Joseph Gibbons Sankey

• Born      28 May 1860
• Died       1 December 1898

Widely considered an architect of unusual promise and ability, Joseph Gibbons Sankey, MA., FRIBA came  of an old Salopian family. He was born in Salford in 1860, the son of John Sankey, of Southport, and resided for most oflhis life in Blackley near Manchester, his native village. After serving his articles in Manchester with Albert William Smith in 1876 he went on to study architecture in the Royal Academy School and entered the office of Colonel Edis, in London. He was awarded numerous honours as a student, including the Sharpe Prize in 1882-1883, the Pugin Studentship of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1884*, the Association Travelling Studentship, and various other medals and prizes. He entered Christ’s College Cambridge, in 1884, graduating BA in 1887 and afterwards proceeding to the MA degree. During his Cambridge career he designed the Simpson Memorial Building at Moston, north of Manchester. J Gibbons Sankey commenced independent practice in Manchester in 1889. In a career spanning less than a decade his principal works included the head office of the Mercantile Bank of Lancashire in Mosley Street, extensions to the Municipal School of Art in Cavendish Street, the Branch Free Library in Chester Road, and the Primitive Methodist College at Alexandra Park, all in Manchester. Completed shortly before his death was the great new warehouse of Tootal Broadhurst Lee and Company Limited in Oxford Street Manchester. By 1897 he had also opened an office at 48 Harley Street London but details of any commissions in the capital are lacking.  He became a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1897 and shortly before his death moved to “Bollinhurst,” Disley. Here he died of peritonitis, caused by a burst appendix, on 1st December 1898 and was interred at Manchester’s Southern Cemetery. He had married Fanny Young Sillipant (or Sillipharet) in 1889. The couple had one daughter, Marjorie Gibbons Sankey. After his death the firm was continued by his assistant John Cubbon and Thomas William Cubbon as Sankey, Cubbon & Cubbon.

Address    
1894    York Chambers 8 York Street, Manchester
1897    104, King Street, Manchester & 48 Harley Street London

Residence
1881        Blackley House Moston Lane
1891        Blackley House Moston Lane
1897        “Bollinhurst” Disley

Obituary   
Builder. Volume 75. 10 December 1898 Page 535
Manchester Guardian Saturday 3 December 1898 Page 11 Column 2
Manchester City News 3 December 1898 Page 5 (Personal)
Building News 9 December 1898 p821
Building News 23 December 1898 p89
RIBA Journal v 6 1899 Page 78-9

References        
Manchester Faces & Places - Vol 10 No 4 January 1899
Harper : Victorian Architectural Competitions
Boarse : Modern English Biography  (taken from Manchester Faces & Places)
Pike : Contemporary Biographies: Page 267

*1884  PUGIN TRAVELLING STUDENTSHIP - The drawings sent in competition for the Pugin Travelling Studentship were exhibited at the last meeting of the Institute, and were to be seen during subsequent part of this week, in the Arbitration room on the ground-floor at Conduit-street. There were seven competitors: Messrs. Sankey, A. B. Pite, Strong, Edwards, Simon, Kemp, and Sirr; the first-named gentleman being the successful competitor. The drawings sent by Mr. Sankey and Mr. Pite are unquestionably the best sets of the series; the general average of the other work is fairly good. For reasons which we need not specify, but which some of our readers will understand, we prefer to decline giving any detailed criticism of the sketches, or any direct opinion as to the decision of the Council; merely observing, to prevent misunderstanding, that our reticence is not to be construed as implying any kind of censure on the award. [Builder 9 February 1884 page 189]

Pugin Travelling Studentship - The Chairman announced that the Pugin Travelling Studentship had been awarded to Mr. Joseph Gibbons Sankey, 36, Maitland Park, Haverstock Hill, there having been seven candidates. [Builder 9 February 1884 page 211]

THE BISHOP’S BRIDGE, NORWICH. - The sketch of this effective piece of Medieval bridge-building is an example of the work sent in by Mr. J. G. Sankey, who, as we reported previously, has obtained the Pugin Travelling Studentship for this year. It is a good specimen of pen sketching, true in line, and free in general effect. We purpose giving one or two more of Mr. Sankey’s sketches submitted in the same competition. [Builder 23 February 1884 page 281]

PDGIN STUDENTSHIP SKETCHES. We give this week two more of the sketches by Mr. J. G. Sankey, the winner of the Pugin Travelling Studentship this year; the chapel of the Red Mount, Lynn, showing a good, clean freehand sketch of vaulting; and a characteristic bit from Haddon Hall. [Builder 1 March 1884 page 298]