James Thorburn Cackett was born in Hartlepool, Durham, England in 1860. He was a pupil of the architect L. H. Armour in Gateshead from 1876 and later worked as his managing assistant. He commenced independent practice as an architect in 1884. From 1899 he was in partnership with Robert Burns Dick (1868-1954) in Newcastle-upon-Tyne as Cackett & Burns Dick. In 1923 Robert Norman Houghton MacKellar (1890-1973) joined the partnership and by 1928 the practice had been renamed Cackett, Burns Dick & MacKellar.
Cackett was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1892. He was also a member of the Northern Architectural Association its President and Hon. Treasurer. He died in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland on 26 March 1928.
With Robert Burns Dick:
Pilgrim House, Cross House, Newcastle; Northern Conservative and Unionist Club, Newcastle; Birth Harbour Commissioners' Offices; New "Armstrong" Naval Shipyard for Messrs. Sir William G. Armstrong, Whitworth &c Co., Walker-upon-Tyne; and many private residences, &c. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
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Goldsmiths' Hall, Barclays Bank, and other Important buildings In Newcastle; laying out of estates in Newcastle and neighbourhood. Also many large buildings In conjunction with R. Burns Dick, including Laing Art Gallery, Pilgrim House, Cross House, Northern Conservative Club, Newcastle; Messrs. Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co.'s Naval Shipyard at Walker-on-Tyne; Messrs. Short Bros.' Naval Aircraft Works, Cardington, Bedford; Seaplane Works, Rochester; extensions to works for Messrs. A. Reyrolle and Co., Hebburn-on-Tyne; Union Building, Armstrong College, Newcastle: etc. etc. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1923]
Armstrong, Barrie and Armstrong, Wendy. The Arts and Crafts movement in the North East of England: a handbook. Wetherby, England: Oblong, 2013
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
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 134, 30 March 1928 p. 524
‘Obituary’. RIBA Journal vol. 35, 14 April 1928 p. 375
Who's Who in Architecture 1923. Edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1923