Edward Prentice Mawson
Encyclopedia
Edward Prentice Mawson (1885, Ambleside
, Westmorland
– 22 December 1954, Lancaster
) was the eldest of the nine children of Thomas Hayton Mawson
, and, like his father a British garden design
er, landscape architect
, and town planner..
grammar school
, the Architectural Association School of Architecture
in London and the École des Beaux-Arts
in Paris.
in 1923, running it almost single-handed following the emigration to New Zealand of his brother/partner John. After the end of WW2 the firm comprised Edward, his younger son Thomas and Gordon Farrow, an associate of the Institute of Landscape Artists. Notable works include The Peace Palace
in The Hague
(with his father); the palace gardens in Athens
; Hazelwood Hall
in Silverdale
, Lancashire; Boveridge Park
, near Cranborne
, Dorset; Dunira, Perthshire
; Stanley Park, Blackpool
(1922–26), now with Grade II status as an historically important garden, on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
; Droitwich Spa Lido
; Saffron Hill Cemetery, Leicester; Squires Gate Holiday Camp
, Blackpool, (later Pontins, closed 2009 for housing) and well as several other parks and gardens in England, many at seaside resorts. Large-scale town planning schemes include London County Council
's St Helier Estate (1934) and Ulster garden villages including Merville Garden Village
.
boot and shoe maker. They lived at Hest Bank
, north of Lancaster and had two sons, Andrew (1917–2001) and Thomas (b.1925) and a daughter, Elizabeth (1920-2010). Edward is remembered within his immediate family as being very creative, not least as he was brought up within the Arts & Crafts era and benefited from the full education that his father lacked. He also worked extremely hard, which ultimately lead to his untimely death in 1954 aged 69. Ironically he was outlived by his mother Anna (née Prentice) who died the following year.
Soane medallion in 1908.
He was an honorary lecturer in landscape design at Reading University, a member of the Town Planning Institute, the Institute of Structural Engineers and a founder member of the Institute of Landscape Architects.
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
, Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
– 22 December 1954, Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
) was the eldest of the nine children of Thomas Hayton Mawson
Thomas Hayton Mawson
Thomas Hayton Mawson , better known as T. H. Mawson, was a British garden designer, landscape architect, and town planner....
, and, like his father a British garden design
Garden design
Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise...
er, landscape architect
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
, and town planner..
Education
He was educated at WindermereWindermere
Windermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, the Architectural Association School of Architecture
Architectural Association School of Architecture
The Architectural Association School of Architecture, more usually known as the AA, is an architectural school in London, United Kingdom...
in London and the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
in Paris.
Career
He worked as an apprentice at a London architectural practice before joining his father as a partner in 1910. He took over the running of the firm when his father developed Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in 1923, running it almost single-handed following the emigration to New Zealand of his brother/partner John. After the end of WW2 the firm comprised Edward, his younger son Thomas and Gordon Farrow, an associate of the Institute of Landscape Artists. Notable works include The Peace Palace
Peace Palace
The Peace Palace is a building situated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice , the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the extensive Peace Palace Library.In addition...
in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
(with his father); the palace gardens in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
; Hazelwood Hall
Hazelwood Hall
- History of Hazelwood Hall and Heald Brow :The history of Hazelwood Hall is typical of many small estates and country houses that developed in southern Lakeland and the Arnside and Silverdale area during the last 200 years...
in Silverdale
Silverdale, Lancashire
Silverdale is a village and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. The village stands on Morecambe Bay, near the border with Cumbria, north west of Carnforth and north of Lancaster. The parish had a population of 1,545 recorded in the 2001 census.Silverdale forms part...
, Lancashire; Boveridge Park
Boveridge
Boveridge is a village in Dorset, England about north of Cranborne, south-west of Salisbury, Wiltshire, and nort-east of Wimborne Minster, Dorset.-Notable buildings:...
, near Cranborne
Cranborne
Cranborne is a village in East Dorset, England. In 2001 the village had a population of 779 people. The town is situated on chalk downland called Cranborne Chase, part of a large expanse of chalk in southern England which includes the nearby Salisbury Plain and Dorset Downs.-History:The village...
, Dorset; Dunira, Perthshire
Dunira, Perthshire
Durnira is an estate of about in Perthshire, Scotland, about north-west of the town of Comrie and about north-west of Stirling. The estate is set against a backdrop of mountains, hills and rich lush lowland. Dunira was the home of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, although the house he built...
; Stanley Park, Blackpool
Stanley Park, Blackpool
Stanley Park is a municipal park in the town of Blackpool on the Fylde coast in the county of Lancashire, England. It is the largest park in the town, bounded by a roughly circular perimeter of 2.2 miles and covering an area of...
(1922–26), now with Grade II status as an historically important garden, on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
In England, the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by English Heritage under the provisions of the National...
; Droitwich Spa Lido
Droitwich Spa Lido
The Droitwich Spa Lido is a lido in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, England. It is one of the few remaining inland, open-air salt-water swimming pools in the UK.-Brief history:...
; Saffron Hill Cemetery, Leicester; Squires Gate Holiday Camp
Holiday Camp
Holiday Camp is a 1947 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Annakin, starring Jack Warner, Jimmy Hanley, Kathleen Harrison and Dennis Price.-Synopsis:...
, Blackpool, (later Pontins, closed 2009 for housing) and well as several other parks and gardens in England, many at seaside resorts. Large-scale town planning schemes include London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
's St Helier Estate (1934) and Ulster garden villages including Merville Garden Village
Merville Garden Village
Merville Garden Village is a housing estate located at Shore Road, Whitehouse, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland created by structural and landscape architect Edward Prentice Mawson. It was completed in 1949.-Historical background:...
.
Personal life
In 1913 he married Hilda Bowhill (1885–1974), daughter of a successful NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
boot and shoe maker. They lived at Hest Bank
Hest Bank
Slyne-with-Hest is a civil parish in the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. It had a population of 3,163 recorded in the 2001 census. The parish is north of Lancaster and consists of two villages; Slyne, on the A6 road, and Hest Bank on the coast....
, north of Lancaster and had two sons, Andrew (1917–2001) and Thomas (b.1925) and a daughter, Elizabeth (1920-2010). Edward is remembered within his immediate family as being very creative, not least as he was brought up within the Arts & Crafts era and benefited from the full education that his father lacked. He also worked extremely hard, which ultimately lead to his untimely death in 1954 aged 69. Ironically he was outlived by his mother Anna (née Prentice) who died the following year.
Awards
He was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
Soane medallion in 1908.
He was an honorary lecturer in landscape design at Reading University, a member of the Town Planning Institute, the Institute of Structural Engineers and a founder member of the Institute of Landscape Architects.