The last years of John in Harrogate

[John1935]

John Tillman b. 1834 in Sunderland, became a well known Sunderland Architect and thanks to the Sunderland Echo - a well recorded one, but after his Brother (and junior partner) died in 1892, except for the fact that he put his house ( Clifton Villas) up for sale in 1894 - no records till his death on the 31th December 1899 (in his house in Harrogate -140 Valley Drive).

Knowing that he was a member of the Wesleyan Church and also a Mason, I am wondering if there might be any record of him there in Harrogate or in what ever Newspaper existed in Harrogate at that time. Did he in fact design Valley drive for Example.

Best

John 1935

[Westoe]

Hello John,

Since this man and others of yours were Masons, have you had a trawl through this site?
http://www.freemasonry.london.museum/

Cheers,
Westoe

[John1935]

Thanks yet again Westoe

No didn't know of that one - looks like a wet weekend, so no gardening !! and a good read of that site could come up with interesting info.

Best

John

[John1935]

Uhm,

If anybody has the has the time and possibility of looking up Probates on Ancesters, would be obliged for John Tillman please.

Death Cert gives:

31st December 1899 at 140 Valley Drive Harrogate  John Tillman age 64 - registered 3rd Jan 1900.

District - Knaresbrough in the county of York.

Best

John

[Goughy]

Sorry, cannot find an index entry for John in the Probate Calendar.

I see from the census returns, he was FRIBA (Fellow of Royal Institute of British Architects).  May be worth contacting RIBA to see what sort of information they hold in their archives.  http://www.architecture.com/Explore/Home.aspx

[John1935]

Thanks for looking Goughy

Yes had contacted RIBA both in North and London, but they have less info than I have, (and that due to fruitful research into Sunderland Echo).

Maybe like his father before him, he made no will, possible as his only remaining relatives in the area were his sister Mary Isabella and her Daughter Dorothy (who when they died later had quite a bit of money).

I suppose that might have come directly from John, when he sold Clifton Villas in Sunderland ?

Thanks again

Best

John

[John1935]

Hello

No not a Tillman to be seen on Mason's site, but will be worth a visit when I next get over, as they say they have plans for the Lodges, and I know for certain that John did St John's Lodge, Park Terrace in Sunderland (1870)- now in the Beamish Museum, and had already in 1864 designed one in West Hartlepool ( which I believe might still exist and be part of the College of Art).

He  (John) seems to have been a bit of a workaholic, so can just not imagine that he retired into oblivion.

Best

John

[Westoe]

Hello John,

Workaholic hmmmn. Well ... might whatever is actually on the death certificate as cause of death be something subsidiary to a previous health event like a stroke? That might account for the abrupt move and no will.

John was unmarried, correct? And he was very close to his brother Thomas, correct? Could the death of Thomas in 1892 have precipitated a physical decline, mental breakdown or even just what we now call a midlife crisis? Perhaps he decided that he had been a workaholic too long and it was time to relax and smell the roses? Perhaps the "fun" had gone out of architecture without his brother? Do you have Thomas' cause of death?

Have you checked his last address on Valley Drive on the 1891 census to be sure that it is not a hospital or some early variety of care home? That address is now Ashbrooke House Hotel.

There is a way of searching by address on the census - I know that I have seen tips about doing that here at RootsChat, but didn't save them. Stan Mapstone would know.

Cheers,
Westoe

[Westoe]

... I know for certain that John did St John's Lodge, Park Terrace in Sunderland (1870)- now in the Beamish Museum...

Hello John,

Here's a 2006 article from Sunderland Echo about the move to Beamish:
http://www.sunderlandecho.com/what-s-on/new-look-for-masonic-hall-1-1106630

When you make your trip over, I'd write them in advance. As a descendant of the architect, (smile)
you might get a personally guided tour.

Cheers,
Westoe