Francis Edward Caws (21 August 1846,

Seaview, Isle of Wight Seaview is a small Edwardian resort located on the north-eastern corner of the Isle of Wight, overlooking the Solent. The village is popular with tourists and is from the town of Ryde, where most tourists reach the island by ferry or hovercraft. ...

8 April 1905,

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

) was an English architect. Caws was born the son of Silas Harvey Caws and his wife, Emma Matilda (née Cave). Frank married Catherine Francis Riddett of Ryde at St Helens Church Isle of Wight on 4 February 1868.

His architectural activities

Frank Caws was articled to

Thomas Hellyer Thomas Henry Hellyer (18405 April 1889) was an Australian politician and solicitor. He was born at Bathurst, New South Wales, Bathurst to solicitor William Hellyer, and Margaret Gray. On 25 April 1862 he married Rose Anne Parfitt, with whom h ...

of Ryde Isle of Wight (1860-4). Following which, he worked at South Kensington Museum, returned to

as assistant 1864. Assistant to John Ross of Darlington with North Eastern Railway Co., George Bidlake of Wolverhampton and senior assistant to Joseph Potts of Sunderland 1867. Frank commenced independent practice in Sunderland 1870. Frank Caws was elected Fellow of RIBA 5 June 1893. Caws' buildings in Sunderland include the

Elephant Tea Rooms The Elephant Tea Rooms is a Grade II listed building in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. The building was constructed from 1872 to 1877 by Henry Hopper to a design by architect Frank Caws for William Grimshaw, a local tea merchant and grocer ...

, Corder House, Sydenham House and the terraced Holmlands Park in

Ashbrooke Ashbrooke is a residential area of Sunderland, North East England directly south and south-west of the city centre. Ashbrooke developed through the Victorian era as Sunderland's first suburb. Originally occupied by large middle-class families ...

. In 1874, a competition was held for Sunderland Town Hall on a site in Mowbray Park. The design the committee most liked was by Frank Caws, but this was disqualified for exceeding the stated cost. The new design competition for a town hall on Fawcett Street took place. This competition was judged by

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 ...

and won by the little known architect

Brightwen Binyon Brightwen Binyon, FRIBA, (30 May 1846 – 21 September 1905) was a British architect. Life He was born at Headley Grange, Victoria Park, Manchester, the son of Edward Binyon (1791–1855), a sugar refiner and tea dealer, and his wife Jane née ...

, who had worked in Waterhouse’s office. The competition were dogged by accusations of corruption, but the building was built. Caws' other constructions include Seaview Pier, and New Dukes House, near Hexham.

His other activities

As well as his architectural activities in Sunderland, Frank was also involved with social improvement in the area. In 1871 he was involved with establishing the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

in Sunderlandhttps://www.pressreader.com/uk/sunderland-echo/20191228/281612422316072 and was their first Honorary Secretary until 1875. In 1887 Frank was awarded the contract for a new Sunderland YMCA building (which has long since vanished). On a cold evening in the winter of 1901, (so the story goes), Frank found a 9 year old, barefoot and ragged match seller sheltering on the stairs of his office and Frank decided there and then to do something about it. Frank solicited support from his professional friends in Sunderland and the Waifs Rescue Agency & Street Vendor’s Club was formed as a charity with premises in Lambton Street. The doors were opened 2 January 1902 and Frank held the powerful position of Honorary Secretary until his death in 1905. The Waifs Rescue Agency & Street Vendor’s Club was later renamed the Lambton Street Youth Centre and continues into the 21st century claiming to be 'one of the oldest youth centres in Europe'.

His death

Frank Caws died in the evening on 8 April 1905 aged 58 at his home in Sunderland following a trip to London during which he caught a chill and developed pneumonia. Frank is buried in Bishopwearmouth Cemetery.

After his death

After Frank's death, his name lived on in the title of the partnership Messrs Frank Caws, Steel and Caws of Sunderland, one partner being Frank's son, Francis Douglas Caws (1884 to 1951), the other partner being William Steele (born 1874). Their work included St Luke's Parish Hall, Wallsend built in 1909, and the Swan Hunter Memorial Hall, Wigham opened in 1925 in memory of the men of Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. who died in the 1914-18 war.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caws, Frank 1846 births 1905 deaths Architects from the Isle of Wight YMCA leaders