LAWRIE, Thomas (1843-1899), active in Victoria, British Columbia for a period of four years before he returned to his native London in England. Born in the borough of Islington, London, England in July 1843, he trained in the offices of William J. Smith Jr., architect of Islington, and with Robert Longsdon, and was said to have studied engineering under Henry Bessemer (1813-1898), inventor of the steel making process. Before 1870 Lawrie obtained the position of assistant surveyor and architect to the Holland Park Estate in London, and remained in that post until at least 1875. He joined the Royal Inst. of British Architects and was elected as a Fellow of the RIBA in January 1874 (The Architect [London], xi, 31 January 1874).
No references to his architectural work in London can be found from 1873 to 1883 when he was credited with the design of a complex of warehouses and shops in East London (Builder [London], xlv, 6 Oct. 1883, 471), but only a portion of the complex was built. After this date, he may have become involved in speculative real estate development in London. Lawrie was apparently unsuccessful in his financial dealings in London; and he declared bankruptcy in 1893 (Building News [London], lxv, 13 Oct. 1893, 494), and this may have precipitated his decision to emigrate to Canada in 1894 and settle in Victoria, B.C.. His name as an architect was recorded in the British Columbia Directory, 1895, 712, and he appears to have remained active there until early 1899, but for unknown reasons he returned to England later that year. Lawrie died in London on 12 September 1899 (death notice Victoria Daily Times, 24 Oct. 1899, 8; biog. Royal Inst. of British Architects, Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, pub. 2001, Vol. Two, 23; inf. Jennifer Barr, Victoria; inf. Stephanie A. Warner)
(works in Victoria)
VICTORIA, B.C., a floating club house for the Victoria Yacht Club, 1895 (Victoria Daily Times, 6 May 1895, 1, t.c.; inf. Stephanie A. Warner)
VICTORIA WEST, 'Beaufort', a large residence for Thomas Lawrie, architect, Esquimalt Road, 1896; demol. (City of Victoria Archives, Application for public water drain permit, with signed drawing dated 31 Aug. 1896; inf. Jennifer Barr, Victoria)
(works in England)
LONDON, a residence on the Holland Park Estate, at 176 Holland Road, 1872; still standing in 2021 (Survey of London: North Kensington, vol. xxxvii, 1973)
LONDON, commercial block of six warehouses and six retail shops, Aldersgate Street, 1883 (The Builder [London], xlv, 6 Oct. 1883, 471, t.c.; Building News [London], xlvi, 23 May 1884, 812, Letter to the Editor from Thomas Lawrie)
LONDON, Hanbury Buildings, East London, a five storey block of artisan's dwellings, 1885; demol. (Survey of London: Poplar, Blackwell & Isle of Dogs, vol. xliii, 1994)