So Who Was Archibald Hurley Robinson?

An A-Z of Architects of Loughborough

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Short biography of Archibald Hurley Robinson

Like Harry Weedon, who ran the architectural practice that Archibald Hurley Robinson worked for, Archibald was born in Handsworth, albeit some 5 years before Weedon! By 1891 the family which consisted of parents Thomas, a pawnbroker, and Ellen, along with five children older than Archibald, and one younger, were living on Nineveh Road, Handsworth, with two servants. By 1901 when Archibald was aged 17, and a pupil architect, the family were living on Soho Road.

Archibald is listed in a 1908 trade directory under the architects section, at his practice on Cherry Street, Birmingham, and he is already an associate of RIBA. Even in 1911, when he is 27, Archibald is still living with his parents on Soho Street, where he’s described as being an architect and surveyor working on his own account. By the time of his marriage to Kathleen Ethel Smith in February 1913, Archibald was living on Booth Street, Birmingham, although when their first child, Beryl Clare was born in August 1915, they were living in a house called Hazlemere, on Russell Road, Hall Green in Worcestershire. 

Archibald’s served in the Royal Air Force during the First World War, the couple had another child, Keith Douglas in 1918, and by 1921 they had moved back to Booth Street in Handsworth and Archibald had moved his architectural practice to Waterloo Street in Birmingham. 1926 finds them living at Cole Bank Road in Sparkhill. During the 1930s much of Archibald’s work concentrated on cinemas, many of which were in the Midlands. Another house moves sees them on Warwick Road, Birmingham in 1939.

Curiously, Archibald died only a month after Arthur John Price, who had also worked for Weedon, and had designed Loughborough’s Odeon cinema. At the time of his death Archibald was still living at The Grove, 1156 Warwick Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham. Probate was granted 26 August to Keith Douglas Hurley Robinson who had followed his father’s footsteps into architecture, and Beryl Clare Mercer (wife of Bernard Rye Mercer). Effects were £11,030 7s. 9d. He was buried in St Mary’s churchyard in Acocks Green.

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What follows is a selection of buildings designed by Arthur John Price

Note: this is a selective, not a comprehensive listing.

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*The Regal Coalville 1933

*The re-modelling of Loughborough’s Empire Cinema, Cattle Market (1936)

*Dudley Hippodrome Theatre (1938)

*The Rex Coalville 1938

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Basic facts

Name: Archibald Hurley Robinson

Parents: Thomas A. Robinson, Ellen

Date and place of Birth: 14 June 1883 Handsworth, Birmingham

Spouse: Kathleen Ethel née Smith, m.February 1913

Children: Beryl Clare (b.1915), Keith Douglas (b.1918)

Death: 24 February 1953, Birmingham

Places lived: Nineveh Road, Handsworth; Booth Street, Birmingham; Hall Green, Worcestershire;

Place of work/Offices: Waterloo Street, Birmingham; Corporation Street, Birmingham

Qualifications

Associate of RIBA (1907)

Fellow of RIBA (1914)

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I’m taking part in the April A-Z Blogging Challenge!

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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