Transcript

of

James Hine [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc. vol. 46, (1914), pp. 39-40.

by

Maxwell Adams (Ed.)

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1914 Tavistock meeting. Mr Hine, Plymouth’s celebrated ecclesiastical and civil architect has an obituary with additional information to that in the presented here, on Brian Moseley’s “Who was who in old Plymouth” website.
A record of his several important architectural triumphs appears in E.W. Godwin: Aesthetic Movement Architect and Designers, p. 362, available through New Google Books. The obituary, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Mr. Hine was the son of the Rev. T. C. Hine of Sydenham and afterwards of Plymouth, by his wife Mary Hendeburgh, and was born in 1829.
Mr. Hine's name will be perpetuated by the many public buildings and churches throughout the west and other parts of England for which he was the architect, the principal of which probably is the handsome Guildhall and Municipal Offices at Plymouth. He was formerly in partnership with Mr. Alfred Norman, and together they were responsible for some big works, Bodmin Asylum probably being one of them. Mr. Hine, however, was best known as a church architect. All Saints', St. Matthias', and St. Jude's at Plymouth, and the Wesleyan Church at Ivybridge, stand as monuments to his genius. In later years he went into partnership with Mr. Odgers, with business premises in Lockyer Street, Plymouth, in collaboration with whom the Blackadon Asylum was erected. They were also consulting architects to the old Plymouth School Board, and their work in this direction included the building of Palace Court, North Road, and several other schools. Mr. Hine also designed the Stuart Road Schools and several other educational institutions in Devonport.
Mr. Hine, who came of a very artistic family, was the brother of the well-known water-colour artist.
Mr. Hine was a prominent figure, for many years, at the annual meetings of the Devonshire Association, of which he was an original member, having joined in the year of its foundation, 1862, and to the Transactions of which Society he contributed many valuable Reports and Papers, chiefly on art subjects. When the Association met at Kingsbridge, in 1897, he was its President. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and a member of the Plymouth Institution. After his retirement from professional work he lived at Launceston, and when the Association met there in 1909 he took an active part in the arrangements for its reception and entertainment. He died at Launceston, in his eighty-fifth year, on 16 February, 1914.
He was a most delightful man with a most charming and courtly manner and will be much missed at the annual meetings of the Association. He lies buried in the Plymouth Cemetery.