So Who Was Willie Thomas Hampton?

   An A-Z of Architects of Loughborough

For a complete list of the A-Z posts please head over to the bloglist.

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Short biography of Willie Thomas Hampton

Willie Thomas Hampton’s birth was registered at St Luke’s, London, in the third quarter of 1860, but by the time of the 1861 census return, his parents had moved the family to Fawkes Street in Derby. Josiah, Willie’s father, was an engineer, aged 45, who had been baptised in Road (now Rode) in Somerset, and who had married Sarah Clements at St Augustine the Less church in Gloucestershire. Willie had older brothers Josiah (18), and Walter (17) an engineer, and three older sisters, Sarah (13) working in a silk mill, and Hannah (11) and Alice (9) both scholars.

By 1867 the family had moved to Regent Street, Loughborough, where Josiah was an engineer. The house was listed as number 64 on the 1871 census return, which was either a workshop, or a home with workshops. Josiah’s occupation listed on the census return was now a screw and nail maker, while eldest son, Josiah, now 28, was a screw machine worker. Sarah was looking after the house, while Willie, aged 10, was a scholar.

In 1879, having completed his education, Willie opened an architectural practice from 64 Regent Street, where, according to an advert he placed in the Hinckley News and General Advertiser, he prepared plans, specifications, and estimates for all kinds of buildings and machinery, as well as searching “the novelty of inventions and patents” all on most “reasonable terms” – and at short notice, too!

Early in 1881, Willie married Lucy North in Loughborough, and in April that year they were lodging with Lucy’s parents, retired commercial traveller, Henry and his wife Ann. Sadly, the birth and death of Willie and Lucy’s first son, Willie Thomas, was recorded in the third quarter of 1881. Further sadness for the pair, when their second son, Ernest born and died in the third quarter of 1882. Thankfully, Willie North, who was born in October 1884 survived and went on to follow in his father’s footsteps as an architect and surveyor, and lived to be 75. Willie and Lucy’s daughter, Lucy Minnie, was born in January 1886, and lived until 1947. From 1885 to 1886, Willie had a pupil architect, Joshua James Follett.  

During these early days of raising a family, Willie was working hard on designs and plans, which included three cottages on Oxford Street, at the same time as Messengers built their nearby foundry, and as other folk designed a few houses for Paget and Leopold Streets. By 1888 he had moved his architectural practice to The Rushes. 1889 saw the opening of the Medical Aid Centre on Fennel Street, which offered both a home for some of the local friendly societies, and medical help for the members. This important building had been designed by Willie.

In 1891, Willie, wife, Lucy, and children Willie North and Lucy Minnie were living at 41 The Rushes, on the corner of Shakespeare Street. Willie now had a pupil architect and surveyor working with him, his cousin, Stephen Hampton Andrews, who was aged 18. Willie’s niece (the daughter of his sister, Hannah) was working as their general domestic servant. For a few years, Willie’s design work seemed to focus on buildings in what we would today call North West Leicestershire.

In 1892 Willie was the architect behind the alterations to the Old Gate Inn, on Fairfield Road, Hugglescote, which included a two-storey extension, and alterations to the window openings throughout. The pub was tied to the James Eadie brewery, and the building had originally been constructed in 1774 – the date was highlighted in blue bricks, rather like those on our Organ Grinder. Willie designed the Constitutional Club at Coalville, which incorporated an early Victorian building at the rear. The foundation stones were laid in January 1897, and the building, faced in Ellistown redbrick, was constructed by the local firm, Beckworth & Son.

From 1893 to 1898, Frank Goddard was Willie's architect pupil, an dhe remained as an assistant from 1898 until 1902. Frank's time with Willie overlapped with other assistant, Thomas Henry Dobson who was with him from 1895, until 1900. 

In 1898, Willie was initiated into the Howe and Charnwood Lodge of the Freemasons, in Loughborough, and in 1901 the family were living on Derby Road, and 16-year-old Willie North was a pupil architect to his father at his practice on Swan Street. Over the years Willie had done a lot of work on plans for improvements to pubs, and in August 1901 he was the architect behind some extensive alterations to the Plough Inn at Thorpe Acre.

Also in 1901, Willie was elected as the Conservative member of the town council for the Storer Ward, a role he would hold until 1907, and which would see him closely involved with developments in the town. In 1908 Willie and son Willie moved the architectural practice to Ashby Road. In 1910 Willie was on the Loughborough Education Committee and was architect to that committee. In the summer of 1910, he was supervising the painting and repairs of Loughborough schools during the summer holidays.

Sadly, Willie’s life was cut short. Willie died as the result of injuries sustained in a car accident, which happened on Ashby Road, when he was travelling to Shepshed in August 1910 from his home at 1 Frederick Street. Probate was granted at Leicester on 10 October 1910 to Lucy Hampton, his widow. Effects were £2,722 4s. 9d..

During his lifetime, Willie had been architect to the Loughborough Board of Guardians, and the Shepshed Urban District Council. He was architect of the County Council schools which were being erected at Castle Donnington in 1910, and was the architect behind many alterations to Loughborough pubs.

In his spare time, Willie was a keen angler, and a leading remember of the Loughborough and Soar Angling Society, often taking the chair at the Society’s meetings. On August 27th 1910, at the prize-giving event in the Kings Head Hotel which followed the Society’s annual fishing match, a vote of condolence was passed with the family of the late Mr Hampton. At the annual meeting of 1909, Willie had himself lamented the recent passing of Mr Hussey Packe, the Society’s president.

Willie’s widow, Lucy continued to live at Frederick Street before moving to live with her daughter, Lucy Minnie at 34 Arthur Street, where she died on 4 February 1928.

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What follows is a selection of buildings either designed by, or altered by Willie Thomas Hampton

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

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Selected Works

*Unity House 1889

*Constitutional Club 1899

*Plough Inn Thorpe Acre alterations 1901

*Constitutional Club Coalville 1887

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Brief details

Name: Willie Thomas Hampton

Parents: Josiah and Sarah Clements

Date and place of Birth: 1860 St Luke’s London

Spouse: Lucy North

Children: Willie Thomas and Ernest both died in infancy. Willie North (became a surveyor and architect), Lucy Minnie

Death: August 1910 - accident

Places lived: Derby, Regent Street Loughborough, The Rushes, Derby Road, Regent Street, Frederick Street

Place of work/Offices: Regent Street, The Rushes (c.1888-c.1901), Swan Street (c.1901-1908), Ashby Road (1908-?) 

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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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