Watson Fothergill
Watson Fothergill (12 July 1841 – 6 March 1928) was a British architect who designed over 100 unique buildings in Nottingham in the East Midlands of England. His influences were mainly from the Gothic Revival and Old English vernacular architecture styles. His work dates from 1864 (when he set himself up in practice) to around 1912.
Also recorded as Fothergill Watson · Waston Fothergill
Watson Fothergill

Stephen Richards · From geograph.org.uk · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Watson Fothergill
- Born
- 12 July 1841
- Birthplace
- Linden, Chesterfield Road, Mansfield
- Died
- 6 March 1928
- Place of death
- 7 Mapperley Road, Nottingham
- Spouse
- Ann Hage
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Occupation
- architect
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Watson Fothergill (12 July 1841 – 6 March 1928) was a British architect who designed over 100 unique buildings in Nottingham in the East Midlands of England. His influences were mainly from the Gothic Revival and Old English vernacular architecture styles. His work dates from 1864 (when he set himself up in practice) to around 1912.
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wikidata · Q7974820 · wikipedia · Watson Fothergill
In this article
Biography
Biography
His earliest surviving known building dates from 1866.

2-8 Hope Drive, The Park Estate, Nottingham. Architect Watson Fothergill 1888-89
Andrewrabbott

"Beechwood"
David Lally · "Beechwood" by David Lally · Geograph Britain and Ireland
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Watson Fothergill • Born — 12 July 1841 • Birthplace — Linden, Chesterfield Road, Mansfield • Died — 6 March 1928 • Place of death — 7 Mapperley Road, Nottingham • Other Names — Fothergill Watson • Spouse — Ann Hage • Practice — Associated architectural firm[s] • Significant Buildings — Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Thurland Street, Nottingham
Early life
Early life
Born Fothergill Watson in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in 1841, he was the son of wealthy Nottingham Lace merchant Robert Watson and Mary Ann Fothergill. He changed his name to Watson Fothergill in 1892 to continue his maternal family name.
Family
Family
He married Anne Hage in 1867 at St. John's Church, Mansfield. They had the following children: • Marian Watson (1868–1955) • Annie Forbes Watson (1869–1930) • Edith Mary Watson (1871–1936) • Eleanor Fothergill Watson (1872–1946) • Samuel Fothergill Watson (1875–1915) • Harold H Watson (1877-1905) • Clarice Watson (1877–1955) His father-in-law was Samuel Hage, one of the founding partners of Mansfield Brewery. His half-brother was Robert Mackie Watson, chairman of the Mansfield Improvement Commission and the Brunts' Charity.
Career
Career
In 1856, he entered the St Peter's Gate office of Frederick Jackson, an architect and surveyor in Nottingham. In mid-1860 he moved as assistant to Isaac Charles Gilbert who was based in Clinton Street, Nottingham. After spending around 18 months with Gilbert, he moved in early 1862 to join the office of Arthur William Blomfield in London. In 1864 he was working with John Middleton in Cheltenham, but in the same year, left to set up his own office at 6 Clinton Street, Nottingham. He remained at Clinton Street until it was demolished by the works in connection with the arrival of the Great Central Railway in 1894. He moved to a new temporary office at 18 George Street and arranged to rebuild 15 George Street opposite which he completed the next year and moved in on 12 December 1895. He is credited as having had a great impact on the architecture of the major British industrial city of Nottingham, and designed over a hundred buildings in the city, from offices, banks and warehouses, to churches and private dwelling houses. His easily recognisable style includes the use of contrasting horizontal bands of red and blue brick, dark timber eaves and balconies, and elaborate turrets and stone carvings. On his death in 1928, he left an estate valued at £73,908 5s 11d. List of major works All Nottinghamshire unless otherwise stated. 1860s • Cemetery Chapels, High Street, Ongar (joint architect with Isaac Charles Gilbert) – 1866 1870s • Dwelling House, Mapperley Road, Nottingham (Fothergill's own house) – 1870 • Two Villas, 5 & 7 Lenton Road, The Park, Nottingham – 1873 • Temperance Hall (later Albert Hall), North Circus Street, Nottingham – 1873–1876 • Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Church Street, Mansfield – 1874–1875 • Nottingham Daily Express Offices, Printing Works and Shops, Parliament Street, Nottingham – 1875 • King's Arms, Ratcliffe Gate and Newgate Lane, Mansfield – 1875–1877 • Cattle Market, Nottingham Road, Mansfield – 1876–1878 • Congregational Church (later United Reformed), Westgate, Mansfield – 1876–1878 • Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank and Residence, Thurland Street, Nottingham – 1877–1882 1880s • Villa, Crow Hill Drive, Mansfield – 1880 • Six Dwelling Houses, Shops and Carriage House, Castle Road and Houndsgate, Nottingham – 1882–1883 • Five Houses and Shops, Derby Road, Nottingham – 1884 • Institute and Coffee Tavern, High Street, Hucknall – 1884 • Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Cattle Market, Loughborough, Leicestershire – 1885 • Villa, Loscoe Hill (Clawson Lodge), 405 Mansfield Road, Nottingham – 1885 • Institute and Coffee Tavern (Budworth Hall), High Street, Ongar, Epping Forest, Essex – 1885–1887 • Villa (Walton House), 39 Newcastle Drive, The Park, Nottingham – 1886 • St. Nicholas' Church Rectory, Castle Gate, Nottingham – 1886–1887 • Pair of Villas, Loscoe Hill, 409 and 411 Mansfield Road, Nottingham – 