Richard Bassnett Preston

• Born : 1855
• Baptism : 22 March 1855 at St James, Gorton, Manchester
• Married (I) : 1887 Mary Lomax Bleakley
• Married (II) : 27 November 1912 Florence Moore Mann
• Died : 30 October 1934 Barnstaple Devon

Richard Bassnett Preston was the son of Anthony Taylor Preston, surgeon, and Charlotte Augusta of Chorlton on Medlock.  He was baptised on 22 March 1855 at St James’s Church Gorton by R. Bassnett Rector, presumably a relation on his maternal side. Following the death of his father, his mother re-married. In 1886 Preston lived with his mother and step-father at 16 St John Street, Deansgate, Manchester. Educated privately he was articled to J S Crowther for three years. He started his own practice at 16 Tib Lane, off Cross Street around 1880 specialising in church architecture. Almost immediately he entered into partnership with W A Vaughan. Preston and Vaughan had moved to 24 Cross Street by 1883 and were at Diocesan House 51 South King Street in 1886. They were in partnership until about 1898 when Vaughan retired. Preston gained his ARIBA on 20 March 1882 proposed by G T Redmayne, E Salomans, J Holden. He was listed as a retired associate in 1932. He was also a member of the Manchester Society of Architects.

For the next twenty years R B Preston practised alone, moving to the newly completed Diocesan Offices at Church House, 90 Deansgate. In 1908 R Bassnett Preston has the title Architect and Diocesan Surveyor to the archdeaconry of Manchester a post he appeared to hold until 1920. According to a pupil of the time the practice was almost exclusively concerned with neo-Gothic churches, with the occasional rectory; to quote Cecil Stewart “impeccably correct in detail, built to last until the Day of Judgement, and very, very dull!” built generally of Accrington bricks, with terra-cotta window jambs, mullions and tracery and internally arcades of the same materials. The terra cotta blocks, filled with fine concrete, simulated the stone dressings of a Gothic building. Open timber roofs of Oregon pine covered with Westmorland slates ensured that no harm should come to the structure below. Woodwork fittings were detailed meticulously, leaving little enjoyment or scope to the craftsman

Nonetheless, He was successful in many competitions for churches and other buildings, notably that for the Church of Emmanuel at Southport one of the largest churches in the north of England. Other works included a church at Ringway and schools at Knutsford for the Right Hon. Earl Egerton of Tatton; St. Augustine's Church and Vicarage, Brinksway; St. Alban's Church, Stockport; St. Aidan's Church, Manchester; All Saints' Church and Schools, Heaton Norris; Burgess Street School for the Manchester School Board, and many private residences and vicarages, seven of the former being at Disley.

After the First World War, Preston was joined in partnership by his chief assistant, Robert Martin LRIBA Martin was born in 1872 and trained in the offices of Preston and Vaughan from 1884 becoming chief assistant.  The partnership ended on Preston’s retirement about 1926.

Richard Bassnett Preston of The Firs Barnstaple Devonshire, died on 30 October 1934

Address:
1881 : 16, Tib Lane (Cross Street) Manchester
1886 : Preston & Vaughan architects. Diocesan Chambers. 51, South King Street (Slater)
1895 : Preston & Vaughan architects Diocesan Chambers. 51, South King Street. (Slater)
1899 : Richard Bassnett Preston ARIBA FMSA Diocesan Chambers. 51, South King Street
1900-1903 : Richard Bassnett Preston ARIBA FMSA Diocesan Chambers 51, South King Street
1909 : Richard Bassnett Preston architect and diocesan surveyor for the Manchester archdeaconry. Diocesan Chambers 51, South King Street, Manchester
1911 : Richard Bassnett Preston architect and diocesan surveyor for the Manchester archdeaconry. Diocesan Chambers 51, South King Street, Manchester
1921-1927 : Preston and Martin, Church House, 90 Deansgate, Manchester

Residence
1881 : 16 St John Street, Manchester (census)  
1881 : 16 St John Street, Deansgate, Manchester (Slater)
1887 : 7 Parsonage Street Heaton Norris
1895 : Wrencote Disley (Slater)
1903 : Wrencote Disley
1909 : Wrencote Disley and The Garth Grange-over-Sands (Slater)
1911 : Wrencote Disley and The Garth Grange-over-Sands (Slater)
1934 : Richard Bassnett Preston, The Firs Barnstaple Devonshire