Thomas Brammall Daniel

• Born      26 September 1873
• Died       15 November 1956

Thomas Brammall Daniel, the only son of Thomas Garner and Sarah Brammall Daniel, was born at Crumpsall on 26 September 1873. He was educated privately, before being articled to J D Harker ARIBA of Manchester 1889-1894. After time spent working as an assistant to J D Harker, H S Fairhurst 1894-1901 he set up in independent  practice at 18, John Dalton Street, Manchester 1901-1906.

 After emigrating to Canada in late 1906 he settled in Montreal where for the next five years he worked as assistant in the offices of R M Rodden, with Brown & Vallance, and with Hutchison & Wood. He was considered a talented designer and delineator who was awarded First Prize in the 1907 competition for the Canadian Home Industries Exhibit Rooms (C.A.B., xx, Jan. 1907, vii). In 1910 he was noted as designer of a large residence at Isle Cadieux, Quebec,  for R.P. Cowen (C.R., xxiv, 27 July 1910, 25). By 1911 Daniel was an Associate Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and in 1912 he was appointed Honorary Secretary, Board of Examiners, Province of Saskatchewan, Canada. In this same year was elected Licentiate member of the RIBA, his Fellowship following in 1921.

In May 1911 he moved to Saskatoon and joined in partnership with Norman Livingston Thompson and Guy Buller Colthurst, with offices at Room 401, Drinkle Building, 133 Twenty-first Street East, Saskatoon. Together the firm was credited with some of the most distinctive and progressive work in Saskatoon including), the YWCA (1911), and the McLean Block (1911-12). Their most accomplished work was the remarkably sophisticated and mature Gothic Revival design for St. John’s Anglican Church, Saskatoon, (1912-1913), one of finest 20th century ecclesiastical works in western Canada. Much of the design, and the extraordinary terra cotta detailing throughout the building, can be credited to T. Brammall Daniel, and this building can rightly be considered his masterpiece. When Thompson left the firm in February 1914 Daniel & Colthurst continued to work together until 1915 when the firm was dissolved. In 1916 he listed his recreations as yachting, and fencing; his politics as Conservative; and his religion as Anglican.

T B Daniel returned to England in 1918 and about 1920 joined in partnership with Horace Walter Parnacott ARIBA. (partnership dissolved 29 September 1923) at Members' Mansions, 36, Victoria-street, Westminster, S.W.1, under the style of T Brammall Daniel, FRIBA, and H W Parnacott, ARIBA, Architects. Works include commercial buildings at London Docks, the Empire Memorial Sailors' Hostel, Salmon Lane, Limehouse, London E14, and the YMCA at Plaistow.

Thomas Brammall Daniel died on 15 November 1956 at Chislehurst, Kent, the funeral service being held at Eltham Crematorium on Tuesday 20 November 1956.

 Address
1905        T B Daniels (sic) 18 John Dalton Street, Manchester
1911        Room 401, Drinkle Building, 133 Twenty-first Street East, Saskatoon
1916        Central Chambers Saskatoon
1919        75 Mark Lane, London EC
1923        Members' Mansions, 36, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W.1,

Residence
1881        16 Seymour Road, Crumpsall, Manchester (Census)
1907        Montreal, Canada
1911        202 Tenth Street, (Nutana) Saskatoon (Henderson’s Directory 1911)
1956        Chislehurst, Kent


Reference    C W Parker Northern Who’s Who: a biographical dictionary (Canada) 1916
Reference    RIBA Journal April 1957 page 247 - obituary
Reference    Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada