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MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | KENT, Frank ManoahBorn: c1872Died: 1904 07 07 Architect | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Was born in Sheffield, England and was articled to WF Hemsoll & Smith of Sheffield. He was then employed as assistant in the office of Burmester & Beeston in London before working for EW Mountford, also in London. He remained in Mountford's office for three years and later said he owed much to his long stay in this office (Mountford was one of a group of architects who belonged to a 'joyous revival of English Baroque' (Service 1975:303, 304) and was responsible for the design of the Old Bailey in London (1900-1907). In 1894 Kent left for South Africa and settled in Pietermaritzburg though his obituary states he came to Natal in 1897. In his FRIBA nomination papers, dated 1904, Kent claimed responsibility for work on the Horse Shoe Hotel in Pietermaritzburg and the Natal Illustrated (1902:254 ill) states the hotel was rebuilt in 1892 but with subsequent 'innovations and alterations made from time to time as they suggested themselves. 'It is not clear how much he was responsible for the building as illustrated in 1902 which is not unlike the Royal Hotel in Ladysmith in appearance. He joined the PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT in Natal in 1897 and 'on the last day of the same year he left the service of the above department, having had designs accepted for the Girls' High School in Durban and entered into partnership with Mr Price' (Natal Advertiser July 8 1904 p.5). His partnership with MB PRICE lasted from the end of 1897 until Kent's death in 1904. It was while he living in Price's house West Lynn in Chase Valley (Price being away touring in India) that he was shot dead by the 'kitchen boy', one Matalaza. The headlines 'Awful Murder - city architect murdered - shot at breakfast - the crime confessed' prepared for a full report on the tragedy, noting that Kent was of a 'very retiring disposition, due chiefly to his deafness, he took no active part in public affairs' but noted that he was well-known and liked and that he was unmarried and about 32 years old. According to his statement in his RIBA Fellowship papers (1904) Kent designed a house for EM Greene, MLA, and a house and business premises for WS Thrash, presumably in Pietermaritzburg. In 1897 he entered into partnership with MB PRICE (cf KENT & PRICE) in Pietermaritzburg. He was a founder member of the Natal Institute of Architects (1901) and was elected an Associate member of the RIBA in 1904. His obituary in the RIBA Journal ascribes the Estcourt Agricultural Hall to him (see Kent & Price). NIA 1901; FRIBA 1904. (FRIBA nom papers (1904) 148; Hillebrand 1975; NAD MSCE 21/134/1904; Natal Advertiser July 8, 1904 obit; Natal Witness July 8, 1904 obit; RIBA Jnl 27 Aug 1904:507 obit by EO PAYNE)All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon. List of projects With photographs With notes
Books citing KENT
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