Name

George Edward Tonge

Designation
Architect
Born
1876
Place of Birth
Westhoughton
Location
Southport
Died
1956

  • Birth date            8 December 1876 at Westhoughton
  • Married                1903, Evelyn, daughter of William Cross Travers; one son two daughters.
  • Retired                1948
  • Died                    12 March 1956 at Liverpool

George Edward Tonge was born at Westhoughton on 8 December 1876, the son of James Tonge, CE, FGS, a mining engineer, and his wife Elizabeth Tonge and was educated at Bolton High School (RIBA) Manchester School of Art. Bolton Technical School and Manchester Technical School. He was articled to Walter R Haworth of Bolton, before moving to Southport as assistant to C Sydney Ingham.  In 1901/2 he commenced independent practice in Southport, joining in partnership with Francis Peter Halsall (d. 1923) and Campbell of Southport in 1903. This partnership was dissolved in February 1907 after which he worked alone. However, he did submit entries in two architectural competitions in collaboration with R B MacColl of Bolton, namely a New Library at Wallasey (first) and Birkdale Carnegie Library (Third). Many of his commissions were for cinemas and theatres.

LRIBA 1911 proposed by P S Worthington and the Manchester Society of Architects. Fellow of Manchester Society of Architects. FRIBA 1934. FIAA; FRSA

He was a member of the West Lancashire Yacht Club (Southport) and the Southport Society of Artists

Buildings and Designs

Building Name District Town/City County Country
The United Methodist Church and Schools, Leicester Road, Broughton Park, Broughton Park  Salford  GMCA  England
Empire Theatre Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Cottage Hulton Park Estate belonging to Sir William Hulton Bart Over Hulton  Bolton  GMCA  England
Semi-Detached Houses Hulton Park Estate Over Hulton  Bolton  GMCA  England
“Picturedrome,” Water Street and Knowles Street, Radcliffe Radcliffe  Bury  GMCA  England
Palace / Bootle Picture Palace, Marsh Lane, Bootle Bootle  Liverpool  Merseyside  England
The Picturedrome, Chester Road/King Street, Stretford   Stretford  GMCA  England
Picture Palace. Lord Street Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Picture Palace. Lord Street Southport: Reconstruction   Southport  Merseyside  England
The Palladium Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Moston Imperial Palace Hartley Street, Moston Moston  Manchester  GMCA  England
Stella Picture House Seaforth Road, Seaforth Seaforth  Liverpool  Merseyside  England
(Scala?) Cinema, Ilfracombe.   Ilfracombe  Devon  England
Music Hall Cinema 30 34 Northgate Street, Chester,   Chester  Cheshire  England
The Picture House Nevill Street Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
New Picture House Waterloo Waterloo  Liverpool  Merseyside  England
Scala Picture House, Lord Street, Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Coliseum Cinema Southport (Reconstruction)   Southport  Merseyside  England
The Grosvenor Cinema, Union Street, Oldham   Oldham  GMCA  England
Palais de Danse, Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Layout of large estate at Huyton near Liverpool Huyton  Liverpool  Merseyside  England
Bedford Cinema, Birkdale.   Southport  Merseyside  England
Trocadero Cinema Southport (Reconstruction of the Palais de Danse, 1925).   Southport  Merseyside  England
Garrick Theatre, Lord Street, Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Plaza Cinema, New Hall Lane, Preston   Preston  Lancashire  England
New Super Cinema, Cleveleys, Blackpool Cleveleys  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Odeon Cinema, The Crescent West, Cleveleys, Blackpool Cleveleys  Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Ballroom and Additions on the site of the old Winter Gardens, Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Factory Portland Street, Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Golf Club House for Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Birkdale Birkdale  Southport  Merseyside  England
Silver Jubilee Model Theatre for Royal Theatrical Charities Trust       England
Savoy Picture House Bridge Street/Exchange Street, St Helens.   St Helen's  Merseyside  England
Proposed Cinema, Broad Street, Pendleton Pendleton  Salford  GMCA  England
Lyric Theatre Everton Liverpool Everton  Liverpool  Merseyside  England
Proposed Cinema (Whitefriars Drive?) Blackpool   Blackpool  Lancashire  England
Ritz Cinema, 134 Church Street, Preston.   Preston  Lancashire  England
Proposed Reconstruction: Coliseum Cinema Nevill Street Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Grand Cinema 180 Lord Street Southport   Southport  Merseyside  England
Theatre City Road Chester   Chester  Cheshire  England
Ten Houses, Tempest Road, (Chew Moor?), Bolton Chew Moor?  Bolton  GMCA  England
Picturedrome, Market Street, Heywood Heywood  Rochdale  GMCA  England
Proposed Cinema, Penny Street, Lancaster   Lancaster  Lancashire  England

Partnerships

Name Designation Formed Dissolved Location
Halsall Tonge and Campbell Architectural practice 1903 1907 Southport