Walter Stirrup

• Birth:                     1 June 1864   Eccleshill, Darwen Lancashire.
• Married                12 February, 1888, to Ada, daughter of W. H. Cunliffe, of Shean Bank, Blackburn.
• Died                       10 April 1956

The son of James Stirrup, boot and shoe manufacturer, and Ann (Bullough), Walter Stirrup was born on 1 June 1864 at Eccleshill, Darwen. He was the grandson of Thomas Stirrup, who was the first publisher and printer of the old Conservative "Blackburn Patriot", afterwards called the "Blackburn Standard"; grandson (on the maternal side) of Mr John Bullough, a well-known sportsman, a skilful engineer, and patentee of many important improvements in cotton looms and knitting frames,

As a student he won the first gold medal offered by Technical Instruction Committee to the most successful class-man of the year 1883-4, and afterwards lectured on art and science subjects He served his articles with Mr. Simpson, and started practice in Blackburn in 1888, later opening an office in Manchester. Appointed Surveyor and Valuer to the Licensing Justices, he was architect of most of the new hotels in the town and district and was considered an authority on licensed buildings.  “As nothing comes amiss to a provincial architect,” he designed and erected schools, churches, chapels, private residences, villas, shops, stable blocks, and business premises in and around Blackburn, By 1936 he had taken his son, Gordon Stirrup Dip Arch Liverpool, ARIBA (1932) into partnership.

Walter Stirrup, then of Richmond Terrace, Blackburn married Miss Ada Cunliffe, daughter of W H Cunliffe, painter and decorator, Church Street, Blackburn at St John’s Church on Tuesday 12 February 1889. [Blackburn Standard Saturday 16 February 1889 page 8] and had issue four sons and two daughters including Dorothy Whipple (née Stirrup) who was later a successful novelist.

Elected a Fellow, Royal Institute of British Architects in 1903; Member, Royal Society of Arts; first president of the Preston, Blackburn and District Society of Architects.

Address
1888-1936    14, Richmond Terrace, Blackburn.
1900    Atlantic Chambers, Brazennose Street, Manchester
1909    83 Bridge Street Manchester
1911    83 Bridge Street Manchester

Residence
1881    105 Johnston Street Blackburn,
1900    Elm Bank, Blackburn
1917    Hawthorne, Blackburn
1933-1936    Billinge View, Billinge End, Blackburn

Obituary     RIBAJ March 1957 page 201
Reference    "Blackburn (Illustrated) of Today", 1900.
Reference    Lancashire Biographies and Rolls of Honour. W. Ralph Hall Caine, 1917