17 Facts About Richard Grainger

Richard Grainger was a builder in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Richard Grainger worked with the architects John Dobson and Thomas Oliver, and with the town clerk, John Clayton, to redevelop the centre of Newcastle in the 19th century.

Grainger Street and the Grainger Market are named after him; sometimes the whole area of Newcastle developed in the Neoclassical style around Grey Street and Grainger Street is referred to as Grainger Town.

Richard Grainger was born in High Friar's Lane, the son of Thomas Richard Grainger, a Quayside porter, and Amelia Burt, a seamstress.

Richard Grainger was educated at St Andrew's Charity School in Newgate Street and was apprenticed to a carpenter at the age of 12.

In 1827 Richard Grainger built St Mary's Place, designed by John Dobson, opposite the church of St Thomas the Martyr, which Dobson had recently completed.

In 1829 Richard Grainger began work on Leazes Terrace, Leazes Crescent and Leazes Place, all designed by Thomas Oliver and aimed at middle-class tenants.

In 1834 Richard Grainger presented a comprehensive development plan to the town council.

Dobson had already submitted a similar plan to the council previously and been rejected, so Richard Grainger needed someone with influence to encourage the council to accept the new plan.

Richard Grainger was advised to move his legal account to the solicitor's firm run by John Clayton, the town clerk.

Richard Grainger countered these objections by offering to build a new Theatre Royal and a new meat and vegetable market.

At the top of Grey Street, Richard Grainger placed the column of Grey's Monument as a focus for the whole scheme.

Richard Grainger had plans for a new Guildhall and Courts at the top of Grey Street, above the Theatre Royal, but these were rejected and he built a large bank there instead.

Richard Grainger was saved from bankruptcy by John Clayton, who persuaded Grainger's creditors to accept gradual repayment.

Richard Grainger built a number of streets of terraced houses, in Benwell and Elswick, for the workers at Armstrong's factory, and named several of them using the forenames of his thirteen children.

Richard Grainger died in 1861 at his home at 5 Clayton Street West and is buried at St James Church, Benwell.

Dobson provided much of the creative input to the scheme, whereas Richard Grainger provided the essential drive to get the project completed.