Name

William Dawes

Designation
architect
Born
1840
Place of Birth
Gloucester
Location
Manchester
Died
1897

Born on 14 March 1840 at North Hamlet Gloucester, the son of William Dawes, builder, William Dawes received his early education at Woodfield House and Suffolk House, Gloucester.  In 1858 he was articled to Martin Underwood, an architect in London, and later the same year moved to Denbigh where he worked in the offices of Messrs Lloyd Williams and Underwood. For the next five years he practised in architects’ offices in Denbigh, Birmingham and Manchester. He commenced practice in partnership with William Henry Hayley of Manchester in 1863. Hayley retired in 1869 and Dawes continued to work alone until 1890 when Arthur James Hoyland became his partner. This partnership was dissolved in 1893.

In the competition for the Manchester Town Hall Dawes stood eleventh on a list of thirty-six. Of his architectural work, the Victoria Building was until its destruction the best-known example, and here, no doubt, the similarity of the site enabled him to turn with good result his studies for the Town Hall.

To the wider public in Manchester William Dawes was better known under his pen-name “Elijer Goff” (qv). He was a frequent contributor to the professional architectural journals, and also to the Sphinx and other literary and humorous papers. His quick wit and powers of repartee, always good natured, made his presence welcome in numerous social, literary and artistic circles. He was a member of the Literary Club and also the Arts Club, upon whose committee he served for many years.

William Dawes died on 16 February 1897 after “a lingering illness lasting many months,” at 104 Acomb Street, Whitworth Park, Manchester. He was interred at St Paul’s Church Withington at 3.00 pm on Saturday 20 February 1897. (verified in church records).  

NOTE - In more recent times William Dawes has been widely credited (including the EH listing notice) with the design of the existing main office frontage to Victoria Station, Manchester, built between 1903-1909. Given that Dawes died in 1897, this remains a truly remarkable if not unique achievement.

Address:
1886    William Dawes architect & surveyor 2 Cooper Street, Manchester
1889    Manchester and Oxford Circus Avenue, London
1891    Dawes & Hoyland, Architects & Surveyors, 2 Cooper Street Manchester (Slaters)
1894    Dawes & Hoyland. architects and surveyors. 2, Cooper St (Slater’s)
1894    Dawes and Hoyland Cooper Street Manchester - Partnership dissolved. (Manchester Guardian 19 April 1894. Page 4)

Residence
1865    1, Sherwood Terrace Rusholme
1866    Sherwood Terrace Rusholme
1881    2 Wynnstay Grove. Withington, Manchester (census)
1886    William Dawes 4 Wynstay Grove Fallowfield
1897    104 Acomb Street, Whitworth Park, Manchester

Obituary
Manchester City News 20 February 1897. Page 2 Column 3
British Architect 19 February 1897 Page 129
The Builder Vol 72. 27 February 1897. Page 206 - from Manchester Courier
Manchester Guardian Thursday 18 February 1897. Page 8 Column 3
Manchester Weekly Times 19 February 1897
Manchester Evening News 17 February 1897 - Noted declining health for many years
Manchester Courier 17 February 1897 Page 8 Column 2 -Death of Mr William Dawes - Elijer Goff 
Manchester Courier Monday 22 February 1897 Page 6 Column 1 - funeral

References
Boarse : Modern English Biography - Volume V (D-K). 1908 supplement to Volume II
Manchester Faces & Places Volume 6 no 12 September 1895 page 186
Stewart : Stones of Manchester
Harper: Architectural Competitions
Note- Harper also includes a “William Davies.” This appears to be a spelling error and all attributions should be to Dawes.

Buildings and Designs

Building Name District Town/City County Country
Church School, Oldham. (Architectural Competition)   Oldham  GMCA  England
Church of St James Collyhurst (Architectural Competition) Collyhurst  Manchester  GMCA  England
Board School Every Street Ancoats Ancoats  Manchester  GMCA  England
Chapel at Southport (Architectural Competition)       England
Office Buildings Bank Street Sheffield   Sheffield  Yorkshire  England
Primitive Methodist Chapel and Schools Higher Ardwick Higher Ardwick  Manchester  GMCA  England
Board Schools Abbott-street (Architectural Competition)   Manchester  GMCA  England
House Broad Oak Park Worsley Broad Oak Park  Worsley  GMCA  England
Mansion Penmaenmawr North Wales Penmaenmawr  Conwy CB  Gwynedd  Wales
Woodville Tetlow Fold Cheetham Hill Manchester (no date) Cheetham Hill  Manchester  GMCA  England
Abbott Street Board Schools Rochdale Road (School No 7)   Manchester  GMCA  England
Victoria Buildings and Victoria Hotel   Manchester  GMCA  England
Victoria Hotel Central  Manchester  GMCA  England
Extensions to Wesleyan Chapel Longsight Longsight  Longsight  GMCA  England
County Asylum : Barnwood Mill Estate Gloucester (Architectural Competition)     Gloucestershire  England
Conservative Club, Church Lane, Prestwich   Prestwich  GMCA  England
Conservative Club Radcliffe   Radcliffe  GMCA  England
Welsh Calvinistic Chapel and School Broad Street Pendleton Pendleton  Salford  GMCA  England
Extension to Head Office Building Hunt’s Bank Manchester   Manchester  GMCA  England
Parsonage. Rivington Rivington  Chorley  Lancashire  England
Church of the Holy Trinity Main Street Grindsbrook Edale   Edale  Derbyshire  England
Midland Hotel Withington Withington  Manchester  GMCA  England
Addition to Hydropathic Establishment Buxton (Architectural Competition).       England
Municipal Buildings Gloucester (Architectural Competition)   Gloucester  Gloucestershire  England
Alterations: Art Club Albert Square Manchester   Manchester  GMCA  England
Plas Uchaf Abergele   Abergele  Clwyd  Wales
Villa Bellaggio Estate (Dormans Park Estate) West Sussex Bellaggio Estate  East Grinstead  West Sussex  England
Proposed New Printing Workshops near London   London  Greater London  England
Conservative Club Didsbury (no date) Didsbury  Manchester  GMCA  England
Restorations, Manchester Cathedral Central  Manchester  GMCA  England
(Former) Grand Hotel, Aytoun Street, Manchester Central  Manchester  GMCA  England
Manchester Cathedral Restorations: South Porch Central  Manchester  GMCA  England
Manchester School Board Competition (Third Premium) Ardwick  Manchester  GMCA  England

Partnerships

Name Designation Formed Dissolved Location
Dawes and Hoyland Architectural practice 1890 1893 Manchester
Hayley and Dawes Architectural practice 1865 1869 Manchester