Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Gale
Designation:  
Born:  
Died: 1858
Bio Notes: The Gales of Glasgow were civil engineers rather than architects. William Gale was in partnership with Robert Scott and John Stephen in the 1830s, but that partnership came to an end some time after the death of Robert Scott in April 1839, though the name was still used in 1841 when the practice designed Queen Street Station: John Stephen thereafter set up independent practice. In the same year William Gale entered into a partnership with the Edinburgh architect David Cousin which lasted until 1845, Cousin being in charge of the Edinburgh office and Gale the Glasgow one. The practice came to wider notice almost immediately by winning two competitions, one for the classical West Church in Greenock and another for the neo-Norman Parish Church at Cambuslang. From 1843 their main business was Free Church work for which Cousin had made standard designs.

The Gales continued to provide architectural as well as engineering services after the dissolution of the partnership. Their Ayr church was very competent neo-Norman, similar to that of David Cousin's Edinburgh churches, and may have been designed by Cousin before the dissolution of the partnership: whether it owed anything to their referral of the drawings to Thomas Hamilton for an opinion is unclear. William Gale was subsequently engineer of the Gorbals Gravitation Water Company, the operation of which commenced in 1848. He died in 1858. Hias death was registered on 7 January 1859.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Buchanan Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness   
Item 2 of 2153, Queen Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1844  

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 3Scott, Stephen & Gale1833 or 1834(?)1841Partner 
Item 2 of 3Cousin & Galec. 18381845Partner 
Item 3 of 3Messrs GaleBefore 18451858Partner 

Buildings and Designs

This 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 301838Gartsherrie Parish ChurchCoatbridge LanarkshireScotlandBegun in partnership; completed by John Stephen in independent practice
Item 2 of 301838Queen's Tea StoreBroomielaw GlasgowScotlandBegun in partnership; completed by John Stephen in independent practice
Item 3 of 301839Cambuslang Parish ChurchCambuslang LanarkshireScotlandCompetition win
Item 4 of 30After 1839Design for a Church  Wigtownshire?Scotland 
Item 5 of 301840New West ChurchGreenock RenfrewshireScotlandCompetition win
Item 6 of 301840Olrig Parish ChurchOlrig CaithnessScotland 
Item 7 of 301841Edinburgh and Glasgow Station  GlasgowScotlandEuston type scheme design and built
Item 8 of 301841St Thomas's Church of England  EdinburghScotland 
Item 9 of 301842Chirnside Bridge Paper MillsChirnside BerwickshireScotlandContinued by Cousin after dissolution of partnership
Item 10 of 301842City and County Buildings and second Merchants' House  GlasgowScotlandUnsuccessful competition designs
Item 11 of 301842Glasgow Necropolis, Mausoleum to Major Archibald Douglas Monteath (or Monteith)Dennistoun GlasgowScotland 
Item 12 of 301842Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society HallInverleith EdinburghScotland 
Item 13 of 301842Warriston CemeteryWarriston EdinburghScotlandWon competition and secured job
Item 14 of 301843Auchterarder Free ChurchAuchterarder PerthshireScotland 
Item 15 of 301843Cramond Free Church  EdinburghScotland 
Item 16 of 301843Kirkcaldy Free ChurchKirkcaldy FifeScotlandProbably supervised the design: see Notes
Item 17 of 301843Newington Free Church  EdinburghScotland 
Item 18 of 301843Pathhead Free ChurchPathhead, Kirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 19 of 301843St Andrew's Free Church  EdinburghScotland 
Item 20 of 301843St Devenick's Free ChurchBanchory KincardineshireScotland 
Item 21 of 301843St George's Free Church Lothian Road  EdinburghScotland 
Item 22 of 30c. 1843Borgue Free ChurchBorgue KirkcudbrightshireScotland 
Item 23 of 301844Ayr Free ChurchAyr AyrshireScotlandPlans accepted after consultation with Thomas Hamilton: may have been made by Cousin prior to dissolution of partnership
Item 24 of 301844Dean Free ChurchDean EdinburghScotland 
Item 25 of 301844Free High Church and hallsKilmarnock AyrshireScotlandChurch and probably hall to south
Item 26 of 301844Saltcoats Free ChurchSaltcoats AyrshireScotlandMain church
Item 27 of 301845Kinghorn Free ChurchKinghorn FifeScotlandBegun in partnership; presumably completed by Cousin alone
Item 28 of 301847Free ChurchGartmore StirlingshireScotland 
Item 29 of 301849Dumfries and Maxwelltown water supplyDumfries DumfriesshireScotlandDesigns carried out in conjunction with Newall.
Item 30 of 30c. 1856Troon Free ChurchTroon AyrshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Binnie, G M1981Early Victorian Water Engineers  p191
Item 2 of 2Scotlands People Website Wills & Testaments  Glasgow Sheriff Court Inventories SC36/48/44