PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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ALFRED NORMAN Alfred Norman was born in Plymouth Dock (Devonport) on March 27th 1823 to Mr John and Mrs Anna Maria Norman. He was baptised at the Norley Street Presbyterian Chapel in Bilbury Street, Plymouth, on August 29th 1826. The family lived at Belmont House, Stoke, in 1841 and Alfred already had an older brother, William Norman, and two sisters, Anna and Sophia. He was baptised at the same time as a younger brother, Edmund Norman. There were three servants, Miss Catherine Daniell, Miss Mary Dobson, and Miss Mary Munk. After schooling he became a pupil of the architect, Mr George Wightwick. Around 1850 he set up his own practise at 24 St Aubyn Street, Devonport, and on March 6th 1849 married his first wife, Miss Emily Margaret Glinn, at Stoke Damerel Parish Church. Soon after she gave birth to their first son, Alfred John Norman, but died after a short illness on May 19th 1855. Mr Norman married twice more. On January 20th 1857 he married Miss Mary Caroline Wilcocks at Stoke Damerel Church. She died after a long illness on October 26th 1868 at the young age of 38. On November 19th 1872 Alfred married Miss Caroline Harris Eastlake, daughter of the Admiralty solicitor, Admiral W Eastlake, and a grand-daughter of Sir Charles Eastlake, the artist, at Buckland Monachorum Parish Church. She bore him four daughters, Katherine, Margaret, Rosamond and Alice. The list of buildings Mr Alfred Norman designed, either on his own account or with Mr John Hine, reads like a gazetteer of the Three Towns. They include the Plymouth Guildhall and Municipal Offices; the Devonport Mechanics' Institute; the Devonport Workhouse; the Grand Hotel; the Thomas's Hotel, Devonport; the Royal Albert Hospital and its adjacent Lock Hospital, of which he was said to be the most proud; the Royal British Female Orphan Asylum, Stoke; the Devon & Cornwall Bank, Devonport; the Plymouth branch of the Devonport Bank; the National Provincial Bank, Devonport; Pounds House, Devonport, for Mr Chappell Hodge; St Mark's Church; Hope Baptist Chapel, Devonport; Christ Church Unitarian Chapel; Treville Street Board School; and a multitude of villas, terraces, town houses, factories, bond warehouses, schools and lodges throughout the district. He also acted on behalf of the Admiralty in the acquisition of properties in connection with the construction of the tunnel between the Royal Dockyard and Keyham Steam Yard and also for the enlargement of the Royal Marine Barracks at Stonehouse. Mr Alfred Norman died at his residence, 29 Ker Street, Devonport, on Wednesday January 4th 1893. During his lifetime he had served as foreman of Lord St Levan's Court Leet for some 25 years; been honorary secretary of the Royal Albert Hospital; served as an Alderman and a Justice of the Peace. His funeral was conducted by the Reverend W Binns, of the Treville Street Unitarian Chapel, Plymouth, the oak coffin having been supplied by Mr T Greenslade and the glass hearse by Messrs Pinsent & Company, of Devonport.
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