OLIVER, Basil
Basil Oliver was born at The Brewery House, Cornard Road, Sudbury, Suffolk on 12 May 1882, eldest of the three children of Edward Oliver (24 July 1857-9 June 1943), a brewer, and his first wife Emily Martha née MacCougan (1854-1927), who married at Hampstead, London on 14 April 1881. Basil was admitted at King Edward VI School, Bury St Edmund's in 1892 and studied at Bury St Edmund's School of Architecture; Liverpool University; the Royal Academy Schools 1906-1911 and at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London. Articled to London architect Edward Prioleau Warren (1856-1937) until 1904, subsequently assisting in the offices of Holloway Brothers, builders until 1905 and those of Sir Arthur Blomfield & Sons until 1906 when he returned to Warren's office, remaining there until 1909. In 1911, Basil was a 28-year-old architect, living at Brewery House, Cornard Road, Sudbury with his parents, 53-year-old Edward and 56-year-old Emily Martha, with two siblings Brian Edward 26 and Violet 20 both born at Great Cornard. A teacher with the Architecture and Building Crafts Section of the Central School of Arts and Crafts and a member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1890-1936 and exhibited ten works at the Royal Academy. He later became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, Master of the Art Workers Guild in 1932 and served on the Committee of the Society for the Protection of Ancient buildings 1912–1948 and other preservation bodies. He published prolifically and designed the Dunmow War Memorial and various buildings in East Anglia, amongst his works the 'Rose & Crown' public house in Cambridge (1928) and other inns for the brewers Greene King, many of which contained fittings designed by members of the Art Workers Guild. His best-known building is the Borough Offices, Angel Hill, Bury St Edmund's, Suffolk (1935–1937), described by Pevsner as ‘Neo-Georgian, tactful, and completely uneventful’ and he sensitively repaired Castling's Hall, Groton, Suffolk (1933–1934), He wrote much on vernacular architecture, including 'Old Houses and Village Buildings in East Anglia' (1912) and published 'The Renaissance of the English Public House' (1947). In 1939, an unmarried architect, living at 6 Tennyson Lane, Fulham, London with his sister Violet Oliver (8 May 1890-14 May 1966), who died back in Sudbury Hospital. Basil Oliver was actively engaged in the organisation of the craft exhibition in London in 1948 and was of 6 Unwin Mansions, Queen's Club Gardens, London W.14 when he died at The Limes, Great Cornard, Sudbury on 5 May that year. Historic England has a collection of his drawings reference: OLI01.
Royal Academy Exhibits
from 7 Southampton Street, Bloomsbury
1910 1440 Students' Entrance to a Provincial School of Art
1911 1619 New Porch for a Church in Suffolk
1916 1619 House at Pyrford, Surrey
1919 1452 Wayside Inn at Little Yeldham, Essex
1920 1262 A Swedish Lady's Home in Surrey
from 148 Kensington High Street, London W
1925 1199 'Croach's', Idle Hill, near Sevenoaks
1203 Wolford Lodge, near Honiton, Devon
1204 'Three Gates', Guildown, Guildford
1926 1240 The End House, Fife Road, East Sheen: Garden Front
1929 1255 Prentice Wood, Farnham Common: Garden Front