Basic Biographical Details

Name: William John Taylor
Designation:  
Born: 1893
Died:  
Bio Notes: William John Taylor was born in 1893 and was articled to William Laidlaw Carruthers of Inverness in March 1910, remaining with him for nine months as assistant after completing his apprenticeship. He served in the armed forces during the First World War, and on his demobilisation in 1919 began attending the Aberdeen School of Architecture, where he received his Diploma the following year and was awarded the Byrne Scholarship of £75 having been placed first in his year. This enabled him to extend his studies at the School, gaining his Post-Graduate Certificate in 1921. In July that year he commenced practice in Inverness, in partnership with William Laidlaw Carruthers' son R Carruthers Ballantyne, the practice being known as Carruthers Ballantyne & Taylor. In 1922 he was admitted ARIBA his proposers being George Watt, A Marshall Mackenzie and a third signatory who may be Robert Carruthers Ballantyne (writing in ARIBA papers unclear).

Taylor was admitted FRIBA in late 1928, his proposers being John Hinton Gall, John Alexander Ogg Allan and Arthur Hay Livingstone Mackinnon. At that time the practice address was 28 Queen's Gate, Inverness and he was living at Craigneish, Old Edinburgh Road in the same town.

____ Cox, of whom no details are known, had joined the partnership by the mid-1930s, the firm becoming Carruthers Ballantyne, Cox & Taylor. The practice built some of the best early modern houses in Scotland. No information is yet available on Cox, the key figures in the office being Donald Fowler and William Allen. Ballantyne himself is said to have been ill-at-ease building these modern houses, probably for technical as much as aesthetic reasons, although he did design at least one himself.

The partnership had split by 1936, Taylor continuing in the existing offices at 28 Queens Gate as W J Taylor & Co until at least 1940, and Ballantyne & Cox practising separately elsewhere in Inverness.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 4Belladale, Fairfield Road, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandPrivate1921 *  
Item 2 of 452, High Street, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandBusiness1922 * This maybe changed to Queensgate after 1922 which is the address of Carruthers Ballantyne & Taylor
Item 3 of 4Craigneish, Old Edinburgh Road, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandPrivate1928 *  
Item 4 of 428, Queen's Gate|Queensgate, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1928After 1950 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

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 5William Laidlaw CarruthersMarch 19101914 or 1915Apprentice 
Item 2 of 5William Laidlaw Carruthers1914 or 19151914 or 1915AssistantFor nine months after completing his apprenticeship and before military service
Item 3 of 5Carruthers Ballantyne & Taylor (or Ballantyne & Taylor)July 1921c. 1933Partner 
Item 4 of 5W J Taylor & CoBefore 1932After 1941Partner 
Item 5 of 5Carruthers Ballantyne, Cox & Taylorc. 1934(?)Before 1936Partner 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 4William Watt Allan3 September 19293 September 1934Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4William Affleck DalgleishAugust 1934September 1936Apprentice 
Item 3 of 4William Watt Allan3 September 1934Late 1940sChief AssistantWith break for war service
Item 4 of 4Frederick William MorganDecember 1934 * Assistant 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 5John Alexander Ogg AllanLate 1928for Fellowship
Item 2 of 5John Hinton GallLate 1928for Fellowship
Item 3 of 5Alexander Marshall MackenzieLate 1922For Associateship
Item 4 of 5Arthur Hay Livingstone MackinnonLate 1928for Fellowship
Item 5 of 5George WattLate 1922For Associateship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 15William Watt Allan10 February 1948For Licentiateship
Item 2 of 15Robert Carruthers-Ballantyne (or Robert Ballantyne Carruthers; or Roy Carruthers Ballantyne)5 March 1934for Fellowship
Item 3 of 15John Grant Chisholm1931for Licentiateship
Item 4 of 15William Affleck Dalgleish17 November 1942For Associateship
Item 5 of 15Andrew Ross Forsyth16 October 1945for Licentiateship
Item 6 of 15David Polson Hall1 May 1951For Fellowship
Item 7 of 15Frank Maxwell HutchinsonEarly 1932for Associateship
Item 8 of 15Jessie Knowles (Mrs Ingoldsby)8 January 1934for Associateship
Item 9 of 15William Macdonald2 December 1935for Licentiateship
Item 10 of 15Alexander Finlay Mackenzie14 November 1930for Licentiateship
Item 11 of 15Alexander Finlay MackenzieEarly 1931for Fellowship
Item 12 of 15Frederick William Morgan11 March 1935for Associateship
Item 13 of 15Hamish Noble Paterson10 February 1948For Licentiateship
Item 14 of 15Neil Ross3 May 1949For Licentiateship
Item 15 of 15Joseph Arthur SmithEarly 1930for Licentiateship

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 231921Moness HouseAberfeldy PerthshireScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 2 of 231922Cantray LodgeGollanfield Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 3 of 231922Holylee HouseWalkerburn PeeblesshireScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 4 of 231922St Michael's ChurchInverness Inverness-shireScotlandAlterations and renovation
Item 5 of 231923Corrie LodgeBroadfordSkyeInverness-shireScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 6 of 231923Edward Housing SchemeForres MorayshireScotland 
Item 7 of 231923West Parish ChurchInverness Inverness-shireScotlandAlterations and renovation
Item 8 of 231924Forestry Commission HoldingsFort Augustus (area) Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 9 of 231924Glencarron Lodge  Ross and CromartyScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 10 of 231924Killilan Lodge  Ross and CromartyScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 11 of 231925Caledonian BankInverness Inverness-shireScotlandInterior reconstruction
Item 12 of 231926Bank of ScotlandWick CaithnessScotland 
Item 13 of 231926Inverness Housing Scheme, 5th developmentInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 14 of 23Before 1926Cantray House(II)Croy Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 15 of 23Before 1926Kinless House  Inverness-shire Scotland 
Item 16 of 231927Picture HouseForres MorayshireScotland 
Item 17 of 231931Playhouse CinemaPeterhead AberdeenshireScotland 
Item 18 of 231932Super-cinema, shops and tearoomsPaisley RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 19 of 231933Public HallBroadfordSkyeInverness-shireScotland 
Item 20 of 231934Royal Marine HotelNairn NairnshireScotlandAddition
Item 21 of 231935LamburnInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 22 of 231936Over and AboveInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 23 of 231938ClachnaharryInverness Inverness-shireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4RIBA1930The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 2 of 4RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 4RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 4 of 4Walker, Frank Arneil1986South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew  p38

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers F no2637 (box 9); A no3363 (mircofilm reel 26)