Lawrence Booth

• Born                      17 March 1837, Bury
• Married                   5 December 1867 Harriette Elizabeth Jones
• Died                       Wednesday 25 July 1894.
• Buried                    St Paul’s Church, Bury

The son of Richard and Susan Booth of Bury, Lawrence Booth served his articles at Oldham under Joseph Stott, and having completed them, he became assistant to Messrs Blackwell and Son of Manchester. After three years’ service, the firm were so satisfied with his abilities that they offered him a partnership, which was accepted, and the new firm conducted its business under the title of Blackwell, Son & Booth. On the death of its senior member, the firm became Blackwell and Booth. This partnership was dissolved by mutual consent in 1874 after which he practised in his own name before taking as partners his chief clerk, Thomas Chadwick and John Merry Porter about 1889.

In Greater Manchester he is remembered chiefly as the architect of the Salford Union Hospital at Hope, near Eccles; the Barnes Convalescent Home at Cheadle; the Bury Infirmary; and Hospital work for the Bury and Chorlton Unions, and for the Manchester Infirmary Board. Several churches were also erected from his designs including Christ Church, Walshaw, near Bury; St. Thomas's Bury; restorations and extensions at St. Paul's, Bury, St. Mary's Rawtenstall, and Tunstead Church, near Bacup. Other commissions included the Middleton Free Library; the Public Hall, Library, and Baths at Newton Heath, Manchester; the Bank Street Schools, Bury; and the Public Baths at Pendleton for the Salford Corporation.

He also worked extensively in North Wales. Fully appreciating the advantages of Colwyn Bay as a seaside resort, Lawrence Booth determined to become involved in the town’s development. When the estate belonging to John Pender came into the market, in 1875, he joined a small circle of friends in the purchase of the property, and subsequently formed the Colwyn Bay and Pwllycrochan Estate Company, of which he acted as Secretary and Surveyor for several years. He was also Vice-Chairman of the company at the time of his death. His partnership with Thomas Chadwick and John Merry Porter proved highly successful and the firm rapidly became the most respected in the town.

Lawrence Booth was elected Associate of the RIBA on 5 December 1864, proposed by J P Pritchett, J H Chamberlain, and T Roger Smith; and Fellow of the RIBA on 2 May 1870, proposed by E Salomons, T Roger Smith, and J H Chamberlain. He was a founder member, and for two years President, of the Manchester Architectural Association. The Association organised lectures on a regular basis, many of which were given by the members themselves. Many years later (and somewhat unkindly) a young architect noted: “Lawrence Booth, an architect whose work, with the sole exception of the Headquarters Building for the Manchester Regiment in Ardwick Green, is uniformly dull, spoke on “Originality.” [Cecil Stewart MSA: a Brief History]

Like his friend Alfred Darbyshire, Lawrence Booth had a fondness for amateur dramatics in his youth. Their appearance together at the Theatre Royal in Hereford in 1864 is described at some length by Alfred Darbyshire in “An Architect’s Experiences”:

He married on 5 December 1867 Harriette Elizabeth Jones daughter of Rev Henry Jones at Osmotherley Yorkshire. Of their four sons. Richard and Henry both trained as architects,  John became  an auctioneer and valuer,  while William joined the legal profession.

Lawrence Booth FRIBA, died on Wednesday 25 July 1894. at his residence, Crumpsall Green, aged 57. His funeral took place at noon on Saturday 28 July 1894 t St Paul’s Church, Bury. He had been in failing health from consumption, the main cause of his death, for some time. In April/May 1894 his house was advertised to let. Following his death his widow, Harriette Elizabeth, moved to Chorlton-cum Hardy  with Henry, John and William (1901 census),  and appears to have subsequently moved to Colwyn Bay where she died on 20 April 1905 at her home, “Rueberry,”

Partnerships   
1864        Partner Blackwell Son and Booth, Manchester and Bury
1872-1874    Partner, Blackwell and Booth with Isaac Blackwell
1889         Partner Booth and Chadwick Manchester and Colwyn Bay with Thomas Chadwick
1889        Partner Booth Chadwick and Porter, Colwyn Bay with Thomas Chadwick and J M Porter

Address
1871        Blackwell Son & Booth architects and surveyors Essex Chambers. 8 Essex Street, King Street
1876        Lawrence Booth architect and surveyor Essex Chambers. 8 Essex Street, King Street
1876        88 King Street Manchester and 4 Cooper Street, Bury. (M G Contracts 27 May 1876)
1877        88 King Street Manchester and 3 Station Road Colwyn Bay
1883        88 King-street, Manchester (Manchester Guardian, Contracts. 7 April 1883)
1884        28 Faulkner Street Manchester (MG contracts)
1887        28 Faulkner Street Manchester (Br Architect- Contracts)
1891        28 Faulkner Street Manchester (Manchester Rate Book)
1894        42 Oxford Street, Manchester

Residence
1841-1861    Horse and Jockey (PH) Pits o’th’ Moor Bury
1871            Lawrence Booth, architect, (Blackwell Son & Booth), Highfield Terrace, Bury
1881            Victoria Terrace, Bury Old Road, Broughton, Salford (1881 Census)
1881-1887    Crumpsall Lane,  Crumpsall (Manchester Rate Book)
1888            4, Crumpsall Green
1890-1894   2, Crumpsall Green

Obituary    Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects Volume 1 1894 Page 618-619
Obituary    Building News 3 August 1894 page 140
Obituary    Colwyn Bay Weekly News 3 August 1894 page 2
Obituary    Bury Guardian 28 July 1894