Edmund Kirby was born in Liverpool, England on 8 April 1838 and was a pupil of Edward Welby Pugin (1834-1875) in London. He also attended the Royal Academy Schools in London. He was an assistant to John Douglas (1830-1911) in Chester before commencing independent practice as an architect in Birkenhead in c.1863. By 1866 he had relocated the practice to Liverpool.
In 1905 he formed a partnership with his sons Francis Joseph Kirby (1873-1945) and Edmund Bertram Kirby (1881-1953) as Edmund Kirby & Sons. They in turn took over the running of the practice following their father's retirement in 1917.
Kirby worked mainly in North-West England. He was a follower of the Roman Catholic faith and most of his many ecclesiastical commissions came from the Roman Catholic Church.
Edmund Kirby was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1867, and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1888. He was also a member of the Liverpool Architectural Society and its President.
Kirby's address was given as Derby Buildings, Fenwick Street, Liverpool in 1868; and Union Buildings, 5 Cook Street, Liverpool in 1880 and 1914. He died in Birkenhead, Cheshire on 24 April 1920.
Architectural projects by Kirby's practice included St Wilfrid's Church in Northwich, Cheshire (1864-66); St Mary's Church in Middlewich, Cheshire (1865); additions to Dee House, on Chester, Cheshire (1867); Dene House in Great Budworth, Cheshire (1868-69); St. Clare's Convent in Pantasaph, Flintshire, Wales (1868-1907); St Mary’s Schools in Dukinfield, near Manchester (1872); Sacred Heart Church, Hindsford, Greater Manchester (1869); St Werburgh's Church in Chester, Cheshire (1873-75); St Gregory's Church in Farnworth, Greater Manchester (1873-75); Blessed Sacrament Church in Walton, Liverpool (1876-78); Redcourt in Prenton, Birkenhead, Cheshire (1876-78); St Thomas' Church in Waterloo, Lancashire (1877); Methodist Church in Weaverham, Cheshire (1878); Union Building, Cook Street, Liverpool (1878); St Michael and All Angels Church in Little Leigh, Northwich, Cheshire (1878-79); Our Lady's Church in Parbold, Lancashire (1878-84); Trident House, Liverpool (1879); Reform Club 31 – 33 Dale St , Liverpool (1879); Mere Hall in Birkenhead, Cheshire (1879-82); Dene Wellhouse in Great Budworth, Cheshire (1880); Midland Bank in Llanrwst, Conwy, Wales (1880); Rathmore in Birkenhead, Cheshire (c.1880); Venice Chambers in Liverpool (1882); Arnot Street Schools in Walton, Liverpool (1884-94); Arnot St School, Liverpool (1885); Church of St Thomas Aquinas and St Stephen Harding in Market Drayton, Shropshire (1886); St. Cross Church in Appleton Thorn, Cheshire (1886-87); Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea in Seacombe, Wallasey, Cheshire (1888-89); St Lawrence's Church in Birkenhead, Cheshire (1889-90); offices and warehouse for Ellis and Company in Liverpool (1889-90); Rainbow House, school board offices in Walton, Liverpool (c.1890); Providence Cottage in Great Budworth, Cheshire (1891); Church Hall, Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Manchester (1892); St Mary's Catholic Schools in Wrexham, Wales (1893); St John's Church in High Legh, Cheshire (1893); St Hildeburgh's Church in Hoylake, Wirral, Cheshire (1897-99); The York Dispensary in York, Yorkshire (1897-99); houses in Port Sunlight, Cheshire (1899); Holy Name of Jesus Church in Oxton, Birkenhead, Chershire (1899-1900); St Joseph's Church in Tranmere, Birkenhead, Cheshire (1899-1900); Barclay's Bank in Parliament Street, York (1901); St Michael and St James' Church in Haunton, Staffordshire (1901-02); Church of St Peter and St Francis in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales (1903); St Vincent de Paul's Church in Altringham, Lancashire (1904-05); Queen Victoria Monument in Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, Cheshire (1905); Our Lady and the Apostles' Church in Stockport, Cheshire (1905); Manor Road School in Liscard, Cheshire (1905); Edward VII Memorial Clock Tower in Birkenhead, Cheshire (1911); London City and Midland Bank in Birkenhead, Cheshire (1911); and St John the Baptist's Church in Meols, Cheshire (1911-13).
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See also:
British Listed Buildings [link below]
Historic England [link below]
Wikipedia. List of works by Edmund Kirby [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’. The Builder vol. 118, 21 May 1920 p. 598
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 27, 1920 p. 364
‘Obituary’. The Tablet 1 May 1920 p. 602