Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Tait Conner | Designation: | | Born: | c. 1868 | Died: | December 1931 | Bio Notes: | William Tait Conner was born c.1868 and articled to Campbell Douglas & Sellars from 1884 to 1889, remaining with Campbell Douglas & Morrison for six months as an assistant. During his time with Campbell Douglas & Sellars he studied at Glasgow School of Art and was engaged on further work at St Andrews Halls and the New Club, but in 1886-88 was principally employed on the International Exhibition Buildings. At the end of his time with Douglas he moved to London, working in the offices of Arthur Richard George Fenning and Augustus Eldred Hughes. While there he passed the RIBA's qualifying examination, his address being given as 60 Albany Street, Regents Park, London and was elected ARIBA on 2 March 1891 his proposers being Campbell Douglas, Thomas Lennox Watson and John Honeyman.
On his return to Glasgow in 1894 Conner formed a partnership with Henry Mitchell. Born in 1864, Mitchell had been articled to Campbell Douglas & Sellars at the same time as Conner, but left at the end of his apprenticeship to join Honeyman and Keppie where he remained until the formation of the partnership with Conner.
The partnership did not prosper although both were excellent draughtsmen, most of their time being spent entering competitions. Conner emigrated to Johannesburg in 1902 where he formed a partnership with __ Hamilton. Mitchell then entered into a partnership with the Beaux-Arts-trained Charles Edward Whitelaw who had more influential family connections and whom he had known at both Campbell Douglas's and Honeyman & Keppie's; this lasted until about 1909 when Thomas Lennox Watson, with whom Mitchell had worked briefly on the interiors of the Steam Yacht Margarita and on competition designs for the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Glasgow & West of Scotland Technical College at the beginning of the century, offered Mitchell a partnership which lasted until Watson's retirement.
Conner took a great interest in the Volunteer Movement both at home and abroad and became a Major in the Transvaal Scottish. He died in December 1931. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 60, Albany Street, Regents Park, London, England | Private | 1890 * | | | | 121, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1894 or 1895 | 1899 or 1900 | | | 166, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1900 | Before 1902 | | | Johannesburg, South Africa | Private | 1902 | After 1925 | At 'PO Box 5615' from 1914 to 1925 |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Campbell Douglas | 2 March 1891 | for Associateship | | John Honeyman | 2 March 1891 | for Associateship | | Thomas Lennox Watson | 2 March 1891 | for Associateship |
RIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | William Shanks | 24 June 1912 | for Licentiateship |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesPeriodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA Journal | 5 December 1931 | v 39 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | Obituary p105 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Research by Iain Paterson | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v11 p77 (microfiche 48/D6) |
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