Randolph J Nott (1822-1906) was born in London in 1822 and came to Australia as a young man. In 1847, he married Jane Callender Ross (1825-1911), daughter of the Rev. Dr Robert Scott Ross, one of the ministers of the Pitt St Congregational Church. Of a family of ten children, seven survived him including Randolph H Nott, estate agent (1855-1924); Arthur Ross Nott (1861-1949), of David Jones & Co; Philip Sydney Nott (1859-1939), of Fisher and Nott, surveyors; J E V Nott, of Thompson and Nott, solicitors and Ernest Nott (1869-1928), of Nelson & Col, publishers, New York.
In his early career, he worked as an architect and built some of the finest residences in Edgecliff Rd Woollahra. He was known to have designed residences in Bowral, where he kept a country residence and later retired to this area. He became associated with building societies, and took and active part in the operations of the Permanent Mutual Benefit Building Society. Nott represented Tenterfield in the Legislative Assembly in New South Wales Parliament from June 1859-November 1860.
Nott and his family lived at ‘Silwood’ The Boulevarde, Strathfield which was demolished in order to expand Strathfield railway in the 1920s.
Nott was the owner of shops located at 27 to 39 The Boulevarde, located on the western side of The Boulevarde, near the corner of Redmyre Road, Strathfield. These shops were built in the early 1890’s. It is likely that Nott was the architect responsible for the design. The Nott family continued to own these shops until the 1920s.
Nott was an active member of the Congregational Church and held the position of honorary secretary to the Congregational Union for 20 years. He died in 1906 at Bowral, NSW.
References
‘Personal’ (death of Randolph Nott), Sydney Morning Herald, 1906
Randolph Nott, Former Members, NSW Parliament website (features a photograph)
Author
Cathy Jones.
Strathfield Heritage 