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Thomas Harrison Myres FRIBA - Restoration of Roadside Crosses

Thomas Harrison Myres FRIBA
Restoration of Roadside Crosses 


Thomas Myres Cross. The two parts were originally placed separately and directly onto the ground, with no bases.
Thomas Myres Cross. The two parts were originally placed separately on the ground.


The Stone Cross at Cottam

Thomas Harrison Myres FRIBA (1842-1926) was an English railway architect who designed stations and ancillary buildings. He and his wife had various residences including one at at the edge of Cottam. The property is on Lea Road, and it was once known as Lea Lodge. It is a listed building and is currently known as 'Clock House'.


Clock House. A Listed Building that was once known as Lea Lodge.
Clock House, once known as Lea Lodge.


Thomas was greatly interested in the restoration of road side crosses and succeeded in restoring sixteen throughout Lancashire.  At this point, and am not sure which ones they were.  The doesn't seem to be any obvious listing of them.  

After his death, a fitting monument was erected to him and his wife Catherine at nearby Lea bearing the inscription:

“To the glory of God and in the memory of the pioneer of the restoration of roadside crosses, Thomas Harrison Myres of Lea Lodge and Catherine Mary his wife. The base of this cross originally stood 20yds from this spot and was removed here and dedicated July 28th 1929”.


Replica stone inscribed as the original.
Replica stone inscribed as the original.


The two parts were originally placed separately and directly onto the ground, with no bases. They were moved to the current location and set together on a new base in 2002.

There is a date discrepancy on the replica plaque. That has 1920 inscribed on it. Unfortunately, it is really difficult to read the original from the black and white photograph I have, and it's very weathered anyway. However, it looks like it could be 1929. Information sources point back to 1929, as does logic. Thomas Harrison Myres was still alive in 1920, and was living until 1926. It would be difficult to dedicate things to the memory of living people.



The Thomas Myres Cross on new base created in 2002.
Thomas Myres Cross on new base


Thomas Myres Cross
Thomas Myres Cross

Locally, Thomas Harrison Myres worked on the Church Building at Bamber Bridge Saint Saviour's. By the 1880s there was a need to increase the capacity of the church, because there had been significant population growth in the parish.  Consequently in 1886 work began to add two short transepts to the simple rectangular nave.  Also, the current chancel, with its apsidal end, was added, replacing the smaller rectangular chancel of the original church.  Thomas Harrison Myres followed the general style of the building's original architect, Edmund Sharpe.  The foundation stone for the extension to the building was laid on Saturday 17th July 1886, by Mrs. Townley-Parker of Cuerden Hall.  The enlarged church was re-consecrated on 10 February 1887 by the Bishop of Manchester.  

Externally the new extensions were built in matching Whittle stone, but internally polished granite columns were introduced to support the transept arches, with other features such as the arches themselves dressed with finer Longridge sandstone.  At the time of Thomas Harrison Myres Architectural work, he appeared to have an office at 15, Chapel Street, Preston.  That is an address that doesn't exist today.  His address is listed in The Historic Society of Lancashire & Cheshire yearbook for 1907. 

An 1893 notice in the The London Gazette, as follows, confirms this:

NOTICE is hereby given that the partnership hereto fore subsisting between us, the undersigned, Richard Veevers, John James Myres, and Thomas Harrison Myres, carrying on business as Civil Engineers, Land Surveyors, Land Agents, and Architects, at 15, Chapel-street, Preston, and 88, Church-street, Blackpool, both in the county of Lancaster, and 19, Railway approach, London Bridge, London, under the style or firm of Myres, Veevers, and Myres, has been dissolved by mutual consent, as and from the 1st day of January, 1893. All debts due to and owing by the said late firm will be received and paid by the said John James Myres and Thomas Harrison Myres, who will carry on the said businesses alone, the style of the firm remaining as heretofore, although the said Richard Veevers has no longer any connection with the firm.—Dated the 4th day of January, 1893.

RICHARD VEEVERS.
JOHN J. MYRES.
THOMAS HARRISON MYRES.


Bamber Bridge Saint Saviour's Church.
Bamber Bridge Saint Saviour's Church.


Foundation stone for the building extension at Bamber Bridge Saint Saviour's Church.
Foundation stone for the extension at Bamber Bridge Saint Saviour's Church.


As a railway architect Thomas Harrison Myres designed stations and ancillary buildings for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway lines that were opened between 1880 and 1883, including several on what is now the Bluebell Railway. He was the son-in-law of the railway company's chief engineer, Frederick Banister. Although most of the lines for which Myres designed the buildings have been closed, many of his buildings survive as private residences. Several of the railway buildings designed by him are listed buildings, including the goods shed at Singleton in West Sussex which was declared Grade II in April 2013.

Thomas Harrison Myres was documented as living at Sunnyside Wellington Road, Preston, Lancashire, in both 1881 & 1891.  He was subsequently recorded as residing at Lea Lodge Lea, Preston, Lancashire, as documented in 1911.

There are also a number of reference to T. H. Myres being involved in the restoration of brasses to Churches.


FRIBA [or F.R.I.B.A.]  - Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects


~


Further reading and sources of information. 


Thomas Myres Cross Location

https://maps.app.goo.gl/c9iu7pM9z25AcSm48


.

Clock House, once known as Lea Lodge.

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1165091


.

Thomas Myres Monument, Cottam Way, Preston, Lancashire
Art UK (the Public Catalogue Foundation)

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/thomas-myres-monument-314890


.

The London Gazette - Publication date:6 January 1893

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26361/page/96/


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Thomas Harrison Myres [sp. Myers]
The Professions in Nineteenth-Century Britain

https://portal.sds.ox.ac.uk/articles/online_resource/_200128_Thomas_Harrison_Myers/21412119


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Bamber Bridge Saint Saviour's Church.

https://www.stsavioursbb.org.uk/our-history


.

Ordnance Survey National Grid map, SD5329SE - A
Surveyed in 1957, and Published in 1958

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=20.0&lat=53.75750&lon=-2.70336&layers=173&right=ESRIWorld


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The London Brighton & South Coast Railway Stations of T H Myres (YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKV3Abz-KXc

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Location: Lea Rd, Cottam, Preston PR4 0RA, UK

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