Maxwell and Tuke

Maxwell and Tuke was an architectural practice in Northwest England, founded in 1857 by James Maxwell in Bury. In 1865 Maxwell was joined in the practice by Charles Tuke, who became a partner two years later. The practice moved its main office to Manchester in 1884. Frank, son of James Maxwell, joined the practice in the later 1880s and became a partner. The two senior partners both died in 1893, and Frank Maxwell continued the practice, maintaining its name as Maxwell and Tuke.

In the early years the practice designed relatively small buildings in and around Bury. Their first major commission came in 1871 for Cambridge Hall, Southport. Later works included the Ulster Reform Club in Belfast, and extensive temporary structures to house the Royal Jubilee Exhibition in Manchester in 1887/1888. After this they had their most notable commission, the design of Blackpool Tower. Both senior partners died before this could be completed, and the work was continued by Frank Maxwell. The commercial success of Blackpool Tower led to a commission to design the even larger New Brighton Tower. The practice continued to design notable buildings into the 20th century.

James Maxwell was born on 14 June 1838 in Haslingden, Lancashire. His father, Thomas, was a builder, plumber and glazier. James was educated at the grammar school in Whalley, and was then articled to Thomas Holmes, an architect in Bury, which was then in Lancashire and later in Greater Manchester. Maxwell established his own architectural practice in Bury in December 1857. On 28 September 1893 he died at his home in Bury from cerebritis.

William Charles Tuke, usually known as Charles Tuke, was born on 12 January 1843 in the village of Bolton in the parish of Calverley near Bradford, West Yorkshire. His father, William, was a land agent, architect, and surveyor. He first trained as an articled clerk in his father's practice, moved briefly to Chester, worked as an architect's assistant in Wolverhampton, and then undertook the same role in the practice of Mills and Murgatroyd in Manchester. Tuke joined Maxwell in 1865 and became his partner in 1867. Tuke later lived at The Hydro, St Annes on Sea, Lancashire, where he died on 28 March 1893 from nephritis.

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