William Edward Vernon Crompton

• Birth date:           1867 Christ Church, Upper Tean, Staffordshire
• Marriage              July-Sept 1899 to Fanny Louise Brown at Southport (Ormskirk) 
• Death date:        24 July 1937 at Hesketh Park Hydro, Southport, Merseyside 

William Edward Vernon Crompton came to prominence in the 1890s designing a series of buildings in the north-west of England, mostly at Wigan and Southport. He subsequently moved to London where he designed for the Duke of Bedford’s Covent Garden estate. He was later appointed the principal architect for Barclay’s Bank in London. He also designed many houses in the Home Counties.

He was born in 1867, the son of Edward Crompton, architect, and his wife, Catherine at Upper Tean, Staffordshire. The family subsequently moved to Whitehaven and it was here that he became a pupil of his father in 1883-1884. Two further years were spent as pupil of Charles Trubshaw before he moved to the office of Christopher Obee Ellison in Liverpool as an improver between 1886 and 1888. Four further years were spent as assistant to James Ledingham of Bradford before commenced independent practice in Wigan in 1892. In 1894  Crompton won the Ashpitel Prize and passed the RIBA qualifying examination. He waw elected Associate of the RIBA on 11 March 1895 proposed by J Ledingham, C Trubshaw and E Salomons. [Nomination papers A v12 p 141] and Fellow of the RIBA on 6 March 1905 proposed by L Salomon J Slater and A Condor. [Nomination papers F v.15 Page 91]. He also became a member of the Art Workers Guild.

Following a brief partnership with William Verity of Wigan in 1892, Crompton worked alone until 1899 with offices at Moot Hall Chambers, Wigan. Possibly occasioned by his marriage he gave up his Wigan practice and moved to London where he joined with Charles Herbert Bedells under the style of Lander Bedells and Crompton at 6 John Street, Bedford Row. The partnership continued at this same address until Crompton’s retirement.

Address
1893-1895    Moot Hall Chambers, Wigan
1900-1930    Lander Bedells and Crompton, 6 John Street, Bedford Row London

Residence
1881             11 Lowther Street Whitehaven
1891             Farcliffe Road, Manningham, Bradford, Yorkshire (West Riding), England (boarder)
1892-1899    Wigan
1904-1912    19 Onslow Gardens Highgate, London N (voter registration)
1933-1937    Hesketh Park Hydro Hotel, Southport, Merseyside 

Obituary         Builder v153, 30 July 1937, p186;
Obituary         RIBA Journal v44, 1937, p967,1078

Reference        Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. 2001
Reference        Who’s Who in Architecture 1923
Reference        Lancashire Daily Post 22 September 1937 – estate
Reference        Wigan Town Trail