Edward Adams

• Birth Date            6 September 1888
• Baptism               30 September 1888
• Marriage              1924 to Nellie Muriel Hopkins at United Methodist Church, Oxford Road C-o-M
• Death date          7 August 1969 at 1 Falls Grove, Gatley
• Funeral               2.00pm 11 August 1969 at Gatley Congregational Church
• Cremation           2.45pm 11 August 1969 at Manchester Crematorium

The son of George Edward and Harriet Elizabeth Adams, Edward Adams was born in 1888 at Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire where his father was a building contractor. In 1910 he was articled to the architect Stephen Salter (1861-1954?) of Oxford, remaining as assistant. He was elected an Associate of the RIBA in 1913. Details of any military service during the First World War are unclear, but by 1919 he had joined the office of Harry Smith Fairhurst in Manchester, later becoming his chief assistant. He was the artist of the well-known drawing of the proposed extra storeys for the Tootal Broadhurst Lee building on Oxford Street.

In 1924 he married Nellie Muriel Hopkins at the United Methodist Church, Oxford Road Chorlton-on-Medlock. They had issue two children – Joy and Michael, and lived in Gatley. Edwards Adams died suddenly at his home on 7 August 1969 and was cremated at Manchester Crematorium.

In addition to Gatley Congregational Church, works for which he is individually credited include:

Shipston-on-Stour War Memorial, St. Edmund's Churchyard, Church Street, Shipston on Stour, Stratford On Avon, Warwickshire (1920). Memorial integrated with Churchyard wall. Stonework EM and H Nuttall of Whitefield, Manchester.

Ipswich Cenotaph Christchurch Park, Fonnerau Road, Ipswich (1924) - Mr Edward Adams, ARIBA, of Manchester was responsible for the design of the memorial, which was thrown open to competition by all British architects, over 200 of whom submitted drawings. The underlying principle of Mr. Adams's conception is repose, obtained by the horizontal distribution of the masses of the screen, broken and contrasted by the vertical mass of the cenotaph, the general effect being rather severe. The memorial stands on raising ground, in a sheltered and quiet corner of the park. Constructed in Portland stone of particularly fine quality, it does infinite credit to the contractors, Messrs. Collins and Curtis, of Ipswich, a firm in which both partners are ex-service men. The bronze work was executed with great care by Messrs. Earp, Hobbs and Miller, sculptors, of Manchester.

Address
1910    Carfax Chambers, High Street, Oxford - office of Stephen Salter born 1861. (RIBA Kalendar 1913-14)
1913    Carfax Chambers, High Street, Oxford - office of Stephen Salter born 1861.
1919    c/o Harry S Fairhurst 54 Mosley Street, Manchester
1936    c/o Harry S Fairhurst Lombard Chamber, Brown Street, Manchester

Residence
1888    Shipston on Stour, South Warwickshire (census)
1913    West Street, Shipston on Stour, South Warwickshire (RIBA Directory)
1920    9 Herbert Street, Whitworth Park (RIBA Kalendar)
1969    1 Falls Grove, Gatley (probate) (death notice)

Death Notice             Manchester Guardian 9 August 1969 page 2
Acknowledgements    Manchester Guardian 14 August 1969 page 2
Information              Richard Fletcher