Mabel...another piece in the jigsaw!
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As a side issue on this thread, Robert Curwen was well aquainted through his wife's family with the Revd William Morley Punshon a well known and respected Wesleyan Methodist Minister.
Curwen was the architect for the Punshon Memorial Church in Bournemouth, sadly destroyed by enemy bombs in WW2.
Punshon died in 1881 and is buried in West Norwood Cemetery London. His tomb (Listed Grade 2) is an arcaded chest tomb in stone and pink granite in High Victorian Gothic style. It was carved by a J Rogerson of Liverpool but there is no indication either on the tomb or in the Listing record of the designer of the edifice.
My logic takes me on a journey thus:
1 Curwen was trained as an architect in Liverpool in a practice with heavy involvement in Wesleyan matters.
2 Curwen was involved in the design at least one if not more of Punshons chapel promotions
3 Curwen had family links with Punshon
4 Curwen's predominant architectural style was Gothic Revival (having trained for part of his time with Sir George Gilbert Scott)
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Sorry pushed the wrong key
5
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Try again
5 J Rogerson was a Liverpool sculptor.
Is my logic logical? but can anyone throw any further light on the designer for Punshon's tomb?
Your thioughts would be appreciated as usual.
Thanks
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For what it's worth, I can add one further Wesleyan Chapel designed by Curwen - Gospel Ash Wesleyan Chapel at Bobbington (Staffs), 1884. Very grateful for the excellent material in this chat though - told me all I needed to know about him
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In reply to Jeff's private message - I'm a newbie and can't see (in a hurry, anyway!) - how to reply. The Bobbington chapel is a small affair (recently closed) so I was surprised to find that it was designed by an architect specialising in Wesleyan chapels. The source is this:
Laying of foundation stone of new Wesleyan Chapel (in Stourbridge circuit) reported in County Advertiser, 26 July 1884 - Mr. Curwen of Liverpool and London, architect. Mr. D. Evans of Wolverhampton, contractor. Red brick with appropriate dressings. Early English style. To be opened in October. Cost will be about £420. To accommodate 100 persons. There will be vestry, school room (for 60 children) and classroom all under the same, roof. Site given by Thos Baddiley Bowen, formerly of Blakelands
It's at Gospel Ash, about a mile east of Bobbington village. Easy to find and see on Google Streetview. I'm helping revise the Staffordshire "Pevsner" guide - hence my interest.
Chris
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Thanks Chris. That's very helpful. I wonder what local connections Robert Curwen had or was it his reputation in Wesleyan Circles...i.e his training in Liverpool with C.O. Ellison who had a large Wesleyen practice.
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The Curwen family moved from Fleetwood sometime between 1851 and 1861. The Census for 1861 shows them living in Sewells? Road, Bebington ,Tranmere. I cannot find Sewells Road on any recent map, but the successive entries in the Schedule look to be Tranmere Park, Park Villas, Embleton Villas , Rose Villa Sewells Road, Church Road.
Any thoughts please?
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Robert Curwen had links with the well known Wesleyan Preacher Revd. W Morley Punshon who was buried in West Norwood Cemetery London. His grave is surmounted by an elegant High Victorian miniature chapel, carved in york Stone by J Rogerson of Liverpool, but unfortunately there is no indication as to the designer of the memorial.
Is it possible that it could have been Robert Curwen who was well versed in Gothic Revival architecture?
Are there any records of the work of J Rogerson? Is the company still in existence?
I surmise there might be a connection between Curwen, Punshon and Rogerson based on the Liverpool link, which is where Curwen was first articled as an architect.
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Does anyone have access to any photographs of the Punshon Memorial Methodist Church in Bournemouth, designed by Robert Curwen but which was severely damaged during WW2 leading to its demolition? I have tried the obvious sources without luck.
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There's a set of photos here:
https://www.flickriver.com/photos/alwyn_ladell/sets/72157624324784276/
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Thanks Arthurk. Lots of interesting stuff. Will be helpful in my task.