George Edward Bond

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=983781320419365&set=a.387984386665731

2024 ARTIST FEATURE

MAP 23
PHOTOGRAPHY, MIXED MEDIA,

Theatre Royal Chatham -
Archive Exhibition
The Riverside Gallery, Sun Pier House, Medway
Street, Chatham, ME4 4HF

Sat 6th 11:00 - 16:00,
Sun 7th 11:00 - 16:00,
Sat 13th 11:00 - 16:00,
Sun 14th 11:00 - 16:00,
by appointment all other days.

An exhibition celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Theatre Royal Chatham.

01634 401 549
[email protected]
www.sunpierhouse.co.uk


Disabled access: NO



Image description: An old black and white photograph depicting the Theatre Royal Chatham. Men in old clothing are stood outside the theatre highlighting the scale of the buildings next to them.

https://futuremedway.co.uk/investor-buys-former-st-john-fisher-school-on-maidstone-road-chatham/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0WUINX0dZ9qXbwS3VuKd35I-XwMkfcWnKfQZgcFrAxC_-zyBGUly7kg2M_aem_AZHbnJH2uXgMkncV3dUBwCOQS9c9WbAIU4HjJASUGxLlhzPJrvuaqkbFimKwSArD2XCniwCJcwUzdJBi-KRAGJ7N

Investor buys former St John Fisher School on Maidstone Road, Chatham - Future Medway Chatham's old St John Fisher School has been bought by an investor.

Thanks to the Medway Archives centre, another image of 'Franklin Homan' building in Rochester High Street has appeared. I've cropped the image and colourised it to show the details. The building still stands at the east end of Rochester High street, just around the corner from Star Hill, but the whole top section has gone. Designed 15th April 1902.

original post: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=812288089851379&set=pb.100032105872275.-2207520000&type=3

One day, maybe!

Original design

Just as a side note of interest. George Bond's 'design' for All Saints church Chatham, bears a very strong resemblance to All Saints church in East Finchley, London. More so than the finished building that we ended up with on Magpie Hall road... What do you think?

All Saints Church, Magpie Hall Road, Chatham.

George Bond's final design was in 1913, for the 4-storey ‘All Saints Church’, at Magpie Hall Road Chatham. (The completed building is very different to the original design drawing.)

The Bishop of Rochester consecrated it in April 1914 but Bond was too ill to attend the ceremony. George passed away at home 9th of May 1914.

A letter from the Bishop stated: ‘grateful acknowledgement to you for the care and attention which you have devoted to the fabric and for the highly satisfactory character of the design, and the details of the work…your skill in dealing with the conditions of the site, and the whole proportions of the structure, both internally and externally, deeply impressed me. You have not only designed a church which is an ornament to Chatham but is one which is a noble and worthy building for the sacred purpose for which it is intended’

April 1st 1901, George Bond completes his most ambitious design yet...Rochester Castle! Here's a very rare photo of George in his office designing the very castle seen here behind him! ;)

3rd August 1897, Mr Bond designed the 'Rose Inn' at #1 - 3 Catherine Street, the Delce, Rochester. Working for Edward Winch & Sons. The Pub Closed in 2012, and is now a mini-market store.

The two Baptist churches next to each other in Crow Lane Rochester are an impressive pair of designed buildings. From the front (street level) you cannot tell the amount of detail there is.

11th December 1888, George Bond designed the 'Baptist institute' building at #6 Crow Lane, Rochester.
I thought this was a mistake on my part as I already had a design for a 'Baptist church' in Crow Lane, on the 13th November 1906. That building was 100% a Bond building because of the foundation stone outside.
When I re-read my information I realised he'd designed the older building (on the right) at an earlier date.

-Larger building on the left 1906, smaller building on the right 1888, on the ariel photograph.-

One of George's smaller designs was for Mr. W.J. Glover & Son and his 'Delce' Windmill on Burrett Street, Rochester. The design dated the 2nd July 1895 was for a new corn store. The mill was demolished in May 1946

‘New Technical Institute’ in Green Street Gillingham. Before the Embassy in October 1936, the Odeon in 1946, the Classic in 1967 and back to Embassy in 1977 cinema in Green Street was built...

‘New Technical Institute’ in Green Street Gillingham. The buildings exterior is in a ‘Free Renaissance style’, the same style as the Chatham Town Hall.
This building was still being used as a Technical Institute up to 1960’s. The building became the Gillingham Adult Education Centre, until 2013, when it was converted into flats.

Another Technical institute; this time in Green Street, Gillingham. 1891 sees the firm of 'Laurance Seager' from Sittingbourne building the ‘New Technical Institute’ in Green Street Gillingham (New Brompton) from a design of Bond’s.
(The original ‘design’ is detached, and not as wide as the finished building) The Gillingham Education Committee opened this 2-storey building in 1893

Found another image of the building...These are difficult to find.

Both the Technical Institute, 1894 and the Chatham Free Library, 1902 (Back to back) were George Bond buildings. Institute Road was built in 1895 - 1896 and named after the Institute. In case you're wondering on this map: L.B stands for Letter box. P.H. stands for Public House.

The Technical Institute (Middle of image) when it stood at the bottom of Institute Road, next to The East End Pub / hotel.

1894, The (Technical Education) Institute building, bottom of Institute Road, Chatham. Now demolished.

A small glimpse of the 'Rochester Liberal club', through Two Post Alley in Rochester High Street. Now a car park!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8355434.stm

The building was demolished in 2010

Aveling & Porter building (Later becoming Wingets)

Aveling & Porter produced the first ever steam roller in 1867 and went on to become the largest manufacturer of steam rollers in the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aveling_and_Porter

Thomas Lake Aveling was the son of Thomas Aveling and his wife, Sarah.
He was born on 25 August 1856 in Ruckinge, Kent.
When he left school he worked for his father, taking control of Aveling & Porter in 1881.
After conversion to a limited company in 1895, Thomas jr. became Aveling & Porter's chairman and managing director until he retired.

On June 17th 1903 George Bond working for Thomas Aveling Jr. designed the AVELING & PORTER OFFICE BUILDING on Strood esplanade by the river Medway

On the 22nd October 1908 George Bond designed the MEDWAY CONSERVANCY BOARD' building in Rochester High Street also for Thomas Lake Aveling, who was chairman of the Medway Conservancy board, which became the (new) Rochester Museum, and is now the Café Nucleus Rochester. https://cafenucleus.uk/cafe-nucleus-rochester/

On 10th March 1911 George also designed a COTTAGE AND FORGE in Love Lane, Rochester for Mr. Aveling. I'm not sure if this still survives!

✏️ George Bond designed 43 High Street, Chatham, in 1894.

ℹ️ His client was Messrs Jude Hanbury & Co, a brewing business operating in Mid-Kent and East Sussex. The building had offices, beer stores and an agent's residence on the upper floors.

🔍 Bond's original drawings of this building can be viewed at Medway Archives Centre under reference CHA/BP/1667.

As a surveyor, on the 25th October 1887, George Bond designs 'Rochester Avenue' Rochester. A new road that connects Maidstone Road Rochester to the Delce Rochester. A very straight road that cuts through orchards.

Another possibility!?...T.C. Harwood Ltd, 114 High Street, Chatham. Now sadly demolished.

Thanks to Jim Patmore, an aerial view photo of the building. Which I've colourised and labelled.

...and it's location. After the Castle Theatre closed down, the building became the Rochester Police Station. The building was eventually demolished in 1970, and the area where it stood is now a car park.