1886–1887 • Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Kirk Gate, Newark on Trent 1885–1887 • Rebuilding Black Boy Hotel (first major rebuild / extension), Long Row, Nottingham – 1886–1888 • Pair of Villas, 62 and 64 Castle Boulevard, Nottingham – C1888 • Pair of Villas, 3 and 4 Huntingdon Drive, Nottingham – C1888 • Samuel Smith & Co's Bank, 24 Market Place, Long Eaton, Derbyshire – 1889 • Warehouse (Milbie House), 33 Pilcher Gate, Nottingham – 1889 1890s • Villa, (Elberton House), Cavendish Hill, 9 Hardwick Road, Nottingham – 1890 • Eight Ladies' Homes – Norris Almhouses, Berridge Road, Nottingham – 1892–1893 • Emmanuel Church, Woodborough Road (1883–1893) – demolished 1972 • Woodborough Road Baptist Church, Woodborough Road and Alfred Street North, Nottingham – 1893–1895 • Simons and Pickard Paper Warehouse, Lenton (Castle) Boulevard, Nottingham – 1893–1894 • House, Kingswood, Bulcote – 1893 • Two Semi-Detached Villas (Cleave House), 1 and 3 Sherwood Rise, Nottingham – 1894–1895 • Rebuilding of Nos 15 & 17 George Street, Nottingham (Watson Fothergill's offices) – 1894–1895 • Jessops' Shop and Workrooms, 14–30 King Street, Nottingham – 1894–1897 • Four Shops and Offices (Queen's Chambers), Long Row and King Street, Nottingham – 1896–1899 • Shop and Office (Furley and Co) (now Lloyds Bank), Parliament Street and Clinton Street, Nottingham – 1896–1897 • Ellenborough House, 3 South Road, The Park, Nottingham – extended 1896–1897 • Cuckson, Hazeldine and Manderfield Warehouses, Stoney Street and Barker Gate, Nottingham – 1897–1898 • Black Boy Hotel Additions and Two Shops (second major rebuild/extension), Long Row, Nottingham – 1897–1900 • Rebuilding of the Rose of England Inn, Mansfield Road, Nottingham – 1898–1900 • Brewery, Mar Hill, Carlton – 1899 • Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank and House, 111 Carrington Street, Nottingham – 1899 1900s • Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Branch Bank, St Ann's Well Road, Nottingham – 1900–1901 • Sixteen Houses, Foxhall Road, Nottingham – 1901–1902 • Union of London and Smith's Bank, Market Place, Bulwell – 1904 • Villa, Mapperley Road, Nottingham (Joint Architect with Lawrence George Summers) – 1905 • Four Houses, Mansfield Road and Bingham Road, Nottingham – 1906–1907
Gallery
Gallery
• Illustration — Watson Fothergill's office at 15–17 George Street, Nottingham • Illustration — Statue (by Nathaniel Hitch) on the frontage of Watson Fothergill's office • Illustration — Villa at Bridgegate in Retford • Illustration — Houses and Shops at Castle Road in Nottingham • Illustration — Banking House at Kirkgate in Newark • Illustration — Eight Ladies Homes at Sherwood Rise in Nottingham • Illustration — Woodborough Road Baptist Chapel • Illustration — Queen's Chambers at Long Row and King Street in Nottingham • Illustration — Carlton Laundry • Illustration — Castle Court, Castle Boulevard • Illustration — Rose of England public house, Mansfield Road, Nottingham • Illustration — Black Boy Hotel, Long Row, Nottingham
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. The record continues: watson Fothergill died on 6 March 1928. The record continues: watson Fothergill is recorded with the occupation architect. The record continues: watson Fothergill is recorded with the gender male. Born on 12 July 1841. It is also recorded that watson Fothergill is recorded as human.
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.
Watson Fothergill was born at Mansfield and sources differ (the article records Linden).
Birthplace
Watson Fothergill died at Nottingham.
Deathplace
Nottingham.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q7974820: Watson Fothergill
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Watson Fothergill”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Brodie, Antonia. Directory of British Architects 1834-1914: Vol 1 (A-K). Royal Institute of British Architects. 675. 20 December 2001. 0826455131.
- 2.Marriages. London Evening Standard. 12 September 1867.
- 3.Marriages. Nottinghamshire Guardian. 13 September 1867.
- 4.Turner, Darren. A Catalogue of the Works of Watson Fothergill, Architect. DT:P / Blurb. 2012.
- 5.Notts Architect. Sheffield Independent. 22 June 1928.
- 6.Local and District News. Nottinghamshire Guardian. 12 January 1866.
- 7.New Congregational Chapel at Mansfield. Nottinghamshire Guardian. 1 June 1877.
- 8.The Notitngham and Notts Bank. Nottingham Evening Post. 21 March 1881.
- 9.Hucknall Torkard. Nottinghamshire Guardian. 8 August 1884.
- 10.Ongar. The Budworth Memorial Hall. Chelmsford Chronicle. 11 February 1887.
- 11.Emmanuel Church, Nottingham. Consecration of New Chancel. Nottinghamshire Guardian. 18 March 1893.
- 12.Sherwood Rise, Nottingham. Nottinghamshire Guardian. 12 November 1898.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 3
- Brand, Ken (2009) "Watson Fothergill: a provincial goth", in: Ferry, Kathryn, ed. Powerhouses of Provincial Architecture, 1837–1914. London: Victorian Society; pp. 28–43
- Turner, Darren (2012) "A Catalogue of the Works of Watson Fothergill, Architect."
- Turner, Darren (2024) "Watson Fothergill: An Architectural Pocket Guide."
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q7974820: Watson FothergillWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
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This entry is compiled from 6 catalogued sources across 4 independent registers. The registers consulted are Crossref registry, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation and Wellcome Collection. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
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.
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