Lushington Temple Moore

• Born      7 June 1856 Tullamore Ireland
• Died       30 June 1920

Lushington Temple Moore was born in 1856 of Irish parents who moved shortly afterwards to Glasgow where Moore senior was a Staff Officer for Pensioners in the army. His Christian names were old surnames taken from his mother's side of the family. In 1872 he was sent to be a pupil of a clergyman in east Yorkshire, very near to where George Gilbert Scott junior was restoring the church of Nunburnholme. The young man, who had talents as a draughtsman and an interest in old buildings, came to Scott's notice, and a career in architecture was settled upon. He undertook his articles with Scott between 1875 and 1878. About 1880 Scott's mental health began to give way and Moore took over much of the practice and did much to support the unfortunate Mrs Scott and her children - the later famous architects, Giles and Adrian. Although Moore officially began his own independent practice in 1878, it was slow to take off, partly because of the problems with Scott and partly because Moore was probably a late developer. He lived in London but maintained close connections in Yorkshire.

His first significant commission was not until 1886 when he won the competition for Peterborough, All Saints, built in a refined, Bodleyesque style. He designed the superlative Barnsley, St Peter in the mid-'80s but it was not started till 1891. But from 1890 he practice began to blossom and he secured the important position as church architect to Sir Tatton Sykes of Sledmere, the greatest of all C 19 church-building squires . .By 1900 he had a major national reputation as a skilful church architect and after Bodley's death in 1907, there can be no doubt that Moore was the greatest church architect in England. His work extended beyond churches to include some 70 secular commissions of varying size and importance, but it is for his churches that he is chiefly remembered. In all he built about forty, many of them in Yorkshire, but also as far afield as London, Stroud, Gillingham (Kent), Clacton-on-Sea and the Isle of Wight.

As a man, Moore was a very retiring individual who lived for his work and family and did not go out of his way to seek publicity. He was a devout High Churchman and, not surprisingly many of his commissions were for clients of similar persuasion. He did not engage in architectural politics and, to the best of my knowledge, only gave a couple of lectures in his life. He intended that his son Richard should succeed him but this hope was dashed when Richard was killed at the end of the Great War. He then took into partnership his son-in-law, Leslie Thomas Moore, who had his own, independent practice prior to the War. Temple Moore died on 30 June 1920 and is buried in the churchyard at Hampstead parish church. [A Victorian Society tour to Rochdale, St Aidan and  Royton, St Anne led by Geoff Brandwood, 4 May 1996]

TEMPLE MOORE - We regret to announce the death of Mr Temple Moore, the eminent ecclesiastical architect, which took place suddenly at his home at Hampstead on June 30. He was actually designing a few hours before his death. He came of a military stock, being the elder son of the late Major-General O. F. Moore, but before he had learnt to write his talent showed itself. As a child he was constantly sketching, using pencil and india-rubber at the age of three—and in after years his faculty of drawing with his left hand as easily as with his right was extraordinary. He was articled in 1875 to the late Mr G. Gilbert Scott, who afterwards employed him to act as his assistant architect and successor. Of a studious nature, quiet and reserved, helping everybody with his knowledge of architecture and the allied arts, he was so thorough in his work that he would get out his own working drawings, giving himself endless trouble to make the smallest detail harmonious. He educated a school of pupils, amongst whom may be mentioned Mr Gilbert Scott, A.R.A. He lived for his profession: sketching and measuring old work were his recreations; he has been known to tramp many miles to visit some ancient church to study special features. Amongst the most interesting examples of his work which have been illustrated, with many others, in our pages during the last quarter of a century were:

Sledmere Church, for Sir Tatton Sykes, May 18, 1900; St. Cuthbert's Middlesborough, October 4, 1901, and May 23, 1902; St. Columba Church, Middlesborough, September 19, 1902 ; External Pulpit St. James, Piccadilly, Dec. 5, 1902; Bilbrough Hall. Yorkshire, April 24, 1903; St. Margaret's Church, Leeds, September 18, 1903; St. Wilfrid's Church, Harrogate, June 23. 1905; All Saints' Church, Tooting Gravenev. May 18, 1906 ; St. Luke's Church, Well Hall. Kent, June 15, 1906;  New Choir and Transepts. All Saints' Parish Church, Eccleshall, May 17, 1907; View of All Saints' Church and Vicarage, Tooting Graveney, May 17, 1907; Chapel of St. Hugh. Bishop's Hostel, Lincoln, May 15. 1908;  All Saints’ Church, Uplands, Stroud, Gloucestershire, June 5, 1908; New Nave. Hexham Abbey, August 7, 1908 ; St. Anne's Church, Royston, Oldham, July 2, 1909; St. Wilfrid's Church, Harrogate, May 20. 1910; Restoration St. William's College. York. June 24, 1910 ; Skirbech Church. Boston, July 7. 1911; Hostel for the Community of the Resurrection, Springfield Mount, Leeds, June 7, 1912: New Buildings, Pusey House, August 2. 1912; Church of St. Peter, Barnsley, July 18, 1913; St. Cuthbert's Church, Preston. June 20, 1913; New Church at Canwell. Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, Jan. 30, 1914; Church of St. Columba. Scarborough. July 31, 1914; Additions, Hendon Parish Church, June 26, 1914; Nairobi Cathedral, E Africa. May 21, 1915; Church of St. Augustine, Gillingham, Kent, July 14, 1915; Church of St. Mary, Sculcoats, Hull, June 14, 1916; New Church. St Luke's. Walsall, June 28, 1916; Church of All Saints', Basingstoke, February 26, 1919; Church Gate, Holme-on-Spalding-Moor. Yorkshire, March 5, 1920; Two Memorial Crosses. Windermere, and Leake, Boston, April 16. 1920. and Organ Loft. Church of St. Slary. Higham Ferrers, Northants, June 11 1920. The last three mentioned were undertaken in conjunction with his son-in law. The last drawing is hung at the present R.A exhibition. The firm was also commissioned to undertake the restoration of Peterborough Cathedral, the hundredth centenary  of which structure was held last week. In recent years he was assisted by his son, Richard  Temple Moore (drowned in the SS. " Linster") ; and by his partner, Leslie Thomas Moore FRIBA, by whom he wished the practice to be carried on. [Building News 9 July 1920 p15-16]

Reference  : Building News 9 July 1920 p15-16
Reference  :  A Victorian Society tour to Rochdale, St Aidan and  Royton, St Anne led by Geoff Brandwood, 4 May 1996