Adams, Maurice Bingham 1849 - 1933

Maurice Bingham Adams was born in Brighton, Sussex, England in 1849 and worked for two building firms in Brighton, Sussex in 1865-66 before being articled to Horatio Nelson Goulty (1829?-1869) in Brighton from 1867. He then worked as an assistant to Sir William Emerson (1843-1924) and to Thomas Maynard, Parish Surveyor. From 1870 to 1872 he was Clerk of Works and architect to Philip Causton Lockwood, Borough Surveyor of Brighton.

Adams commenced independent practice as an architect in London in 1873. He was architect to Brighton Borough Council, and architect to Chiswick Charity Trustees. He was also on the staff of Building News from 1872 to 1923.

Adams was a key figure in the early development of Bedford Park in Chiswick. He not only lived there from 1878, but designed many of the properties in the community including houses, the Church Hall, and the School of Art in Bath Road. He also completed St. Michael and All Angels Church, begun by Richard Norman Shaw

Notable among his commissions outside Bedford Park was Camberwell Polytechnic and Art Gallery (1902). He also designed town and country houses in and around London and for clients in the USA and Australia, and several public libraries including the Passmore Edwards Library in Acton, London (1898-1900), and the Carnegie Free Libraries in Bromley, Kent and Eltham, London (1905).

Adams was author of Artists' Homes : a portfolio of drawings including the houses and studios of several eminent painters, sculptors and architects (London: Batsford: 1883); Examples of Old English Houses and Furniture (London: Batsford, 1888); and Modern Cottage Architecture (London: Batsford, 1904; revised, 2nd edition, 1912).

He was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1876, and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1886.

His address was given as 31 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London in 1876 and 1893; 332 Strand, London and Kirkote, Chiswick Park, London in 1886; 14 Woodstock Road, Bedford Park, 1894 and 1899; Clement House, Clement's Inn Passage, London in 1905; "Edenhurst", Bedford Park, Chiswlck in 1914; Effingham House, Arundel Street, Strand, London in 1914 and 1923; and 1, Marlborough Crescent, Bedford Park, Chiswlck in 1926.

He died in Bedford Park, London on 17 August 1933.

Worked in

Works

Chiswlck School of Art; Completion of St. Michael and All Angels' Church and Chapel of All Souls and Parish Hall, Bedford Park; Public Libraries — Shepherd's Bush, Edmonton, Acton, St. George's-in-the-East, Shoreditch, Camberwell, Eltham — the last part of scheme for town hall, public baths, public offices, and electricity station; restoration of Blickling Hall, Norfolk, for Lady Lothian; Queensmead, Windsor, for General the Hon. Sir Reginald Talbot; South London Art Galleries extension (Lord Leighton Memorial) and Polytechnic, Peckham Road; Public Baths, Camberwell; Epileptic Homes, &c. Passmore Edwards Colony, Chalfont; "The Red House", Harpenden; Mausoleum, Rookwood; houses near Sydney, N.S.W.; railway station and houses for Mr. E. S. Wllde. New Jersey, U.S.A.; "Little Benhams", Rusper, Sussex; Working Men's Home, Pegwell Bay; Workmen's Social Club, Sheerness: London School of Economics, Clare Market; National Burglary and Fire Insurance Offices, E.C.; Seaside House, Kingsdown, Kent; Church Schools at Woolwich (or Canon Horsley; the Lowder Memorial Clergy House and Memorial Baptistery, St. Peter's, London Docks; extensions of "the Cedars", Chiswick; Restoration All Saints, South Acton; House at Stevenage; Bungalow, Nine Mile Drive, Barks.; Monument to Hon. John Frazer, Sydney; Bailiff's House, Westcott, Surrey; Blackwood Church, S. Wales; groups of cottages, Port Sunlight, for Messrs. Lever Bros.; designed furniture for Messrs. Gillow & Co., Messrs. Foster A Cooper, Mr. Watt, and others. Assessor in competitions for Belfast Garden Estate, Wakefield Public Library, &c, &c. For some time one of the examiners for National Competitions in Art, South Kensington. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]

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Chiswick school of Art; Completion of St Michael and All Angels' Church and Chapel of All Souls and Parish Hall, Bedford Park; Public Libraries — Shepherd's Bush, Edmonton, Acton, St, Georges-in-the-East, Shoreditch, Camberwell. Eltham — the last part of scheme for town hall, public baths, public offices and electricity station; restoration of Blickling Hall, Norfolk; Queensmead, Windsor; South London Art Galleries extension (Lord Lelghton Memorial) and Polytechnic, Peckham Road; Public Baths, Camberwell and Kingston; Epileptic Homes, etc., Passmore Edwards Colony, Chalfont; "The Red House", Harpenden; Mausoleum, Rookwood; houses near Sydney, N.S.W.; railway station and houses. Now Jersey, U.S.A.; "Little Benhams", Rusper, Sussex; Working Men's Home, Pegwell Bay; Workmen's Social Club, Sheerness; London School of Economics, Clare Market; National Burglary and Fire Insurance Offices, E.C.; Seaside House, Klngsdown, Kent; Church Schools at Woolwich; the Lowder Memorial Clergy House and Memorial Baptistery, St. Peter's, London Docks; extensions of "The Cedars", Chiswick; restoration of All Saints', South Acton; house at Stevenage; Bungalow, Nine Mile Drive, Berks; monument to Hon. John Frazer, Sydney; bailiff's house, Westcott, Surrey; Blackwood Church, S. Wales: groups of cottages, Port Sunlight, for Messrs. Lever Bros.; War Memorials at Holybourne (Hants), Springfield (Essex), Tottenham, and Hammersmith Parish Church. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1923]

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