George Corson

George Corson

George Corson (1829–1910) was a Scottish architect active in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

Background

He was born in Dumfries, where he was articled to Walter Newall before moving to Leeds in 1849 to work with his brother William Reid Corson who was working there with Edward La Trobe Bateman. His brother left Leeds in 1860, leaving Corson in charge of the practice.^[1]

In Leeds he was president of the Leeds and Yorkshire Architectural Association by 1898.^[2]

Works

Corson was responsible for many buildings in Leeds including:^[3]

• the Grand Theatre (1877–78), with his assistant James Robinson Watson - Grade II* listed
• the municipal buildings (1878–84) - Grade II* listed, now housing the Leeds Central Library.^[4]

Opening of the New Municipal Buildings and Free Public Library, Leeds in 1884

• an extension (1891–92) to George Gilbert Scott's Grade I listed Leeds General Infirmary
• Apsley House (formerly Concourse House) (1903) - originally a drapers and haberdashery warehouse for Crowe & Co and now occupied by Sky Sports
• many large houses in Headingley including the Grade II* listed Spenfield
• St Edmund's Church, Roundhay, Leeds, designed 1873.^[5]
• Bewerley Street School, Bewerley Street, Dewsbury Road, Leeds, designed 1872.^[6]
• St Silas National School, Goodman Street, Hunslet, designed 1872.^[7]
• Additions and alterations to Ripon Grammar School, designed 1875.^[8]
• Leeds School of Medicine, Park Street, inaugurated 1865.^[9]
• the warehouse (1859) at the textile manufacturing premises of Francis Lupton in Wellington Street Leeds, the plans (June 1870) for the Lupton family's Newton Hall/Newton Park Estate in Potternewton, and the c. 1860 Victorian wing of the Lupton family's Beechwood Estate, Roundhay; known as Corson House.^[10][11][12]

Leeds School Board Blue Plaque

Roundhay Park and Lawnswood Cemetery

Corson won a competition for the landscaping of Roundhay Park in 1873,^[13] and in 1874 designed the layout and many of the buildings of Lawnswood cemetery, where he himself was buried in 1910. His gravestone, a celtic cross with five bosses, is grade II listed, one of only four listed memorials at Lawnswood.^[14][15]

• 
  Spenfield House, 1875–77
• 
  Leeds Grand Theatre

References

1. "Dictionary of Scottish Architects". Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
2. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, Friday 09 December 1898 p10: "Manchester Society of Architects"
3. Wrathmell, Susan; John Minnis (2005). Leeds. Pevsner architectural guides. Yale U.P. ISBN 0-300-10736-6.
4. Leeds Mercury, 12 April 1884, p3 col1: Leeds Municipal Buildings
5. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Saturday 25 January 1873 p2: "St Edmund's Church Leeds"
6. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Tuesday 13 February 1872 p1: "Leeds School Board, Bewerley Street School"
7. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Saturday 09 March 1872 p8: "St Silas National School"
8. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Saturday 21 August 1875 p7: "Ripon Grammar School"
9. Leeds Intelligencer, Saturday 07 October 1865 p6: "Leeds School of Medicine, inaugural address and soiree"
10. The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 5. Office for Publication and advertisements. 1859. p. 74. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
11. Eskildsen, Dan (2015–2020). "Companies House". Retrieved 27 January 2020. Address profile: CORSON HOUSE THE BEECHWOOD ESTATE, ELMETE LANE ROUNDHAY, LEEDS, LS8 2LQ There are 2 companies at this address....
12. Pevsner, N. (2009). Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North - Buildings of England. Yale University Press. p. 531. ISBN 9780300126655. Retrieved 27 January 2020. West of Chapeltown Road: Newton Park Estate. The Newton Park [Newton Hall] Estate was laid out by the Lupton family of Newton Hall (now dem ... Francis and Darnton Lupton first engaged George Corson to draw up plans for developing their estate at the... June 1870...
13. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Friday 05 September 1873 p3: "The Rounhay Park Designs" His tender and a description of his design
14. Historic England. "Gravestone of George Corson at NGR 2688 3916 (1375318)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
15. "Grade II listed memorials". Friends of Lawnswood Cemetery. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.

External links

• Historic England. "Grand Theatre, Grade II* (1375219)". National Heritage List for England.
• Historic England. "Municipal buildings, Grade II* (1255783)". National Heritage List for England.
• Historic England. "Leeds General Infirmary, Grade I (1256242)". National Heritage List for England.
• Historic England. "Spenfield, Grade II* (1375329)". National Heritage List for England.
• Historic England. "Lawnswood cemetery chapels, Grade II (1375312)". National Heritage List for England.
• Scottish Architects: George Corson Biography and career