William Mortimer Brutton (1 December 1860 – 1937) was a British architect.

Early life

He was born in Kensington, London, the second son (and second of three children) of William Courtenay Brutton (1831–1878), who was a solicitor, originally from Exeter his wife Hannah Bridge (1836–1879).

Career

Brutton has been described as a "prolific pub architect". His works include the

Fitzroy Tavern The Fitzroy Tavern is a public house situated at Charlotte Street in the Fitzrovia district of central London, England, owned by the Samuel Smith Brewery. It became famous during a period spanning the 1920s to the mid-1950s as a meeting place ...

, a

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

situated at 16

Charlotte Street Charlotte Street is a street in Fitzrovia, historically part of the parish and borough of St Pancras, in central London. It has been described, together with its northern and southern extensions (Fitzroy Street and Rathbone Place), as the '' ...

in the

Fitzrovia Fitzrovia () is a district of central London, England, near the West End. The eastern part of area is in the London Borough of Camden, and the western in the City of Westminster. It has its roots in the Manor of Tottenham Court, and was urban ...

district of central London, to which it gives its name. The building was originally constructed as the Fitzroy Coffee House, in 1883, and converted to a pub (called “The Hundred Marks”) in 1887, by Brutton. In 1896, Brutton designed the King's Head, Tooting, which

CAMRA The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, England, which promotes real ale, cider and perry and traditional British pubs and clubs. With just under 155,000 members, it is ...

describe as "an historic pub interior of national importance". Also in 1896, Brutton designed the St James's Tavern in Denham Street, in central London. In 1897, Brutton was responsible for the remodelling and extension of the Alhambra Theatre in Leicester Square, now the site of the

Odeon Leicester Square The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square is a prominent cinema building in the West End of London. Built in the Art Deco style and completed in 1937, the building has been continually altered in response to developments in cinema technology, and was the ...

. Brutton also designed the Princess Victoria in Shepherd's Bush.

Personal life

In October 1880, he married Ada Louise Pidding (1864–1947), when she was 16 year old. They had a daughter, Ethel Mortimer Brutton Shield (1881–1911). His wife filed for divorce in 1907, stating that in 1901 he began drinking uncontrollably, and became violent and cruel toward her.''England & Wales, Civil Divorce Records, 1858–1918'' He was ordered to pay £100 annually to her. The divorce petition was withdrawn but they lived separately.''1911 England Census'' He died in 1937.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brutton, W M Architects from London 1860 births 1937 deaths