Thomas English (mayor)

Thomas English (9 July 1820 – 17 December 1884)[1] was a leading colonial architect in South Australia, Mayor of Adelaide (1862–1863), and a member of the South Australian Legislative Council 1865–1878 and 1882–1884.

Thomas English
Born	(1820-07-09)9 July 1820 Maryport, England
Died	17 December 1884(1884-12-17) (aged 64) Parkside, South Australia
Nationality	British-Australian
Occupation	architect
Mayor of the Corporation of Adelaide
In office 1862–1863
Preceded by	Edward Glandfield
Succeeded by	Samuel Goode
Member of the Legislative Council of South Australia
In office 1 March 1865 – 1 August 1878
In office 29 May 1882 – 17 December 1884
Commissioner of Public Works
In office 23 Oct 1865 – 3 May 1867
Preceded by	Philip Santo
Succeeded by	Philip Santo

English was born in Maryport, Cumberland, England, and arrived in Adelaide on 11 January 1850 on the barque Richardson. [2]

English was Minister of Works, South Australia, and a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 1 March 1865 to 1 August 1878 and from 29 May 1882 till his death,[1] and was Commissioner of Public Works in the John Hart Government from 23 October 1865[1] to March 1966,[3] and in the James Boucaut Ministry from the latter date till 3 May 1867.[1]

His work as architect included the new Kent Town Brewery buildings at the corner of Rundle Street and Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town, completed in 1876 for E. T. Smith. He was for a time partner with brother-in-law Henry Brown (28 August 1820 – 30 May 1881) in the building firm of English & Brown, (later Brown & Thompson), who developed the Glen Ewin quarry,[4] the source of freestone for many of Adelaide's public buildings. George Klewitz Soward served his papers with English then joined him in partnership as English & Sowden which continued after the death of English with his son J. W. English (died 1926).

English died at his residence in Parkside, South Australia on 17 December 1884.[2]

The Hundred of English was named after English when it was proclaimed in 1866. It includes the towns of Robertstown and Point Pass in the Mid North of South Australia.[5]

References

• Thomas English, Architects Database, unisa.edu.au

1. "Mr Thomas English". Former Member of Parliament Details. Parliament of South Australia.
2. "Obituary. Death of the Hon. Thomas English". South Australian Register. 20 December 1884.
3. Mennell, Philip (1892). "English, Hon. Thomas" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
4. "Glen Ewin Quarry". The South Australian Advertiser. South Australia. 29 March 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 30 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "Placename Details: Hundred of English". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. 29 January 2009. SA0022679. Retrieved 15 February 2016.

Political offices
Preceded by Edward Glandfield	Mayor of the Corporation of Adelaide 1862–1863	Succeeded by Samuel Goode
Preceded by Philip Santo	Commissioner of Public Works 23 Oct 1865 – 3 May 1867	Succeeded by Philip Santo