Thomas Oliver

Thomas Oliver (14 January 1791 – December 1857) was an English classical architect and surveyor active in Newcastle upon Tyne. He was one of the numerous local architects who worked with Richard Grainger on the development of Newcastle, but his work tends to be overshadowed by that of John Dobson, who has been given a great deal of the credit for the central part of the city referred to as Grainger Town.

Background Thomas Oliver was born in Crailing, Roxburghshire on 14 January 1791, the son of weaver Adam Oliver (1749–1793) and Elizabeth Bell (1762–1829). He was educated at Jedburgh School. Oliver married twice, first in 1814 to Margaret Lorimer, the daughter of a Kelso mason, and second around 1840 to Elizabeth Best (1800–1886) from Yorkshire.

Land surveying, town plans and authorship, 1830–1851 In 1830, Oliver produced a plan for the development of the town centre. This was six years after Dobson had produced his own unsuccessful plan and four years before Grainger produced a successful scheme. Dobson's plan had failed mainly because it had been over-ambitious and hugely expensive. Oliver's plans were not as ambitious as Dobson's and mostly dealt with straightening and extending existing streets to give better access to the town. However it was Grainger, perhaps through the influence of John Clayton, who had his plans accepted by the council.

It has also been claimed that Oliver had an early hand in the design of Eldon Square. H.L. Honeymen, in a publication of 1831, claimed that Oliver was asked by the corporation to provide a design for Blackett Street and Eldon Square, which he then did.

Buildings Blackett Street (north side), Newcastle upon Tyne 1824(demolished 1960s) Leazes Crescent, Newcastle upon Tyne 1829–1830 Trinity House, Newcastle (gateway and rebuilding of 3 houses) 1841 (possibly done by his brother Andrew)