Frank Richard Freeman

Born: 25 July 1870, Bolton
Married: Annie Higson, Bolton, 1923
Died: 20 June 1934, Bolton
Buried: St Stephen and all Martyrs, Bolton

Frank R Freeman (actually christened Richard Frank Freeman) was the architect Richard Knill Freeman’s fifth child, born in 1870. He was educated at Rossall school and Hulme Hall (Manchester University) and worked for a short period with Sir Thomas Drew in Dublin. He was articled to his father from 1888-93, then assistant from 1893-1904 and continued the practice after Knill Freeman’s death in 1904 as Knill Freeman & Son (Architects).

He was proposed for licentiate membership of the RIBA in 1912 by J B Gass, J Pilling and J Simpson and was made a fellow of the RIBA in 1933. He was also a fellow of the Manchester Society of Architects. He was consulting architect for the Manchester Diocesan Church Building Society. Like his father, he exhibited at the Royal Academy (1905-07). His offices were in Smalley’s Chambers and later 21 Wood Street, Bolton.

He married Annie Higson in 1923 at St Margaret’s church, Halliwell, Bolton, living at 416 Manchester Road in 1912, later moving to Ivy Bank, Ivy Bank Road and finally to 2 New Hall Lane, Heaton where he died in 1934. He is buried with his father at St Stephen and All Martyrs, Lever Bridge, Bolton.

The successor to the practice in 1934 was Herbert Walker Higson who had been Frank Freeman’s chief assistant for 17 years.

Frank Freeman, like his father, designed many types of building and won commissions through competitions. There are no buildings prior to 1904 attributed to Frank Freeman so it is difficult to know what he worked on when his father was alive. There is also some confusion about who designed some of the buildings in the years immediately after Knill Freeman’s death. This is further confused because Frank worked on a number of buildings begun by his father, (for instance St Catherine, Horwich and St Aidan, Bamber Bridge), signed his name “Richard Freeman” and designed in a similar style. He was particularly known for designing war memorials. His obituary in the RIBA Journal (13 July 1935) incorrectly lists many of his father's works as his. [David French]

More information about Frank Freeman can be found at: http://www.davidfrench.org.uk/knillfreeman/frf/frankrfreeman.html