Kelly & Birchall

Kelly & Birchall, a partnership between Edward Birchall (1839 – 6 March 1903)[1] and John Kelly (1840–1904),[2] was an architectural practice based in Leeds, England, from 1886 to 1904[3] and specialising in churches in the Italianate and Gothic Revival styles.

Kelly & Birchall
St Patrick's Church, Soho Square, central London, built by Kelly & Birchall in 1891–93
Practice information
Key architectsJohn Kelly
Edward Birchall
Founded1886
Dissolved1904
LocationLeeds
Significant works and honors
BuildingsSt Patrick's Church, Soho Square (Grade II* listed); St Luke's Church, Kingston upon Thames (Grade II listed)

Works

The partnership between Edward Birchall, who had practised in Leeds since the early 1860s,[1] and John Kelly, who had previously been in partnership with Richard Life Adams (1840–83), was established in 1886.[4]

The church of St Mary of Bethany, New Wortley, Leeds was one of Kelly & Birchall's earliest projects. Initially worked on by Adams & Kelly, Kelly & Birchall took it to completion. Built in 1885 at a cost of £5,600, it featured a spire of 135 feet and a brick-lined interior. St Mary of Bethany was demolished in 1975.[5] Two more of Kelly & Birchall's Leeds buildings have also since been demolished. The original All Hallows Church, on the corner of Hyde Park Road and Regent Terrace, Leeds, built in 1876 at an estimated cost of £10,585, was destroyed by fire on 27 April 1970, though the vicarage remains.[6] The Roman Catholic church of St Francis of Assisi, Manor Road, Holbeck, built in 1896, was closed and demolished in 1979.[7]

Kelly & Birchall designed the Grade II listed St Luke's Church on Gibbon Road in Kingston upon Thames, built between 1886 and 1887[8] and the Grade II* listed St Patrick's Church, Soho Square (a Roman Catholic church in central London), built between 1891 and 1893.[9][10]

In Leeds they also designed the Central Higher Grade School[11] (later known as Leeds Higher Grade School)[12] in Woodhouse Lane; this was built in 1889, with an attic added in 1890 by William Landless,[12] who had been clerk of works at Kelly & Birchall, executing designs on their behalf.[13] The building was converted to Council offices in 1994–95.[12]

John Kelly went on to design several notable churches, including All Saints' Church, Petersham[14] in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (Grade II listed, and now a private residence). Kelly's Roman Catholic churches, which also include St Agatha's Roman Catholic Church, Kingston upon Thames[8] and Sacred Heart Church, Teddington in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames,[15][16][17] are all in a distinctive Italianate style, with Romanesque features and some with large campanile.

Towards the end of his career, Kelly was short-listed for, but failed to win, the contract for the Cathedral Church of St Anne's, Leeds.[18] Approaching retirement, Kelly established a new practice, John Kelly & Sons, in Oxford Street, London. The church of St Alban and St Stephen in St Albans dates from this time.[19] Following John Kelly's death in 1904, his son Claude Kelly took over the practice. The design of St Peter's Church, Aldrington in Hove (Grade II listed), attributed to Claude, is believed to have also been worked on by his father.[20]

Edward Birchall's other work includes the country house Tylney Hall in Hampshire, built in 1879, which is Grade II listed[21] and is now a hotel,[22] and Carlton Hill Friends Meeting House (1868) which was the principal Quaker Meeting House in Leeds. Part of the building became a clothing factory in 1921, with the Quakers continuing to meet in a schoolroom at the back until 1979.[23] The building was refurbished by Leeds Metropolitan University in 2007 and is now called Old Broadcasting House.[24] It has a blue plaque, erected by Leeds Civic Trust, commemorating Birchall and the history of the building.[25]

See also

References
  1. "Edward Birchall". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  2. "John Kelly". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  3. "Kelly & Birchall". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  4. "Former Church Institute, corner of Albion Place and Lands Lane". The Victorian Web. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  5. "St Mary of Bethany Church, demolition". Leodis – a photographic archive of Leeds. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  6. "History". All Hallows Church, Leeds. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  7. Minnis, John (2008). "religion and place in Leeds – A Survey and Gazetteer of Places of Worship 1900–2005" (PDF). English Heritage. ISSN 1749-8775. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  8. Cherry, Bridget and Pevsner, Nikolaus (1983). The Buildings of England – London 2: South. London: Penguin Books. p. 313. ISBN 0-14-0710-47-7.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. Cherry, Bridget and Pevsner, Nikolaus (1973). The Buildings of England – London 1: The Cities of London and Westminster (third edition). London: Penguin Books. p. 514. ISBN 0-14-0710-12-4.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. "St Patrick – Soho". Taking Stock: Catholic Churches of England & Wales. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  11. "Central Higher Grade School". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  12. Wrathmell, Susan (ed.) (2005). Pevsner Architectural Guides: Leeds. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 29 and 153–4. ISBN 0-300-10736-6.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  13. "William Landless". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  14. Cherry, Bridget and Pevsner, Nikolaus (1983). The Buildings of England – London 2: South. London: Penguin Books. p. 514. ISBN 0-14-0710-47-7.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. Reynolds, Susan, ed. (1962). "Teddington: Roman catholicism". A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington. Institute of Historical Research. p. 79. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  16. Cherry, Bridget and Pevsner, Nikolaus (1983). The Buildings of England – London 2: South. London: Penguin Books. p. 535. ISBN 0-14-0710-47-7.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. "The Sacred Heart – Teddington". Taking Stock: Catholic Churches of England & Wales. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  18. "Leeds – Cathedral Church of St Anne". Taking Stock: Catholic Churches of England & Wales. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  19. "St Alban and St Stephen – St Albans". Taking Stock: Catholic Churches of England & Wales. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  20. Historic England. "St Peter's Church, Aldrington (1209728)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  21. Historic England. "Tylney Hall (1000176)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  22. "History". Tylney Hall Hotel. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  23. "Carlton Hill Friends Meeting House". Open Plaques. Open Heritage. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  24. "A short history of Leeds Quakers". Leeds Quakers. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  25. Dalton, Ben (19 November 2010). "Edward Birchall blue plaque". Carlton Hill Friends Meeting House. Flikr. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  26. Ullathorne, Alice. "History and Architecture of St Agnes' Church". St Agnes' United Church, Leeds. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  27. Historic England. "Our Lady of Grace and St Edward, Chiswick (1096073)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  28. "Leeds – Holy Family". Taking Stock: Catholic Churches of England & Wales. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  29. "St Agatha – Kingston". Taking Stock: Catholic Churches of England & Wales. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  30. "St Laurence – Petersfield". Taking Stock: Catholic Churches of England & Wales. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
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