Architect, of Belfast. Edwin Riddell Kennedy, who was born in Belfast on 11 July 1881, was a son of William Kennedy, of Kenbella House, Antrim Road, Belfast, for many years manager of the York Street Flax Spinning Company, and his wife, Isabella. After attending Belfast Royal Academy, he was articled in 1897 to WATT & TULLOCH TULLOCH in Belfast, staying on as an assistant for a further year after completing his apprenticeship. From 1902 to 1903 he was an assistant to VINCENT CRAIG VINCENT CRAIG and from 1903 to 1904 to WILLIAM JOHN GILLILAND. I WILLIAM JOHN GILLILAND. I n 1904 he moved to the office of WILLIAM J. MOORE WILLIAM J. MOORE . By 1908 he had formed a partnership with ROBERT SHARPE HILL ROBERT SHARPE HILL , the firm being known as HILL & KENNEDY KENNEDY . The partnership had come to an end well before the outbreak of the First World War, during which Kennedy served with the Ulster Division in France as a Captain in the 8th Royal Irish Rifles East Belfast Division. On returning to Belfast in 1919 he entered into partnership with JAMES STILWELL MUNCE JAMES STILWELL MUNCE as MUNCE & MUNCE & amp; KENNEDY KENNEDY . This partnership lasted until his sudden death from a heart attack when he was crank-starting his car on the morning of 18 October 1930. He was survived by his wife and son.
Kennedy was an active member of the Ulster Society of Architects from its beginnings. As president from 1928 until 1930, his tact and genial manner is said to have been instrumental in effecting a rapprochement between the Ulster Society of Architects and the RIAI, whose relations had cooled. He was keen to see a school of architecture established at Queen's and was much interested in the work of the School of Architecture at University College, Dublin, to which he paid an official visit in 1929.
RIBA: passed preliminary examination for qualification as probationer, June 1899; admitted student, 1901; elected associate, 3 December 1906, having been proposed by FREDERICK HENRY TULLOCH FREDERICK HENRY TULLOCH , H.D.S. Wood and A. Keen; elected fellow, 1926, having been proposed by NICHOLAS FITZSIMONS NICHOLAS FITZSIMONS , THOMAS WILLIAM HENRY THOMAS WILLIAM HENRY and F.H. Tulloch.
RSUA: hon. sec. of designing and sketching club, 1902; hon. treasurer, 1912-1913; hon. secretary, 1923-26; society's representative on RIBA council, 1926-1930; president, 1928-29; council member at time of death.
Royal Sanitary Institute: member by 1909.
Addresses: Work: 32 Wellington Place, Belfast, <=1908->=1911; 7 Wellington Place, 1923; 11 Wellington Place, <=1926-1930.
Home: 3 Mount Delphi, Antrim Road, Belfast, 1899; 3 Easton Terrace, Cliftonville, Belfast, 1901; 341 Newtownards Road Upper, 1911; The Bungalow, Sandown Road, Knock, Co. Down, 1926; The Spa, Ballynahinch, at time of death.
See WORKS; see also works of HILL & KENNEDY KENNEDY and of MUNCE & MUNCE & amp; KENNEDY. KENNEDY.
References
All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the biography of Kennedy in R.M. Young, Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the 20th Century (1909), 600, which is illustrated with a portrait photograph, from the obituary and appreciation of Kennedy in IB 72, 25 Oct 1930, 957,958, from the obituary by J[ohn?] S[eeds?] in RIBAJ 38 (1930-31), 26, and from Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 (RIBA 2001), I, 1064. A notice of Kennedy's death with a photograph is in AJ 72, 29 Oct 1930, 645.
RIBAJ 33 (1925-26), 397,425, unless otherwise stated.
RIBAJ 6 (1898-99), 519.
RIBAJ 9 (1901-2), 67.
From list of society's officers in RSUA Jubilee Year Book 1951-1952, 5.
IB 44, 9 Oct 1902, 1426.
RIBAJ 38 (1930-31), 59.
IB 50, 30 May 1908, 341; 53, 23 Dec 1911, 850.
Who's Who in Architecture 1923, 147.
RIBAJ 33 (1925-26), 397; Architect & Building News 123, 30 May 1930, 710.
See note 2, above.
See note 3, above.
1911 census, http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Pottinger__part_of_/Newtownards_Road_Upper/228953/ (last visited Mar 2009).