Edmund Kirby (1838–1920) was an English architect. He was born in Liverpool, educated at Sedgeley Park School and Oscott College. He was articled to E. W. Pugin, then worked for Hardman & Co., and for John Douglas in Chester. By 1863 he was practising in Birkenhead and by 1866 his office was in Derby Buildings, 24 Fenwick Street, Liverpool. He was a Roman Catholic and he designed many churches for that denomination. Most of his work was in Liverpool, the northwest of England, and North Wales. He designed 14 churches for the Diocese of Shrewsbury and built 15 Roman Catholic schools. In addition he designed a great variety of other buildings. Two of his sons joined him in his business, which is still in existence. Many of his commissions were for Roman Catholic buildings.
| Grade | Criteria | |
|---|---|---|
| II* | Particularly important buildings of more than special interest | |
| II | Buildings of national importance and special interest | |
| Name | Location | Photograph | Date | Notes | Grade | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Wilfrid's Church | Northwich, Cheshire 53.2626°N -2.5062°W | 1864–66 | A new church in red brick with a slated flèche. | ||||
| St Mary's Church | Middlewich, Cheshire 53.1946°N -2.4422°W | 1865 | A new church in red brick. | ||||
| Dee House | Chester, Cheshire 53.1888°N -2.8872°W | 1867 | Kirby added a convent wing to the house that dates from about 1730. It is in Gothic Revival style, while the rest of the house is Georgian. | ||||
| Dene House | Great Budworth, Cheshire 53.2954°N -2.5101°W | 1868–69 | For Rowland Egerton-Warburton of Arley Hall. | ||||
| St Clare's Convent | Pantasaph, Flintshire, Wales 53.2729°N -3.2628°W | 1868–1907 | The convent was built in phases. It closed in 1977. | ||||
| Sacred Heart Church | Hindsford, Greater Manchester 53.1911°N -2.8824°W | 1869 | A new church. It closed in 2004. | ||||
| St Werburgh's Church | Chester, Cheshire 53.1911°N -2.8824°W | 1873–75 | A new church in French lancet style. A narthex was made in 1913–14, also by Kirby. | ||||
| St Gregory's Church | Farnworth, Greater Manchester 53.5483°N -2.3904°W | 1873–75 | A new church with lancet windows and a north transept. Now redundant, its parish having been united with that of Our Lady of Lourdes. | ||||
| St Anne's Church | Ormskirk, Lancashire 53.5627°N -2.893°W | 1874 | Kirby designed the high altar for the church dating from 1850. | ||||
| Blessed Sacrament Church | Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside 53.4621°N -2.9603°W | 1876–78 | A new, plain, church in buff sandstone. | ||||
| Redcourt | Prenton, Birkenhead, Merseyside 53.3872°N -3.0493°W | 1876–79 | Built as a house for George Rae. Later became St Anselm's Junior School. | ||||
| St Thomas' Church | Waterloo, Merseyside 53.4719°N -3.0241°W | 1877 | A new church in buff sandstone. | ||||
| Methodist Church | Weaverham, Cheshire 53.2624°N -2.5812°W | 1878 | Possibly by Kirby; in orange brick. | ||||
| Our Lady's Church | Lydiate, Merseyside 53.5396°N -2.96°W | 1878 | Kirby added the reredos to the church of 1854–55 by J. J. Scholes. | ||||
| St Michael and All Angels Church | Little Leigh, Cheshire 53.279°N -2.5783°W | 1878–79 | A new church in orange brick with lancet windows and a spire over the central space. | ||||
| Our Lady's Church | Parbold, Lancashire 53.5913°N -2.7639°W | 1878–84 | A new church with a steeple, costing £12,000 . | ||||
| Trident House | 31–33 Dale Street, Liverpool, Merseyside 53.4079°N -2.9894°W | 1879 | Built for the Liverpool Reform Club, it has since been used as shops and offices. It was remodelled in the late 20th century. | ||||
| The Tower | Rainhill, Merseyside 53.4055°N -2.7539°W | 1879–80 | A house extended by Kirby. Later Tower College School. | ||||
| Mere Hall | Birkenhead, Merseyside 53.3797°N -3.0616°W | 1879–82 | A new house built for Sir John Gray Hill, a marine lawyer; since divided into flats. The lodge, and the gatepiers and adjoining walls are also each listed at Grade II. | ||||
| Dene Wellhouse | Great Budworth, Cheshire 53.2928°N -2.509°W | 1880 | For Rowland Egerton-Warburton of Arley Hall. | ||||
| Midland Bank | Llanrwst, Conwy, Wales 53.1409°N -3.7992°W | 1880 | Built to house a bank, (then the North and South Wales Bank), a public hall, and a magistrates' court. | ||||
| Rathmore | Birkenhead, Merseyside 53.3844°N -3.0661°W | A new house. | |||||
| Venice Chambers | Lord Street, Liverpool, Merseyside 53.4054°N -2.9874°W | 1882 | With a Gothic parapet and decorative brickwork. | ||||
| Arnot Street Schools | Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside 53.4426°N -2.9697°W | 1884–94 | A long range of red brick buildings. | ||||
| Church of St Thomas Aquinas and St Stephen Harding | Market Drayton, Shropshire 52.9041°N -2.4802°W | 1886 | New church in yellow brick with stripes of red brick. | ||||
