List of works by Edmund Kirby

For the American army officer, see Edmund Kirby (army officer).

St Michael and All Angels Church, Little Leigh, one of Kirby's Anglican churches

Edmund Kirby (1838–1920) was an English architect. He was born in Liverpool, educated at Sedgeley Park School and Oscott College. He was articled to E. W. Pugin, then worked for Hardman & Co., and for John Douglas in Chester. By 1863 he was practising in Birkenhead and by 1866 his office was in Derby Buildings, 24 Fenwick Street, Liverpool. He was a Roman Catholic and he designed many churches for that denomination. Most of his work was in Liverpool, the northwest of England, and North Wales. He designed 14 churches for the Diocese of Shrewsbury and built 15 Roman Catholic schools. In addition he designed a great variety of other buildings. Two of his sons joined him in his business, which is still in existence. Many of his commissions were for Roman Catholic buildings.

Key

Grade	Criteria
II*	Particularly important buildings of more than special interest
II	Buildings of national importance and special interest

Works

Name	Location	Photograph	Date	Notes	Grade
St Wilfrid's Church	Northwich, Cheshire		1864–66	A new church in red brick with a slated flèche.
St Mary's Church	Middlewich, Cheshire		1865	A new church in red brick.
Dee House	Chester, Cheshire		1867	Kirby added a convent wing to the house that dates from about 1730. It is in Gothic Revival style, while the rest of the house is Georgian.	II
Dene House	Great Budworth, Cheshire		1868–69	For Rowland Egerton-Warburton of Arley Hall.
St Clare's Convent	Pantasaph, Flintshire, Wales		1868–1907	The convent was built in phases. It closed in 1977.
Sacred Heart Church	Hindsford, Greater Manchester		1869	A new church.	II
St Werburgh's Church	Chester, Cheshire	70px	1873–75	A new church in French lancet style. A narthex was made in 1913–14, also by Kirby.	II
St Gregory's Church	Farnworth, Greater Manchester		1873–75	A new church with lancet windows and a north transept. Now redundant, its parish having been united with that of Our Lady of Lourdes.
St Anne's Church	Ormskirk, Lancashire	100px	1874	Kirby designed the high altar for the church dating from 1850.	II
Blessed Sacrament Church	Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside		1876–78	A new, plain, church in buff sandstone.
Redcourt	Prenton, Birkenhead, Merseyside		1876–79	Built as a house for George Rae. Later became St Anselm's Junior School.	II
St Thomas' Church	Waterloo, Merseyside		1877	A new church in buff sandstone.
Methodist Church	Weaverham, Cheshire		1878	Possibly by Kirby; in orange brick.	II
Our Lady's Church	Lydiate, Merseyside	100px	1878	Kirby added the reredos to the church of 1854–55 by J. J. Scholes.	II
St Michael and All Angels Church	Little Leigh, Cheshire		1878–79	A new church in orange brick with lancet windows and a spire over the central space.	II
Our Lady's Church	Parbold, Lancashire	70px	1878–84	A new church with a steeple, costing £12,000 (£ as of 2024).	II
Trident House	31–33 Dale Street, Liverpool, Merseyside		1879	Built for the Liverpool Reform Club, it has since been used as shops and offices. It was remodelled in the late 20th century.	II
The Tower	Rainhill, Merseyside	100px	1879–80	A house extended by Kirby. Later Tower College School.
Mere Hall	Birkenhead, Merseyside		1879–82	A new house built for Sir John Gray Hill, a marine lawyer; since divided into flats. The lodge, and the gatepiers and adjoining walls are also each listed at Grade II.	II
Dene Wellhouse	Great Budworth, Cheshire		1880	For Rowland Egerton-Warburton of Arley Hall.	II
Midland Bank	Llanrwst, Conwy, Wales		1880	Built to house a bank, (then the North and South Wales Bank), a public hall, and a magistrates' court.
Rathmore	Birkenhead, Merseyside		c. 1880s	A new house.	II
Venice Chambers	Lord Street, Liverpool, Merseyside		1882	With a Gothic parapet and decorative brickwork.
Arnot Street Schools	Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside		1884–94	A long range of red brick buildings.	II
