Name

William Raby

Designation
Architect
Born
1815
Place of Birth
Manchester
Location
Manchester
Died
1892
  • Born :  1815 at Manchester
  • Died : 28 May 1892, “Esthwaite,” Didsbury, Manchester
  • Burial : 31 May 1892 at Southern Cemetery, Manchester

OBITUARY: WILLIAM RABY - Mr William Raby, a well-known surveyor and valuer of this city died on Saturday at the residence of his son-in-law in Didsbury from pneumonia in his 77th year. He was born in Manchester in 1815. Within his experience, green fields stretched up to St Peter’s Church and he actually caught fish in the River Irwell, so he had seen the growth of a large portion of Manchester. He was the pupil of Mr Richard Lane, a noted church architect who erected many of the churches in and about Manchester. He then devoted time and energy in assisting the development of the great trunk railway lines and he was associated with many engineers in schemes designed between 1845 and 1856. He set out Victoria Park and a large portion of Moss Side at the Withington Road end of the Lloyd estate. In 1856 he entered into partnership with Mr Edward Corbett and turned his attention to assessment valuation and sanitary works. For a while he was surveyor to the Moss Side Local Board in conjunction with Mr Corbett, and later on was surveyor to the Newton Heath Local Board. The partnership with Mr Corbett was dissolved in 1874 and he subsequently carried on his business with his son, Mr J W Raby as partner up to his decease. The firm were well-known as experienced rating valuers and enjoyed the confidence of important union authorities and boards of overseers. In this connection Mr Raby held the appointments of Surveyor to the Board of Trade and valuer to the Boards of Overseers for the townships of Manchester, Hulme, Ardwick and Chorlton-on-Medlock.

Mr Raby attended the Oxford Road chapel for over 50 years and was a Wesleyan of the old order, and an ardent lover of the Church of England. He had occupied all the important offices in connection with the chapel, and was a teacher and afterwards superintendent of the Sunday School from the beginning of his connection with the Chapel up to the time of his death.

He was interred at Southern Cemetery on Tuesday, a service being held at the Albert Park Wesleyan Chapel, the Revs D. Coghlan, R. Green, D. Jones and H. J. Hooper taking part in the same. The chief mourners at the funeral were the sons, Messrs William Raby, J W Raby, R C Raby and H C Raby; the sons-in-law Mr T W Handley and Mr C J Brown, and the grandsons of the deceased. Representatives of the Oxford Road Wesleyan Church and Sunday School, the London Institution of Surveyors, the Manchester Surveyors and Valuers Society, the Overseers of Manchester, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Hulme and Ardwick were present along with Doctor Wansborough Jones, Doctor Prince Stallard and many old personal friends. [Manchester City News 4 June 1892 Page 3]

Address
1861    Corbett & Raby. sanitary engineers, architects, surveyors, valuers and arbitrators, 7, Queens Chambers, Market Street, Manchester. (Slaters Directory)
1871    Corbett & Raby. Cross Street Chambers (Slater's Directory)
1891    William Raby & Son. architects, surveyors, estate agents, valuers and sanitary engineers, Cross Street Chambers 78 Cross Street Manchester

Residence
1861-1863 : William Raby, architect (Corbett & Raby) 11, Wright Street, Greenheys (Slater's Directory)
1871    William Raby, architect (Corbett & Raby) 33? Acomb Street Greenheys (Slater's Directory)
1881    William Raby. Valuer Acomb Street Greenheys (Census return)
1891    William Raby, 39 Acomb Street Greenheys

Obituary    Manchester City News 4 June 1892 Page 3

 

 

Partnerships

Name Designation Formed Dissolved Location
Raby William and Son Architectural practice 1882 1892 Manchester
Corbett and Raby Architectural practice 1857 1874 Manchester