PHIPSON, Richard Makilwaine

1827 - 1884

Richard Makilwaine Phipson was born Rheidol Terrace, Islington and baptised at Islington on 3 October 1827, son of Thomas Phipson (28 February 1781-September 1852) and his wife Christian née Colbourne (5 October 1791-24 December 1858), who married at Sturminster Newton, Dorset on 19 July 1814. An architect who studied under John Medland Clark (1813-1849) of Ipswich and then worked in London. On Clark's death in 1849, he returned to Ipswich, acquiring Clark's practice with an office on the corner of the Ipswich 'Ancient House' at 34 Butter Market, which he had put in order for Jane Pawsey, the Ipswich bookseller. He maintained a London office at 34 Moorgate Street, City and in January 1856 entered into an equal partnership with George Morgan as Morgan & Phipson with offices at 5 Chancery Lane, London and at 32 Museum Street, Ipswich but this partnership was dissolved two years later in 1858 when Phipson opened a London office at 3 Dane's Inn and he seems to had a home or office in Upper Surrey Street, Norwich in 1859 when appointed the surveyor for the County of Norfolk. Phipson was of 15 Berners Street, Ipswich when he married at St Margaret's Church, Ipswich on 30 January 1861, Charlotte Bullen (1832-11 January 1918), youngest daughter of George Bullen, a surgeon of Ipswich, and in 1861 they were at 32 Museum Street, Ipswich but later his Ipswich office was at 11 Carr Street. Their first namesake son Richard Makilwaine, an infant, died on 8 June 1863 when Phipson was described as 'of Ipswich and Norwich', their second namesake son was born in Norwich but baptised at St Mary at Elms, Ipswich on 19 October 1866. His most well-known Ipswich project was St Mary-le-Tower Church, although medieval, the church mostly dates from 1860-1870 when it was rebuilt by Richard Phipson. The rebuilding was funded by George Bacon, an Ipswich banker and philanthropist. Phipson exhibited at the Suffolk Fine Arts Association exhibition at the New Lecture Hall of the Ipswich Mechanics' Institution in August 1850 'A proposed Collegiate School', 'The Library in the Hall', 'A Design', 'A Gentleman's Residence lately erected at Walthamstow, Essex' and 'A Public Building now erecting at St Mary Cray, Kent', probably some were architectural drawings. In 1881, a 53-year-old architect, living at Surrey Street, Norwich with his 48-year-old wife Charlotte, their two children Richard Makilwaine 14, born at Norwich and Charlotte Christian 12, born at Wroxham, both in Norfolk. Richard Makilwaine Phipson died at Surrey Street, Norwich on 30 December 1884, aged 57.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from 15 Berners Street, Ipswich
1848 1123 Design for a Collegiate School and Master's Residence
from 34 Moorgate, London and Ipswich, Suffolk
1849 1091 Design...Veron Gallery and...of Modern Painter
1850 1123 The Library of a Hall in Suffolk
from 34 Moorgate Street, London and Sparrowe's House, Ipswich
1852 1149 Design...proposed new Wax Chandler's Hall, Gresham Street
         1152 St Peter Mancroft, Norwich
         1223 Parochial Schools, lately erected in Suffolk
1853 1165 Design for a proposes new Church, Lowestoft
1854 1105 Woolpit Church, Suffolk
from Norwich and Ipswich
1860 636 Parochial Schools in Holbrook, Suffolk
         713 Parochial Schools in Heveningham
1863 932 St Mary Tower Church, Ipswich
         938 Interior of St Mary Tower Church, Ipswich
1865 781 Igboro Church, Norfolk
         782 St Giles Church, Norwich
         783 Burgate Church, Suffolk

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Works by This Artist