Theodore Sington

 A son of Nathan Sington, a German Jew who had emigrated to England and assumed British nationality, Theodore Sington was born at Higher Broughton, on 25 January 1848. He was educated at Chorlton High School, Owens College, and Heidelberg before being articled to Peter B. Alley.

From 1891 he was President of the Manchester, Salford and District Property Owners' Association and published in 1889 a "Handbook of Property Values of Manchester, Salford and Surrounding Districts." In 1894 he gave evidence before a Select Committee of the House of Lords on town improvements. In 1897 he published "Planning and Construction of Cotton Mills," illustrated with original drawings, reprinted from a series of articles which he had written for the “Textile Manufacturer” between 1894 and 1897, and was widely regarded as an expert in cotton mill planning and construction.  However, details of his architectural career are lacking, particularly details of any completed commissions. He appears to credit himself with some of the buildings for Platt Brothers at Oldham, many of which were carried out by his master, Peter Alley. No details have been found of any cotton mill in Oldham or elsewhere built under his superintendence.

He entered a number of competitions, including that for a Great Tower in London (1890) and achieved fourth premium in the competition for the Manchester Technical College and first premium for a Club at Lincoln. He was said to be at one time a member of the Architect’s Department of Manchester Corporation.

By 1914 he was describing himself as a journalist writing for British and American newspapers. As a result of these activities and an ambivalent attitude towards the war with Germany, he was prosecuted under the Defence of the Realm Act in 1915. The charges against him related to three articles sent to an American journal, the Textile World Record., purportedly written by an American correspondent. Although not overtly pro-German, the articles criticised the British Government for not playing the game (of war) fairly. In other correspondence Sington suggested that the flying of the American flag on the Lusitania was “a disreputable proceeding and a disgrace to Britain. It was a cowardly dirty trick.” He was found guilty of calculating to prejudice His Majesty’s relations with foreign powers. and sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour by the Manchester City magistrates.

Theodore Sington died on 4 January 1926 at 124 Cottenham Street Chorlton-on-Medlock Manchester, and was buried in the Jewish section of Southern Cemetery on 7 January 1926

Address
1890                       Theodore Sington 17 Dickinson Street Manchester
1895                       Theodore Sington, architect, surveyor and valuer 4 St James Square
1897                       Theodore Sington Architect 87 Atlantic Chambers 7 Brazennose Street Manchester
1909                       Theodore Sington Architect 87 Atlantic Chambers 7 Brazennose Street Manchester
1911                       Theodore Sington Architect 48 Atlantic Chambers 7 Brazennose Street Manchester

Residence
1881                       10 Victoria Street, Rusholme, Mancheste
1895                       6 Chorlton Terrace, Upper Brook Street, Manchester
1915                       Lime Grove, Old Trafford, Manchester
1926                       124 Cottenham Street Chorlton-on-Medlock Manchester

Reference
Pike
Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 105, 30 October 1915, Page 6 (Wellington New Zealand)
Manchester Guardian 2 September 1915 page 3
Building News 8 September 1915 Page 281