Walter Higginbottom

• Birth date            14 November 1850 at Gorton, Manchester 
• Marriage              1884 to Harriet Elizabeth Broome (1857-1938) at Platt Unitarian Chapel, Rusholm
• Death date          11 September 1923 at Heaton Mersey 

Walter Higginbottom was born on 14 November 1850 at Gorton, Manchester, the son of Isaac Higginbottom, paper manufacturer and stainer (wallpaper manufacturer) and his wife Sarah (nee Baron). The family then moved to Islington, London, where his brother, George, was born in 1852. Sometime before 1866 the family returned to Manchester. He was educated at Highbury College and Choisey-le-Roi, near Paris before returning to his native city to become a student at Owens College in 1885. From there he was articled to Messrs Walters, Barker and Ellis, architects of Manchester. He was with them for a number of years, and then went into partnership with his brother, under the style of W. and G. Higginbotham, architects and surveyors. Walter Higginbottom was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1891 and a Fellow of the Manchester Society of Architects in 1898. He served on the committee of the Manchester Jubilee Exhibition in 1887 was a member of the Withington Local Board of Health until 1894.

W. and G. Higginbottom were responsible for the plans of many important buildings in Manchester and district, including the Exhibition House for the Manchester Royal Horticultural Society, the School Buildings for the Manchester Warehousemen’s and Clerks Orphan Schools at Cheadle Hulme, Proctor Gymnasium for the Manchester Open Spaces Committee, the Ardwick Men’s and Lads’ Club; Fylde Farm School, Poulton-le-Fylde; Ralli Brothers’ warehouse Stanley Street, Salford ; a packing warehouse for Messrs. Booth Ltd., 51-53 Piccadilly, Manchester; Clayton House Piccadilly, for Messrs. Chorlton Brothers; Messrs. Pugh, Davies Co.’s warehouse, Dale Street, Manchester,

In 1884 he married Harriet Elizabeth, the only daughter of Joseph Broome, at Platt Unitarian Chapel, Rusholme. Joseph Broome (1825-1907) was heavily involved in the social and artistic life of Manchester, being associated with the Manchester Athenaeum for over 50 years. Perhaps more significantly given Walter’s early commissions, he was also president of the committee of the  Warehousemen and Clerks’ Orphan Schools, helping to establish it in 1854 and Chairman of the Royal Botanical and Horticultural Society of Manchester, doing much to popularise the Botanical Gardens at Old Trafford.

Address 
1881-6        Walter Higginbottom MSA 1 St James Square
1897        Walter Higginbottom St Ann Street Manchester
1909        Walter Higginbottom FRIBA FMSA. 3 Cleveland Buildings 94 Market Street
1923        Walter Higginbottom, FRIBA FMSA, 3, Cleveldand Buildings, 94 Market Street

Residence
1876        No listing
1877-78    Walter Higginbottom architect Bright Villa Withington
1879        Walter Higginbottom architect Bright Villa Withington
1881        Walter Higginbottom architect "Eastham" Didsbury (Census)
1883        Walter Higginbottom architect "Eastham" Didsbury
1886        Walter Higginbottom architect "Pine Villa" Heaton Mersey
1892        Walter Higginbottom architect 24 Atwood Road, Didsbury
1895        Walter Higginbottom architect Atwood (?) Road, Beaver Park Didsbury
1896        Walter Higginbottom architect "Highbury" Heaton Mersey
1903        Walter Higginbottom architect "Highbury" Heaton Mersey
1911        Walter Higginbottom architect "Highbury" Heaton Mersey
1923        Walter Higginbottom architect "Highbury" Mauldeth Road, Heaton Mersey (probate)

Obituary    Builder v 126, 21 March 1924, page 452  
Obituary    Architects Journal 1923 page