Thomas Bower

Biddulph Grange

Sandbach Town Hall

Thomas Bower (1838–1919) was an English architect and surveyor based in Nantwich, Cheshire.^[1] He worked in partnership with Ernest H. Edleston at the Nantwich firm Bower & Edleston, which he founded in 1854.^[2][3] He is particularly associated with the Gothic Revival style of architecture.^[4]

In 1883, Bower was living at 140–142 Hospital Street in Nantwich.^[5] In 1914, he and Edleston had offices at Bank Chambers on Churchyard Side in the town square.^[6]

Works

Bower's buildings include:

• St Philip's Church, Kelsall (1860)^[7][8][9]
• Lamb Hotel (now Chatterton House), Hospital Street, Nantwich (1861)^[2]
• Spurstow School, Spurstow (1872)^[10]
• Barclays Bank, 11 Churchyard Side, Nantwich (1876)^[11][12][13]
• Free Library (now Nantwich Museum), Nantwich (1888)^[14]
• Town Hall, Sandbach (1889)^[15][16][17]
• Vicarage, Narrow Lane, Crewe Green (1889)^[18][19][20]
• Remodelling of 148 Hospital Street, Nantwich (1890s)^[21]
• Petton Hall, Petton, Shropshire^[22]
• Biddulph Grange, Biddulph, Staffordshire (1896)^[23]
• Alterations to Crewe Hall, Crewe Green (1896)^[18][24][25]
• Drinking fountain, Sandbach (1897)^[26][27]

References

1. Church Plans Online: Bower, Thomas: b. 1838 - d. 1919 of Nantwich (accessed 20 February 2008)
2. Pevsner & Hubbard, p. 288
3. Bower Edleston Architects: Index (accessed 20 July 2010)
4. The Arts and Crafts Home: Gothic Revival Architecture (accessed 20 February 2008)
5. Hall, p. 53
6. Kelly's Directory (1914)
7. Pevsner & Hubbard, p. 249
8. Historic England. "Church of St Phillip (Grade II) (55745)". Images of England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
9. Historic England. "Church of St Phillip  (Grade II) (1130533)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
10. Hartwell et al. 2011, p. 586
11. Pevsner & Hubbard, p. 287
12. Historic England. "Barclays Bank, 11 Churchyard Side (56606)". Images of England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
13. Historic England. "Barclays Bank  (Grade II) (1138729)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
14. Nantwich Web: Nantwich Free Library (accessed 20 February 2008)
15. Pevsner & Hubbard, pp. 40, 331
16. Historic England. "Town Hall and Market Hall (56207)". Images of England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
17. Historic England. "Town Hall and Market Hall  (Grade II) (1130352)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
18. Pevsner & Hubbard, p. 191
19. Historic England. "The Old Vicarage (56677)". Images of England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
20. Historic England. "The Old Vicarage  (Grade II) (1136132)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
21. Hospital Street Association: Combermere House: 148 Hospital Street (accessed 20 February 2008)
22. Newman & Pevsner, p. 468
23. Thorner.net: Biddulph Grange (accessed 20 February 2008)
24. Historic England. "Crewe Hall (56661)". Images of England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
25. Historic England. "Crewe Hall  (Grade I) (1138666)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
26. Historic England. "Drinking Fountain (56208)". Images of England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
27. Historic England. "Drinking Fountain  (Grade II) (1330396)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2016.

Sources

• Hall J. A History of the Town and Parish of Nantwich, or Wich Malbank, in the County Palatine of Chester (2nd edn) (E. J. Morten; 1972) (ISBN 0-901598-24-0)
• Clare Hartwell, Matthew Hyde, Edward Hubbard, Nikolaus Pevsner. The Buildings of England: Cheshire (Yale University Press; 2011) (ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6)
• Newman J, Pevsner N. Shropshire (Yale University Press; 2006) (ISBN 0300120834)
• Pevsner N, Hubbard E. The Buildings of England: Cheshire (Penguin; 1971) (ISBN 0 14 071042 6)