Herbert Luck North’s family
Herbert Luck North’s family
Here you can read about HL North and his closest relations, and see how they were connected to the local area. The information below was kindly supplied by his grand daughter, Pam Phillips.
Herbert Luck North (1871-1941)
Born in Leicester. Son of Thomas and Fanny North. Thomas developed TB and the family moved to the Isle of Wight, later to Plas Llanfair in Llanfairfechan.
Educated at Uppingham School and Jesus College, Cambridge. Worked for Arts and Crafts architect Edwin Lutyens in London until 1901. In 1896, he married Ida Maude Davies of Hafod Y Coed, Llanfairfechan. Their daughter, Ida Joan, was born in 1898.
He built and subsequently lived with his family in Wern Isaf in 1901, establishing his office there and designing buildings for Llanfairfechan and further afield. During the First World War, he served in France with the Anglo/French Red Cross and on his return, moved his family and office to Plas Llanfair where they remained until the house was sold to the Woodard Foundation, St. Winifred’s Girls’ School, in 1924.
Author of Old Churches of Arllechwedd, and (with Harold Hughes) Old Churches and Cottages of Snowdonia.
Grandfather – Richard Luck (1812-1898)
Partner in solicitors Harris and Luck, at 63 High Street, Leicester. Married to Anne Tayler (1811-1890) with one child, Fanny, born 1835 in Leicester.
In 1856 he purchased part of the Bulkley estate in Llanfairfechan. He built his own house, Plas Llanfair, and developed the village, building houses, shops and other buildings, laying out roads and planting many trees. He was chairman of the Local Government Board; one of the first trustees of the National School; and a churchwarden.
He outlived his son in law and wife and died leaving Plas Estate to his daughter Fanny North.
Author of Llanfairfechan and Objects of Interest in its Neighbourhood 1868 and Diaries of Richard Luck
Father – Thomas North (1831-1884)
Herbert Luck North’s father came from Leicester. The family lived at Plas Llanfair after Anne Luck became ill. Thomas North contributed to the building of the village Girls School and the organ in Christ Church. He was an historian of Leicester Cathedral, where there’s a brass plaque in his memory.
Thomas died of TB at Plas Llanfair in 1884. Fanny North built and dedicated the north aisle of the old Parish Church to him and also to Richard Luck. Outside the church, the carved heads of Thomas North and Fanny North are to be seen above the west window of the north aisle. He wrote:
Author of A Chronicle of the Church of St Martin, Leicester (now Leicester Cathedral) and other books on the history and antiquities of Leicestershire and adjoining counties.
Mother – Fanny North (1835-1917)
Daughter of Richard and Anne Luck. Wife of Thomas North and mother of Herbert Luck North. She inherited Plas Estate on the death of her father. She was widowed for 33 years and lived at Plas Llanfair. She gave the land on which the Church Institute was built.
On her death, Plas Llanfair became a convalescent hospital until the end of the First World War. HL North and family lived in the house was then lived in by H L North and his family until 1924.
The photo shows her with her infant son on her lap.
Wife – Ida Maude Davies (1869-1961)
Ida and Herbert Luck North married in 1896, living first in London and subsequently at Wern Isaf, their own house, built in 1900. Her father, J B Davies of Hafod Y Coed, Penmaen Park, was a retired architect from Dudley who bought land from Richard Luck to build his own home. He encouraged HL North in his architectural interests after the death of Thomas North, and helped him to adopt architecture as a career.
Ida supported HL North in his interests, especially creating pageants for which she took responsibility for music and costumes. She had trained as a pianist at the Royal College of Music in London and was an accomplished needlewoman. She was deeply involved in charitable and church works.
Son-in-law and successor – Perceval Mitchell Padmore (1896-1992)
Born in East Norton, Leicestershire. Son of Archibald Campbell and Mary Mercy. Educated at King’s School, Grantham, and Pembroke College, Cambridge. Served in cavalry with Leicestershire Yeomanry until 1918. After the war and a move to North Wales, he became assistant to HL North who was then building The Close.
On his marriage to Ida Joan, HL North’s daughter, in 1926 he became partner of the North and Padmore architectural practice.
He and his wife lived in Whilome, The Close, all of their married lives. Their only child, Pamela Joan, was born in 1927. He was the architect for Bangor diocese from the early 1950s, also continuing to practise as North and Padmore from an office in Bangor.