George Beardmore Ford

Not to be confused with George Burdett Ford, (1879-1930) architect, New York, USA

• Birth date                            1833 at Burslem
• Christening                          6 January 1834 at St John’s Church, Burslem
• Death date                          10 December 1902 at Newcastle-under-Lyme     (LG 4 June 1937 page 3621)

Born in 1833 at Burslem, George Beardmore Ford was the son of William Ford, builder and brick maker, and his wife Emma. After having served his articles to John Ward, an architect at Hanley, he began practice on his own account about 1861 at Burslem. His earliest known work was Milton Methodist Chapel, Baddeley Road, Milton, built in 1862. Pevsner was scathing about this, - describing it as “really repulsive.” Although still practising as an architect G B Ford sought additional income and entered into a partnership with Robert Rammage Slater, and Samuel Simpson, as Paraffin Oil Makers trading under the style or firm of Slater and Company at Stanfield Oil Works. The firm of Slater & Co, are listed in the 1865 Coal Commission report as operating works at Burslem equipped with 36 retorts. This company failed in 1868 and the Stanfield Oil Works were auctioned in May 1868. 

George B Ford was very much the archetypal provincial architect with the majority of his commissions located in north Staffordshire and south Cheshire. He designed several schools for the Burslem School Board, and produced plans for a number of chapels including the Clowes Memorial Church completed in 1879. Among the chapels away from this immediate area are those at Denton, Greater Manchester, Woodhill, Yorkshire; East Cowes, Isle of Wight; Y Van, Merionethshire; and Wyke Regis, Dorset.  In Burslem he prepared the plans and designs for an enlargement of the Wedgwood Memorial Institute, and the Haywood Charity Hospital, erected in 1887 and was also responsible for the layout of the Meakin estate. George B. Ford served as Surveyor to the Wolstanton Rural District Council and was also surveyor and valuer to the Wolstanton and Burslem Poor Law Union.

It is suggested that George B Ford may have been the model for Osmond Orgreave, the architect, who featured in Arnold Bennett’s book, Clayhanger. In his book Bennett provided a detailed and, mostly  accurate description of the process of estate development in “Bleakridge” (Cobridge).

In 1888 he took his nephew William Ford Slater, into partnership, under the style of Ford and Slater. The partnership formally ended upon G B Ford’s death in 1902. However, W F Slater and his successors continued to practice from the same office still under the style of Ford and Slater until the 1960s.

George Beardmore Ford served as a councillor from 1878 and was Mayor of Burslem in 1883-1885. He remained Alderman of the council until his retirement in 1900. He died at his residence Sidmouth Avenue, Newcastle-under-Lyme on 10 December 1902. He never married.

Address
1869        Wedgewood Chambers, Burslem
1902        Overhouse Chambers, Burslem.

Residence
1841        Pleasant Street, Burslem (census)
1861        Chell Heath, Chell (census)
1871        Rushton Grange, Burslem, (census)
1881        200 Waterloo Road, Burslem (census)
1891-1902    Sidmouth Avenue, Newcastle-under-Lyme,

Obituary        Builder v83, 27 December 1902, page 611 (under name of George Beadmore Ford)
Probate         6 February 1903 at London

NOTE Works listed below are those carried out before 1888. Works after this date are recorded under the Ford and Slater partnership