Thomas Blashill was born in Sutton-in-Holdernesse, Hull, England in October 1830 [or 1831 - sources differ]. He subsequently moved to London and studied at University College, London and spent three years training in the office of Thomas Edward Knightley (1823?-1904). In 1866 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) and in 1877 a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA).
In 1876 he was appointed District Surveyor for Bethnal Green East by the Metropolitan Board of Works and in 1886 was made of Superintending Architect of Metropolitan Buildings and Architect and Superintending Architect of the Board. When the board was abolished in 1889 and replaced by the London County Council Blashill became Superintending Architect of Metropolitan Buildings and Architect to the Council a post he held until his death.
During his tenure he was responsible for designing the Old County Hall, Spring Gardens, the Boundary Estate, the Millbank Estate and the entrances for the Blackwall Tunnel. He also designed a number of fire stations and parks buildings.
Blashill died in London on 19 or 20 January 1905
See: Historic England [link below]
Blashill, Thomas. ‘The Housing of the Working Classes of London in the Future’. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health vol. 21, no. 2, April 1900 pp.321-337
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
Matthews, J. Douglas. ‘Thomas Blashill’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 12, 28 January 1905 pp. 211-212
Matthews, J. Douglas. ‘Thomas Blashill’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 12, 11 March 1905 pp. 309-311
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 88, 28 January 1905 pp. 98-99
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 88, 4 February 1905 pp. 127