Henry Richard Yeoville Thomason [also known as H. R. Yeoville Thomason, and as Yeoville Thomason] was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 17 July 1826 and in c.1841 was articled to Charles Edge (1800-1867) in Birmingham. He completed his articles in c.1847 and in 1848 began his career as an architect working on domestic commissions on the Calthorpe Estate in Edgbaston where he leased several plots. In 1854 he was appointed manager in the architect's department in the Borough Surveyor's Office in Birmingham. He also set up in practice at Wellington Chambers, 40 Bennett's Hill, Birmingham that year. He initially practised as H. R. Yeoville, but by 1860 was using the name Yeoville Thomason. From 1867 until his retirement in 1887 Thomason was in partnership with Cooper Whitwell (1846-1915). as Thomason & Whitwell The name of the firm was changed to C. Whitwell & Son in 1894. It was eventually dissolved in 1954.
Towards the end of his career Thomason was Architect to the Birmingham, Dudley and District Banking Co. for whom he designed their Head Office in Birmingham and several branches.
Thomason was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1862. His address was given as Avondale House, Ampton Road, Edgbaston in 1871; 4 Ampton Road, Edgbaston in 1881 and 9 Observatory Gardens, Kensington in 1891 and 1901. He died in Kensington, Middlesex [now London on 16 July 1901*
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* The National Probate Calendar for 1901 gives this as the date of his death; the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography gives it as 31 August 1901
Calthorpe Estate, Edgbaston (1848-77); Birmingham Hebrew Synagogue [also known as Singers Hill Synagogue], Blucher and Ellis Streets, Birmingham for the President and Council of the Hebrew Congregation (1854-58); Alterations to the factory of Messenger & Sons, manufacturers of bedsteads in Broad Street, Birmingham (1854); Congregational Chapel, Francis Road, Birmingham (1855-56); Church of St. John the Baptist, High Street, Harborne (1857); Congregational Chapel, Acock's Green, Birmingham (1860); Shops and Warehouses, High Street and Carr's Lane, Birmingham (1860); Rebuilding of Bridgetown Farm. Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire (1861); School Room for Hebrew School, Ellis Street, Birmingham (1862); House, Victoria Park, Aston Park, Birmingham for Mr. Harwood (1862); Offices and printing works for Arts' Birmingham Gazette, High Street, Birmingham for James Wilson, Builder (1862); Offices and printing works for Birmingham Journal (1863-64); Two cottages, Stanford in the Vale, Berkshire for Rev. C. Girdlestone (1863); Bridge over Hockley Brook, New Town Row, Birmingham for Robert Cooper (1864); Masonic Hall, New Street, Birmingham (1865); New south aisle to St. Peter's Church, Church Road, Harborne (1865-73); Alterations to branch of Birmingham Banking Co., Bennett's Hill, Birmingham (1865-77); Union Club, 67-69 Colmore Row, Birmingham (1866); Public Hall, High Street, Smethwick, (1866–67); Shop and offices, New Town Row for Richard Cooper (1867); Mill, Great Bridge Street, Tipton, Staffordshire, for P. H. Muntz (1867); St. Asaph's Church, Great Colmore, Birmingham (1867-68); Head Office for Birmingham, Dudley & District Bank, 63-67 Colmore Row, Birmingham (1867-70); Offices for Messrs. Padmore, New Edmund Street, Birmingham (1868); Warehouse, Moor Street, Birmingham for George Heaven (1868); Aston Union Workhouse, Erdington (1869); Alterations and additions to Fox Hollies Hall, Hall Green, Yardley for Z, Walker (1869); Alterations and additions to New Hall, Sutton Coldfield for J. Chadwick (1869-70); Alterations to Hallfield House, Sir Harry's Road, Birmingham for Samuel Messenger (1860s); House for T. Padmore, Church Road, Moseley for T. Padmore (1870); Four houses, Augustus Road Road, Edgbaston for Mr. Wilson (1870); Offices for Hirsch & Stern, New Edmund Street, Birmingham (1870); Extension to Phoenix Bolt & Nut Works, Smethwick (1871); Four houses, Wheeley's Road Road, Edgbaston for Mr. Wilson (1871); House for Mr. Feeney, Hagley Road, Edgbaston (1871); "Mountfield", King's Norton, for J. Sherwood (1871); Repairs to front and internal redecoration, St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham (1871); 'The Great Hampton Street Works' factory, Great Hampton Street, Hockley for Joel Cadbury, button manufacturer (1872); Factory for Messrs Wynn, edge tool manufacturers, Commercial Street, Birmingham (1872); Shops and offices and design of shop fittings for Mr. Allport, Colmore Row and Livery Street Birmingham (1872); Façade of offices for Sanders & Co., metal brokers, 75-77 Colmore Row, Birmingham (1872-73); Homeopathic Hospital, Easy Row, Birmingham (1873); Branch of Birmingham, Dudley & District Banking Co., Cradley Heath (1873-74); Additions and alterations to Holy Trinity Church, Sutton Coldfield (1873-79); 'Atlas Electro-Plate Works', Paradise Street, Birmingham for Woodward & Co. (1874-75); Council House for Mayor and Corporation of the Borough of Birmingham (1874-79); Exchange works for John Yates & Co., Aston (1875); "The Lindens", Alcester Road, Moseley for T. Padmore (1875); Additions to Congregational Chapel, Carr's Lane, Birmingham (1875); Branch of Birmingham, Dudley & District Bank, Tipton (1876); Design of reredos, St. Catherine's Church, Scholefield Dtreet, Birmingham (1878); Addition of nurses home and mortuary chapel at General Hospital, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham (1879); House, Birches Green, Erdington for J. W. Yates (1879); Extension of Council House for Museum and Art Gallery, and offices for Gas Department for Mayor and Corporation, Birmingham (1879-80; Municipal Buildings for Smethwick Urban Sanitary Authority, Smethwick (1880); The Nock's Hotel, Church Street, Birmingham for Mr. Mason (1880); Business premises, 25 Paradise Street, Birmingham (1880); Department Store for Messrs. Lewis's, Bull Street, Birmingham (1880); House, Dudley Road, Birmingham for E. V. Whitby (1881); Addition of oriel window to warehouse, Smallbrook Street, Birmingham for Mr. Charles (1882); Jaffray Suburban Hospital, Erdington (1884); Additions to Tyseley Grange, Tyseley for J. C. Onions (1884); Alterations to branch of Birmingham, Dudley & District Banking, Oldbury (1888); Branch of Birmingham, Dudley & District Banking, Ludlow, Shropshire (1888); Birmingham, Dudley & District Banking, Wem, Shropshire (1889); Birmingham, Dudley & District Banking, Longton, Staffordshire (1889); Birmingham, Dudley & District Banking, Kington, Hertfordshire (1889); Birmingham, Dudley & District Banking, Bishop's Castle, Shropshire (1890); Alterations to branch of Birmingham, Dudley & District Banking, Leominster, Herefordshire (1891); and Branch of Birmingham, Dudley & District Banking, Hockley Hill and Well Street, Birmingham (1891).
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’.The Builder vol. 81, July 1901 p. 85
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 8, 1901 pp. 439, 465
Shackley, Barbara. ‘H. R. Yeoville Thomason’ in Birmingham’s Victorian and Edwardian Architects, edited by Phillada Ballard. Wetherby: Oblong Creative Ltd. for the Birmingham and West Midlands Group of the Victorian Society, 2009 pp. 123-151