Church of St Thomas Aquinas and St Stephen Harding	Market Drayton, Shropshire		1886	New church in yellow brick with stripes of red brick.
St Cross Church	Appleton Thorn, Cheshire	100px	1886–87	Built for Rowland Egerton-Warburton of Arley Hall.	II
Saint Francis Xavier's Church	Liverpool, Merseyside		1888	Kirby added the Sodality Chapel to the church of 1842 by Joseph John Scoles. It is "virtually an independent building" and described as a "showpiece".	II*
Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea	Seacombe, Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside	100px	1888–89	A new church in red and buff stone.	II
St Lawrence's Church	Birkenhead, Merseyside		1889–90	Stood in Beckwith Street; now demolished.
12 Hanover Street	Liverpool, Merseyside		1889–90	A curved block in red brick and terracotta built for Ellis and Company, consisting of ground floor offices with warehouses above, and incorporating a warehouse of 1863 in Argyle Street.
Rainbow House	Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside		c. 1890	Built as school board offices, later a nursery school.	II
Providence Cottage	Great Budworth, Cheshire		1891	For Rowland Egerton-Warburton of Arley Hall.	II
Church Hall	Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Manchester		1892	Brick hall, later converted into a public house.
St John's Church	High Legh, Cheshire		1893	A virtually new timber-framed church built to replace a chapel by Thomas Harrison that had been destroyed by fire.	II
Sacred Heart Church	Chorley, Lancashire	100px	1894	A new church in red and yellow sandstone.	II
Shakespeare Cottage	Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside		1896	A reproduction of Shakespeare's Birthplace, demolished in 1938.
St Hildeburgh's Church	Hoylake, Wirral, Merseyside	100px	1897–99	A new church in brick and terracotta.	II
The York Dispensary	York, North Yorkshire		1897–99	Built as a dispensary, and as offices for a solicitors' practice.	II
49–53 Corniche Road	Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside		1899	A row of three brick houses.	II
40–50 Primrose Hill	Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside		1899	A terrace of six brick houses.	II
Holy Name of Jesus Church	Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside		1899–1900	A church in the grounds of Kirby's house.
St Joseph's Church	Tranmere, Birkenhead, Merseyside		1899–1900	A long church in red brick.	II
Shrewsbury Cathedral	Shrewsbury, Shropshire	100px	1901	Kirby added a southeast chapel, and in 1906–07, a west porch.	II*
Barclay's Bank	Parliament Street, York, North Yorkshire	100px	1901	Has since been altered.	II
St Michael's Church	Haunton, Staffordshire	100px	1901–02	A new church in stone, with a timber-framed bellcote and porch.	II
St Wilfrid's Church	Preston, Lancashire		1902	Kirby added a baptistry.	II*
Church of St Peter and St Francis	Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales		1903	Kirby designed the red brick church, and the adjoining presbytery, both of which are listed at Grade II.	II
St Vincent de Paul's Church	Altrincham, Greater Manchester		1904–05	A red brick church with furnishings in alabaster and marble.
Queen Victoria Monument	Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, Merseyside	70px	1905	Built in the centre of the square to commemorate Queen Victoria.	II
Our Lady and the Apostles' Church	Stockport, Greater Manchester	70px	1905	A new church in red brick. The attached presbytery is also by Kirby.
Manor Road School	Liscard, Wirral, Merseyside		1905
Edward VII Memorial Clock Tower	Birkenhead, Merseyside		1911	Paid for by public subscription as a memorial to Edward VII.	II
St Michael and the Holy Angels' Church	West Bromwich, West Midlands	70px	1911	Kirby added the tower and spire to the church built in 1875–77.	II
St John the Baptist's Church	Meols, Wirral, Merseyside	100px	1911–13	A church with the chancel incomplete, and the tower unbuilt.
Chapter house Birkenhead Priory	Birkenhead, Merseyside		1913–14	Kirby designed a room in the chapter house that serves as a clubhouse and chapel for the Friends of the former HMS Conway.	II*

References

Bibliography