| St Cross Church | Appleton Thorn, Cheshire 53.3503°N -2.5456°W | 1886–87 | Built for Rowland Egerton-Warburton of Arley Hall. | ||||
| Saint Francis Xavier's Church | Liverpool, Merseyside 53.4132°N -2.9698°W | 1888 | Kirby added the Sodality Chapel to the church of 1842 by Joseph John Scoles. It is "virtually an independent building" and described as a "showpiece". | ||||
| Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea | Seacombe, Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside 53.4114°N -3.0264°W | 1888–89 | A new church in red and buff stone. | ||||
| St Lawrence's Church | Birkenhead, Merseyside | 1889–90 | Stood in Beckwith Street; now demolished. | ||||
| 12 Hanover Street | Liverpool, Merseyside 53.4025°N -2.9858°W | 1889–90 | A curved block in red brick and terracotta built for Ellis and Company, consisting of ground floor offices with warehouses above, and incorporating a warehouse of 1863 in Argyle Street. | ||||
| Rainbow House | Arnot Street, | Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside 53.4426°N -2.9703°W | Built as school board offices, later a nursery school. | ||||
| Providence Cottage | Great Budworth, Cheshire 53.2944°N -2.5046°W | 1891 | For Rowland Egerton-Warburton of Arley Hall. | ||||
| Church Hall | Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Manchester 53.4648°N -2.2309°W | 1892 | Brick hall, later converted into a public house. | ||||
| St John's Church | High Legh, Cheshire 53.3531°N -2.4518°W | 1893 | A virtually new timber-framed church built to replace a chapel by Thomas Harrison that had been destroyed by fire. | ||||
| Sacred Heart Church | Chorley, Lancashire 53.6495°N -2.6213°W | 1894 | A new church in red and yellow sandstone. | ||||
| Shakespeare Cottage | Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside | 1896 | A reproduction of Shakespeare's Birthplace, demolished in 1938. | ||||
| St Hildeburgh's Church | Hoylake, Wirral, Merseyside 53.3909°N -3.1837°W | 1897–99 | A new church in brick and terracotta. | ||||
| York Dispensary | York, North Yorkshire 53.9614°N -1.0844°W | 1897–99 | Built as a dispensary, and as offices for a solicitors' practice. | ||||
| 49–53 Corniche Road | Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside 53.3544°N -2.9936°W | 1899 | A row of three brick houses. | ||||
| 40–50 Primrose Hill | Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside 53.3574°N -3.0001°W | 1899 | A terrace of six brick houses. | ||||
| Holy Name of Jesus Church | Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside 53.3846°N -3.0556°W | 1899–1900 | A church in the grounds of Kirby's house. | ||||
| St Joseph's Church | Tranmere, Birkenhead, Merseyside 53.3787°N -3.0308°W | 1899–1900 | A long church in red brick. | ||||
| Shrewsbury Cathedral | Shrewsbury, Shropshire 52.7053°N -2.754°W | 1901 | Kirby added a southeast chapel, and in 1906–07, a west porch. | ||||
| Barclay's Bank | Parliament Street, York, North Yorkshire 53.9584°N -1.0808°W | 1901 | Has since been altered. | ||||
| St Michael and St James' Church | Haunton, Staffordshire 52.6949°N -1.6502°W | 1901–02 | A new church in stone, with a timber-framed bellcote and porch. | ||||
| St Wilfrid's Church | Preston, Lancashire 53.7573°N -2.7028°W | 1902 | Kirby added a baptistry. | ||||
| Church of St Peter and St Francis | Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales 53.3331°N -3.3991°W | 1903 | Kirby designed the red brick church, and the adjoining presbytery, both of which are listed at Grade II. | ||||
| St Vincent de Paul's Church | Altrincham, Greater Manchester 53.3864°N -2.356°W | 1904–05 | A red brick church with furnishings in alabaster and marble. | ||||
| Queen Victoria Monument | Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, Merseyside 53.3936°N -3.016°W | 1905 | Built in the centre of the square to commemorate Queen Victoria. | ||||
| Our Lady and the Apostles' Church | Stockport, Greater Manchester 53.4026°N -2.1613°W | 1905 | A new church in red brick. The attached presbytery is also by Kirby. | ||||
| Manor Road School | Liscard, Wirral, Merseyside | 1905 | |||||
| Edward VII Memorial Clock Tower | Birkenhead, Merseyside 53.3892°N -3.0209°W | 1911 | Paid for by public subscription as a memorial to Edward VII. | ||||
| St Michael and the Holy Angels' Church | West Bromwich, West Midlands 52.5187°N -1.9949°W | 1911 | Kirby added the tower and spire to the church built in 1875–77. | ||||
| St John the Baptist's Church | Meols, Wirral, Merseyside 53.4016°N -3.1617°W | 1911–13 | A church with the chancel incomplete, and the tower unbuilt. | ||||
| Chapter house Birkenhead Priory | Birkenhead, Merseyside 53.39°N -3.0115°W | 1913–14 | Kirby designed a room in the chapter house that serves as a clubhouse and chapel for the Friends of the former HMS Conway. | ||||
Bibliography