Richard Knill Freeman was born in Stepney, Middlesex [now London], England in June 1840 and was articled to George Rake (1829-1883) in Portsea, Hampshire from 1854-1860. He then worked in various architectural offices in Portsmouth, Manchester and Bolton until 1863. From 1865 to 1871 he was in partnership with George Cunliffe (1839-1887) in Manchester, following which he practised alone, although he occasionally collaborated on projects and competition entries with other architects such as Stafford Denison Robins (1863-1939) who practised in Sunderland and Newcastle
Freeman was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1882. He was also a member of the Manchester Society of Architects and its President in 1890-91, and a member of the Manchester Architectural Association and its secretary in 1860.
In addition to his work as an architect Freeman was a painter, mainly of architectural subjects. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in London; the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool; Manchester City Art Gallery; and at the Royal Academy in Dublin. Freeman died in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire on 23 June 1904. His son, Frank Richard Freeman (1870–1934), was also an architect.
He designed numerous churches including St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Moscow, Russia, completed in 1884; Holy Trinity Church, Blackpool, Lancashire, completed in 1895; St Lawrence, Church in Barton, Preston, Lancashire; and St Margaret's Church in Hollingwood, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He also designed Derby Museum, Library and Art Gallery, completed in 1879.
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See also:
A list of all known buildings by R. K. Freeman compiled by David French [link below]
Architects of Greater Manchester 1800-1840 [link below]
Armstrong, Barrie and Armstrong, Wendy. The Arts and Crafts movement in the North West of England: a handbook. Wetherby, England: Oblong Creative Ltd., 2006
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
‘Obituary’. Bolton Chronicle 25 June 1904 p.8
‘Obituary’. Bolton Evening News 24 June 1904 p. 2
‘Obituary’. British Architect 1 July 1904 p. 3
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 87, 9 July 1904 pp. 46-47
‘Obituary’. Building News vol. 87, 1 July 1904 p. 9
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 11, 1904 p. 484