William Henry Bidlake [also known as W.H. Bidlake; and as William Bidlake] was born in Wolverhampton, England on 12 May 1862. After studying at Christ's College, Cambridge, he was articled to his father, George Bidlake (1829?-1892) in Wolverhampton). He then worked in the office of James Tait (1834?-1915) in 1882. Later that year he moved to London where worked as an assistant to Robert William Edis (1839-1927), and to George Frederick Bodley (1827-1907) and Thomas Garner (1839-1906) of Bodley & Garner up to 1886. He also attended the Royal Academy Schools in London in 1883. He qualified as an architect in 1887 and commenced independent practice as an architect in Birmingham that year. For a short period he was associated with John Cotton (1844-1934).
From 1893 he lectured on the history of Architecture at Birmingham School of Architecture, and from 1919 to 1922 was Director of the School. He was also Professor of architecture at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists from 1902 to 1938. He was co-author, with Halsey Ralph Ricardo and John Cash, of The Modern Home: A Book of British Domestic Architecture for Moderate Incomes (1906).
Bidlake was a Pugin Student in 1885 and was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1888 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1922.
His address was given as 24 Waterloo Street, Birmingham in 1887; Victoria Buildings, Temple Row, Birmingham in 1926; 37 Waterloo Street, Birmingham in 1914 and 1926; and "Vespers", Fair Crouch Road, Wadhurst, East Sussex in 1930 and 1938.
Bidlake retired to East Sussex in 1923 and died in Wadhurst, East Sussex on 6 April 1938
A biographical file on William Henry Bidlake is available on request at the Enquiry Desk, Royal Institute of British Architects Library, London
Architectural projects by Bidlake included The Dene, 2 Bracebridge Road, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham (1895-96); Woodside, 51 Bracebridge Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield (1898); 17 Barker Road, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham (1898); St Oswald's Church, Small Heath, Birmingham (1892–99); 18 Dora Road, Small Heath, Birmingham (1899); College of Art, Balsall Heath, Birmingham (1899); chancel, St Patrick's Church, Salter Street, Hockley Heath, Birmingham (1899); Woodgate, 37 Hartopp Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield (1900); Garth House, 47 Edgbaston Park Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham (1901); Emmanuel Church, Sparkbrook Birmingham (1901); St Agatha's Church, Stratford Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham (1901); 100 Sampson Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham (St Agatha's Vicarage) (1901); St Winnow, 22 Ladywood Road, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham (1902); Bishop Latimer Memorial Church, Winson Green, Birmingham (1904); The Knoll, Glebe Road, Oadby, Leicestershire (1907); St Andrew's Church, Oxhill Road, Handsworth, Birmingham (1907–09); restoration of St Matthew's Church, Shuttington, Warwickshire (1908-09); Emmanuel Church, Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield (1909); gates and lodge, Handsworth Cemetery (1909); Mortuary Chapel, Handsworth Cemetery (1910); St Clears, 79 Farquhar Road, Birmingham (1914); Sparkhill United Church, Stratford Road (1932–33).
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See also List of Architectural Works of William Henry Bidlake (1861-1938) in Mitchell, Trevor. ’W. H. Bidlake' pp. 392-397 [Bibliography below]
Bidlake, W. H. 'Pitfalls on commencing practice'. The Builder vol. 61, 1891 pp. 351-353, 365-368
Bidlake, W. H. The architect and the public'. The Builder vol. 72, 1897 pp. 194-198
Bidlake, W. H. 'The study and deliniation of old buildings'. The Builder vol. 83, 1902 pp. 600-604
By Hammer and Hand: the Arts and Crafts Movement in Birmingham. Edited by Alan C. Crawford. Birmingham, England: Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, 1984
Crawford, W. H. 'Bidlake' in Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architects Volume 1. Edited by Adolf K. Plakzek. New York and London: Macmillan and Free Press, 1982 p. 206
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Gray, A. Stuart. Edwardian architecture: a biographical dictionary. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 1985
Hamilton, Alec. Arts & Crafts Churches. London: Lund Humphries, 2020
Mitchell, Trevor G. W. H. Bidlake, Architect 1861-1938. 2 vols. M.Phil. thesis, Manchester University, 1994
Mitchell, Trevor. ’W. H. Bidlake'. in Birmingham’s Victorian and Edwardian Architects, edited by Phillada Ballard. Wetherby, Yorkshire: Oblong Creative for the Birmingham and West Midlands Group of the Victorian Society, 2009 pp. 367-399
‘Obituary’. Architect’s Journal vol. 87, 14 April 1938 p. 616
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 154, 15 April 1938 p. 736
‘Obituary’. RIBA Journal vol. 45, 25 April 1938 pp. 622-623
‘Obituary’. RIBA Journal vol. 45, 25 May 1938 p. 23 May 1938
Stamp, Gavin. The English House 1860-1914. Catalogue of an exhibition of photographs and drawings. London: InternationalArchitect and the Building Centre Trust, 1980 p. 57
Webster, Sutton. 'W. H. Bidlake 1862-1938'. Architecture West Midlands vol. 26, 1976 pp. 17-25