Thomas Francis Ord Rippingham [commonly known as Thomas Francis Ord Rippingham; or as T. F. O. Rippingham] was born at at 51 Kendal Road, Deritend, Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England on 29 January 1896. He was articled to Alfred Hill Parker (1851-1929) in Worcester and having completed his articles remained with him for over three years as his assistant.
After serving in the Army from 1916 to 1920 he settled in Ireland and from 1922 to the late 1950s was employed an architect at the Ministry of Finance, Department of Works and Public Buildings in Belfast. During his time at the Department he was responsible for the design or overseeing the design of numerous architectural projects in the province, notably barracks for the Royal Ulster Constabulary throughout Ulster.
It would seem that Rippingham also worked on architectural projects independent of the Department of Works. A design for a house by him was submitted in The "Daily Mail" Ideal Houses Competition for Architects in 1927.
Rippingham was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1922. From c.1949 he was Architect to Queen's University, Belfast. He retired as an architect in 1957.
His address was given as 42 Upper Manor Street, Chelsea, London in 1922; 21, Osborne Drive, Bangor, Northern Ireland in 1927; 32 Osborne Drive, Belfast in 1957; and 6 Fifth Avenue, Bangor, Co. Down in 1964. He died in Banger, Co. Down, Northern Ireland on 17 December 1964.
See: Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940 - A list of works by of T.F.O. Rippingham [link below]