Pearson, Frank Loughborough (1864 – 1947)

Frank Loughborough Pearson was born on 14 January 1864, the only son of the architect John Loughborough Pearson and Jemima Christian. She was the sister of the architect Joseph Henry Christian and cousin of Ewan Christian, a close friend of Pearson’s. They lived in a combined house and office at 22 Harley Street to which he had moved in 1855 or 1856. Jemima died of typhoid fever on 25 March 1865, Frank being then sent to Cronkbourne, Isle of Man, to be brought up by her unmarried sister Sarah in the household of their married sister Hannah Moore.

Frank Loughborough Pearson joined the office of his father in 1881. He had been brought back from the Isle of Man in 1871 to attend Dr Spreyers’ school at Halstain Lodge, Weybridge prior to being sent to Winchester. He had hoped to go to Cambridge and become a civil engineer, but was persuaded to become an architect because of the very long timescale of the building of Truro Cathedral, the commssion for which his father has won in 1878. Frank had to undertake exceptional responsibilities very early as his father’s assistant,William Douglas Caröe, left in 1883 to become the partner of Pearson’s brother-in-law Joseph Henry Christian, leaving John Ernest Newberry, only two years older than Frank, as the most experienced person in the office. Frank was formally taken into partnership in 1890.

In 1891 Frank Pearson married Cecilia, eldest daughter of Alfred Littleton, chairman of Novello & Co Ltd and they had four daughters, three of whom survived Pearson. He died on 8 October 1947.