Edmund Kirby
Edmund Kirby (8 April 1838 – 24 April 1920) was an English architect. He was born in Liverpool, and educated at Oscott College in Birmingham. He was articled to E. Pugin in London, then became an assistant to John Douglas in Chester.
Also recorded as Edmond Kirby
Edmund Kirby

Mark Walton · From geograph.org.uk · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Edmund Kirby
- Born
- 8 April 1838
- Birthplace
- Liverpool, England
- Died
- 24 April 1920
- Place of death
- Birkenhead, England
- Known for
- Roman Catholic Churches
- Occupation
- Architect
- Nationality
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
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Edmund Kirby (8 April 1838 – 24 April 1920) was an English architect. He was born in Liverpool, and educated at Oscott College in Birmingham. He was articled to E. Pugin in London, then became an assistant to John Douglas in Chester.
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wikidata · Q5339609 · wikipedia · Edmund Kirby
In this article
Biography
Biography
He travelled abroad in France and Belgium, and had started to practise independently in Liverpool by 1867, initially having offices in Derby Buildings, Fenwick Street. Between 1880 and 1914, his offices were in Union Buildings, Cook Street, Liverpool. In 1905 Kirkby took his two sons, Francis Joseph and Edmund Bertram, into partnership. His practice continued after his death, until it merged with Matthews and Goodman in 2011. Most of Kirby's works were in Northwest England, with occasional examples in North Wales, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and elsewhere. He was an architect to the Roman Catholic Church, and most of his ecclesiastical works were for this denomination. His most notable work in this genre is the Sodality Chapel for St Francis Xavier's Church, Liverpool. In 1869 he designed Sacred Heart Church in Hindsford which Pevsner described as a "pretty church". His Anglican churches include St Michael and All Angels, Little Leigh, and St Cross, Appleton Thorn. He also designed and carried out work on commercial and domestic properties, including Dee House, Chester and 12 Hanover Street, Liverpool.

St John's parish church, The Avenue, High Legh, Cheshire, seen from the southwest
Whatlep · From geograph.org.uk

Photograph of Dee House, Chester
Peter I. Vardy
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Edmund Kirby • Born — 8 April 1838 • Birthplace — Liverpool, England • Died — 24 April 1920 • Place of death — Birkenhead, England • Known for — Roman Catholic Churches • Occupation — Architect
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1838–1920
The full dated record · 12 entries
1838
Edmund Kirby born at Liverpool.
1878
Methodist Church, Weaverham is dated 1878.
1879
St Michael and All Angels Church, Little Leigh is dated 1879.
1880
Providence Cottage is dated 1880.
1886
St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn is dated 1886.
1887
St Francis Xavier is dated 1887.
1889
Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Wallasey is dated 1889.
1893
St John's Church, High Legh is dated 1893.
1899
St Hildeburgh's Church, Hoylake is dated 1899.
1905
Our Lady and the Apostles Church, Stockport is dated 1905.
1914
St Werburgh's Church, Chester is dated 1914.
1920
Edmund Kirby died at Birkenhead.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Liverpool.
Birth place
Birkenhead.
Death place
Context
Primary material
Context
The circumstances in which Edmund Kirby stands. Work and production. Works recorded as notable number 2: St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn and St Michael and All Angels Church, Little Leigh.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5339609: Edmund Kirby
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Edmund Kirby”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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References
Citations
References
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Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q5339609: Edmund KirbyWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Design
11,558 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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- Edmund George LindDesigner
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- Edmund KissDesigner
- Edmund M. WheelwrightDesigner
- Edmund PapinotDesigner
- Edmund PerceyDesigner
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