Born in 1903 Frances Thelma Silcock was a student contemporary of Norah Dunphy in the Liverpool School and graduated with a Dip. Arch. in 1925. Like Norah Dunphy, she distinguished herself nationally by being awarded the RIBA Silver Medal in 1925 as well as being a recipient of the Emma Holt Travelling Scholarship. Frances went into partnership with a fellow Liverpool student, Wilfred Bythell Edwards building amongst other things a church in Cheadle. Wilfred and Frances married and lived in Manchester, Newcastle and Wales. Wilfred taught architecture at Manchester University before being appointed head of Durham University School of Architecture and then professor at King's College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he held the chair until 1960. The records become unclear as to the extent of Frances's involvement in the Edwards architectural practice post marriage, however the 1964 RIBA obituary for Wilfred notes that he kept both his practice running alongside his academic roles. We can only surmise that given Frances's own talent she was instrumental in maintaining her husband’s balancing of academia and practice and contributed to the commissions obtained in the ensuing years. The practice of W B Edwards & Partners undertook a wide range of commissions in the north east including for King's College, Newcastle.
A Gateway to a Town - Drawings for the Rome Scholarship 1925 by Thelma Silcock. By Courtesy of the University of Liverpool Library