© All rights reserved. The Bailie 1935 (RIBA Conference in Glasgow Edition) (courtesy of Iain Paterson) 

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Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Maurice Arthur
Designation: Architect
Born: 1877
Died: 8 May 1954
Bio Notes: John Maurice Arthur born in 1877, the son of George Arthur architect and his wife Margaret Catherine Fitzgerald. He was educated at Airdrie Academy and Hutchison's Grammar School, Glasgow and apprenticed to his father 1891-96, remaining as assistant. He studied under Charles Gourlay at the Royal Technical College and excelled in his academic pursuits, being placed sixth in Britain for his Honours Certificate in Building Construction in 1897 and first in Britain for his certificate in History of Architecture in 1898. He spent holidays sketching in Glasgow, Melrose, Oxford, Chester, Durham, and further afield in Belgium, Normandy and Paris. Upon the sudden death of his father in 1899, John inherited the family practice. His work included mission halls, schools, villas, cottages, tenements, business premises and factories. In 1909 the Lithgow family commissioned him to redevelop the Bay Area of Port Glasgow as red sandstone tenements and he opened a Glasgow office (initially at 109 St Vincent Street and from c.1913 at 95 Bath Street). He was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, his proposers being John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects.

John was an enthusiastic Volunteer and Territorial Army officer, reaching the rank of Colonel. He had a distinguished war record being awarded the DSO in 1915 for special work in the trenches before Richeberg and was appointed CMG and Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium. His full honours included TD, DL and he was a JP. He married Katherine Adam Stevenson Hutton on 21 November 1905 at the Windsor Hotel Glasgow and their daughter Kathleen Hutton Arthur, born 19 August 1909, joined the practice as an assistant in 1934.

According to the entry in Scottish Biographies, he was conservative in politics. He resumed practice in both Airdrie and Glasgow after the First World War and became a Fellow of the RIBA in 1921, his proposers being Alexander Nisbet Paterson, William Brown Whitie and James Lochhead. In his early work he was a freestyle designer of the Burnet school but his later work from 1910 onwards is in a drier classical idiom.

John Maurice Arthur appears to have been the father of George Arthur (born 13 September 1906), who was an apprentice and assistant in the family firm from 1930 to 1935 and whose declaration accepting admittance as an Associate of the RIBA John Maurice witnessed on 3 April 1936.

John Maurice Arthur died on 8 May 1954 of cerebral haemorrhage at Glentore, Drumbathie Road, Airdrie, his home since at least 1911.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect:
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 74, Hallcraig Street, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, ScotlandBusiness c. 1940 
Item 2 of 7109, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1911 *  
Item 3 of 74, Graham Street, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1911After 1931 
Item 4 of 7Glentore, Drumbathie Road, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, ScotlandPrivateBefore 19111954 
Item 5 of 795, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessc. 1913  
Item 6 of 7137, West Regent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1919 *  
Item 7 of 712, Stirling Street, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)1950 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 3George Arthur18911896Apprentice 
Item 2 of 3George Arthur18961899Assistant 
Item 3 of 3George Arthur & Son1899(?) PartnerSole partner after his father's death

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2David (or erroneously Donald) Allan Stevenson1924 Apprentice 
Item 2 of 2David (or erroneously Donald) Allan Stevensonc. 1929 Draughtsman 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 4James Lochhead1921for Fellowship
Item 2 of 4Alexander Nisbet Paterson1921for Fellowship
Item 3 of 4William Brown Whitie1920 or 2100sfor Fellowship
Item 4 of 4John Bennie Wilson20 July 1911for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects

RIBA Proposals

This architect proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 18Kathleen Hutton Arthur (Mrs Tebbitt)5 March 1934for Associateship
Item 2 of 18William Black19 July 1937for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 18Thomas BrownEarly 1931for Associateship
Item 4 of 18Ronald Thompson Cunningham10 December 1946For Associateship
Item 5 of 18Thomas Victor Deas30 November 1925For Associateship
Item 6 of 18(Colonel) George Hunter Gardner-McLeanEarly 1931for Licentiateship
Item 7 of 18Robert William HornLate 1928 or early 1929for Fellowship
Item 8 of 18Robert Ferguson Kennedy12 December 1939For Associateship
Item 9 of 18William Douglas Loudon18 April 1944for Associateship
Item 10 of 18Charles Ernest Monro1 May 1940for Fellowship
Item 11 of 18George William Robertson4 June 1928for Associateship
Item 12 of 18George Bruce Scotland8 January 1923For Associateship
Item 13 of 18David (or erroneously Donald) Allan Stevenson15 April 1947For Licentiateship
Item 14 of 18John Henry Fraser Stewart2 December 1935For Licentiateship
Item 15 of 18Alexander William Thornton4 December 1933for Associateship
Item 16 of 18Alexander Smart Todd16 September 1941for Associateship
Item 17 of 18Arthur Mackenzie Watt-Low (or Watt Low)12 December 1944for Licentiateship
Item 18 of 18James Alexander Wyllie14 November 1944for Licentiateship

