George Gordon Hoskins

FRIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

(28 October 1837 – 11 December 1911), was an English architect responsible for the design of several public buildings in the North East of England. His works include many large and important buildings - mansions, banks, hotels, hospitals, libraries, and schools. "Gee-Gee" Hoskins was the eldest son of Francis Hoskins, an army officer, and his wife Julia Hill and was born in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

at the end of 1837. He was the grandson of Abraham Hoskins who built the folly of

Bladon Castle Bladon Castle is a folly, partly converted into a country house, located some southwest of the village of Newton Solney in South Derbyshire, northeast of Burton-on-Trent and close to the point at which the River Trent forms the boundary with S ...

Newton Solney Newton Solney is a small village and civil parish in South Derbyshire, England, located about two miles (3 km) from the East Staffordshire border, near to Burton upon Trent. The population of the civil parish as of the 2011 census was 659. I ...

and was brother-in law to the brewer Michael Bass. Hoskins' godmother was the Duchess of Gordon. Hoskins studied Architecture in London and Paris and was a pupil of W D Haskoll of Westminster. In 1864 he moved to

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

, and his first domestic commission that year was probably 15 and 16 Westbrook Villas. He became

ARIBA SAP Ariba is an American software and information technology services company located in Palo Alto, California. It was acquired by German software maker SAP SE for $4.3 billion in 2012. Company beginnings Ariba (now SAP Ariba) was founded in ...

on 3 June 1867 (proposed by P C Hardwick, A Waterhouse and J P Pritchett), and was based at Russell Street Buildings from 1867 to 1870. On 2 May 1870, Hoskins became an FRIBA proposed by T Oliver, J P Pritchett and J Ross. He made useful contacts with

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

families which led to many commissions including Quaker houses at Woodburn and Elm Ridge, for John Pease in 1867. Extended Quaker connections outside the town led to commissions at the Temperance Hall at Hurworth, (1864), and the Victoria Hall in Sunderland, (1870), which was largely funded by the Backhouse family. He gained the role of architect to the banking house of Backhouse after designing a manager's house added to the Backhouse Bank in 1867. Following this he designed branches in Sunderland (1868), Bishop Auckland (1870), Middlesbrough (1875), Thirsk (1877) and Barnard Castle (1878).Graham R Potts Darlington Architects and Architecture before 1914 Victoria County History
/ref> His major work was the

Middlesbrough Town Hall Middlesbrough Town Hall is a municipal facility located in Albert Road in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. History The current building was commissioned to replace an Old Town Hall in the Market Place ...

and Municipal Buildings won in open competition in 1877, with construction starting in 1882.

Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known f ...

, R.A. acted as assessor, and the Prince and Princess of Wales opened the building in January 1889. In Darlington, major works include the Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (1875-6), Bank Top board school (1882), the Pease Public Library (1884), rebuilding of the King's Head Hotel (1890-3), Greenbank Hospital (1885), Poor Law Offices (1896), the Technical College (1896-7), North of England School Furnishing Company, Blackwellgate (1897), and Rise Carr Board School (1902). He was for two years successively president of the

Darlington School of Art Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

and president of the

Northern Architectural Association Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

from 1886 to 1887. He was for some years a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

member of the

Darlington Town Council Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

and was also a JP. He was injured when the gunmaker's shop of Joseph Smythe exploded on 9 October 1894, destroying a substantial part of the town centre. Hoskins retired in 1907, passing the practice to his brother Walter Hoskins. GG Hoskins was almost entirely responsible for Victorian Darlington and his funeral was a solemn public occasion in the town. He was buried in the town's West Cemetery.George Gordon Hoskins: Grave in West Cemetery, Darlington
/ref> Hoskins lived at Darlington at Thornbeck House and later at Harewood Grove. He married twice, first to Isabel Matilda Robinson (1837-1862) the daughter of Joseph Robinson of Southend and they had two children. After Isabel's death he married Ann Hudson only child of William Hudson of Brough, Yorkshire. They had a son and four daughters. Both his sons became architects.

Publications

*"Designs for Chimney Pieces" Darlington 1871 *"The Clerk of Works; a vade mecum for all engaged in the Superintendence of Building Operations" London 1876 *"An Hour with a Sewer Rat: or a few plain hints on House Drainage and Sewer Gases" London 1879

References

* Obituary ''Builder'' v101, 15 Dec 1911, pp727–8 *Obituary ''RIBA Journal'' v 19, 1912, p 191. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoskins, George Gordon 1837 births 1911 deaths Architects from Birmingham, West Midlands Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects People from Darlington Associates of the Royal Institute of British Architects