Essex & Goodman originated as Essex, Nicol & Goodman, an architectural partnership formed in Birmingham, England in 1892 by Oliver Essex (1855-1939), John Coulson Nicol (1848-1933) and John Goodman (1864-1951). In 1905 Nicol withdrew from the practice and formed the partnership Nicol & Nicol with his son, George Salway Nicol (1878-1930). Essex and Goodman continued to run the firm which was renamed Essex & Goodman. Following the death of Essex in 1939 the practice was renamed Essex, Goodman and Suggitt. The third partner, Jack Alwyn Suggitt (1908-1984), had joined the firm in 1935.
Essex, Goodman and Suggitt merged with the Leeds, Yorkshire-based firm Darntree Elgee Architecture in 2008 and became Darnton EGS Ltd. Following the further acquisition of B3 Architects in 2015, the practice was renamed DB3.
Architectural works by Essex & Goodman included shop front, 13 Jamaica Row, Birmingham for A. Shorthouse, meat salesman (1905); Four shops, Horse Fair, Birmingham for Clarence Properties Co. (1906); Shops and commercial premises, Broad Street and Bishopsgate Street, Birmingham for P. C. Isacke (1906); Business premises, Colehill Street, Birmingham for W. Bach, spur manufacturer (1906); Factory, Lionel Street, for A. Clarke (1907); Alterations to premises, Digbeth, Birmingham for Warriner & Mason, tea merchants and grocers; four shops, Sandon Road, Birmingham for Dr. E. C. Rogers (1909); Office of Essex & Goodman, High Street, Harborne for Essex & Goodman (1909); Branch of London, City & Midland Bank, Bull Street, Birmingham (1910); Electric Theatre for Electric Playhouse Ltd. (1911); Warehouse for Newbury's Ltd., drapers, Great Hampton Street, Birmingham (1911); Motor House, Norfolk Road, Birmingham for Mr. Horsey (1911); Additions, Cromer Road, Birmingham (1911); Shop, Granville Street, Birmingham for Martins Birmingham Ltd., saddlers and leather goods manufacturers (1911); Factory, Eckershall Road, Birmingham for F. E. Baker (1912); Showroom for B. C. Jackson, Moseley Road, Birmingham (1912); Alterations to Billesley Farm, Brook Lane, Moseley for Moseley Golf Club (1913); New premises including post office, Warwick Road, Ackocks Green (1913); 'The Scala' picture house, Smallbrook for George Murray (1913); Warehouse, Hampton Street, Birmingham, for Newbury's Ltd., drapers (1913); New premises, The Crescent, Birmingham, for Eccles Walker & C. (1913); New Premises, Bishopsgate Street, Birmingham for Alfred Roberts, rubber tyre manufacturers (1913); Shop, Cherrywood Road, Birmingham for Calthorpe Motor Co. (1914); Business premises, Lower Temple Street, Birmingham for Ebenezer Parkes (1914); Alterations to St. Alban's church schools, Dynoke Sterr and Leopold Street, Birmingham (1914); Additions, South Road, Northfield for F. Sherwood (1914); Alterations, Westfield Road, Birmingham for P. R. Martin (1915); Strongroom, etc. Bull Street, Harborne for London Counties and Midland Bank (1915); "The Futurist" picture house, John Bright Street, Birmingham for Majestic Ltd. (1915); Extension of works, Cherrywood Road for Calthorpe Motor Co. (1915); New works, Burbidge Road, Buirmingham for P. Collins (1915); Workshop, Smallbrook Street, Birmingham Street, Birmingham for Scala Theatre (1916); Commercial building, Easy Row and Edmund Street, Birmingham for Clarence Property Co. Ltd. (1918); Alterations and additions to 67-68 St. Paul's Square, Birmingham for E. Armfield, button makers (1918); and Office and lavatory, Bartholomew Street, Birmingham (1918).
Abbott, Donald. ‘Essex, Nicol & Goodman’ 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. 197-220