Buildings and Designs

This architect was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 581896'Coatbridge Rows'Coatbridge LanarkshireScotland 
Item 2 of 581896Caldercruix Free ChurchCaldercruix LanarkshireScotlandPeden attributes the church to J Arthur
Item 3 of 581899Airdrie Mansion HouseAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandRestoration
Item 4 of 581899Black Bull InnAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 5 of 581899Buildings at Deedes Street and Rochsolloch RoadCoatbridge LanarkshireScotland 
Item 6 of 58After 1899Masonic TempleAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 7 of 58After 1899South Bridge Street UF ChurchAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandReconstruction
Item 8 of 581900British Linen BankAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 9 of 581901Union (?) Bank of ScotlandAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 10 of 581902Annathill SchoolhouseAnnathill LanarkshireScotland 
Item 11 of 581902British Linen BankCoatbridge LanarkshireScotland 
Item 12 of 581903Wilson Memorial HallsAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 13 of 581904New Monklands Parish ChurchNew Monklands/Glenmavis LanarkshireScotlandReconstruction, including addition of apse
Item 14 of 581904Queen Victoria Nurses' HomeAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 15 of 581905Airdrie High SchoolAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 16 of 581906Craig InstituteCaldercruix LanarkshireScotland 
Item 17 of 581906Rullion GreenAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 18 of 581908Bay Area, Port GlasgowPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotlandRedevelopment scheme
Item 19 of 581909Annathill SchoolAnnathill LanarkshireScotlandRebuilding
Item 20 of 581909John Wood Street TenementsPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 21 of 581909King Street TenementsPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 22 of 581909The Star HotelPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 23 of 581910Olympia Theatre of VarietiesBridgeton GlasgowScotland 
Item 24 of 581910Sir John Wilson Town HallAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandCompetition design - placed second (Cunningham states 'G Arthur' - presumably John Maurice Arthur as George Arthur & Son as George Arthur himself was dead by then)
Item 25 of 58c. 1910Marnoch HouseGlenboig LanarkshireScotland 
Item 26 of 581911Union BankPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 27 of 581912Easter Moffat HouseAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandRestoration
Item 28 of 581913Belhaven UP ChurchDowanhill GlasgowScotlandRestoration
Item 29 of 581913Garage for John Foster  GlasgowScotland 
Item 30 of 581913Headquarters of Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland  GlasgowScotland 
Item 31 of 581919Layout plan for tenements     
Item 32 of 581919Rural cottage     
Item 33 of 581919The KnoweGreenock RenfrewshireScotlandRestoration
Item 34 of 581920Rochsoles HouseGlenmavis LanarkshireScotlandRestoration
Item 35 of 581922Airdrie War MemorialAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 36 of 58c. 1922GlentoreAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandBuilt for himself
Item 37 of 58c. 1922PinecrestAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 38 of 58c. 1922RockparkAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 39 of 58c. 1922WoodcroftAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 40 of 581924Airdrie Savings BankAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 41 of 581924AuchengrayCaldercruix LanarkshireScotlandAdditions.
Item 42 of 581924House for James McMorran, Mossend Place, North King StreetHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 43 of 58c. 1924Airdrie Public LibraryAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 44 of 581925Bank of ScotlandBlair Atholl PerthshireScotland 
Item 45 of 581926Union Bank  GlasgowScotland 
Item 46 of 581928Ramsay's BuildingsAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 47 of 581928Rockbank MillsGreenock RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 48 of 581930Church of Scotland buildingsHamilton LanarkshireScotland 
Item 49 of 581930Housing and churchPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 50 of 581930Merion MillsGreenock Renfrewshire Additions
Item 51 of 581933Airdrie Public BathsAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 52 of 581934Garrowhill Housing Development  GlasgowScotland 
Item 53 of 581935Garrowhill HouseBaillieston GlasgowScotlandEnlargement as Garrowhill Institute
Item 54 of 581935Town HallPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotlandExtension
Item 55 of 581936Cowal HotelDunoon ArgyllScotlandExtension
Item 56 of 581936Mure Memorial ChurchGarrowhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 57 of 581944Lochend Colliery Canteen  LanarkshireScotland 
Item 58 of 581953Jackson ChurchAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architect:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 2 of 3RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 3Scottish Biographies1938  E J Thurston (pub.) 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architect:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Journal6 May 1916 London: Royal Institute of British Architectsp226

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architect:
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 3National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSJ Maurice Arthur photograph album of French architecture & own work (& portrait by daughter) c1911  
Item 2 of 3Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Additional information from Iain Paterson
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v16 no1101; F no1751 (microfilm reel 14)

Images

© All rights reserved. The Bailie 1935 (RIBA Conference in Glasgow Edition) (courtesy of Iain Paterson) 

© All rights reserved. The Bailie 1935 (RIBA Conference in Glasgow Edition) (courtesy of Iain Paterson)