Basic Biographical Details

Name: Williamson & Inglis
Designation:  
Born: 1897
Died: c. 1909
Bio Notes: William Williamson was born in Kirkcaldy on 19 April 1871, the son of William Williamson and his wife Joanna Hutchison. He was educated at Kirkcaldy High School and was articled to J W Hislop of Kirkcaldy c.1887; but after two years he transferred to the office of James Bow Dunn enabling him to take classes at Heriot-Watt College. He remained with Dunn as assistant until 1895 when he returned home to commence independent practice in Kirkcaldy: Dunn and his partner from 1894 James Leslie Findlay had a Kirkcaldy connection having won the competition for the Adam Smith Hall in the previous year.

Late in 1897 Williamson took the slightly older John Alexander Russell Inglis into partnership. Born on 6 March 1870, Inglis had been a fellow apprentice in Dunn's office which he entered in 1886, studying at Edinburgh College of Art and Heriot-Watt College and the 'work classes' of the Edinburgh Architectural Association run by John Watson. At the end of his articles in 1891 Inglis moved first to the office of Hippolyte Jean Blanc and then to Oxford as assistant to Harry Wilkinson Moore. He passed the qualifying exam in April 1893 and spent that spring measuring and sketching at the cathedrals of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Hereford. He applied for Associateship of the RIBA later that year and was admitted on 8 January 1894, his proposers being William Leiper, Arthur Cates and Ralph Selden Wornum. In 1897 he won the Soane medallion with a design for a market hall enabling him to travel in Italy and Sicily for nearly a year before taking up his partnership. Watercolours from his travels of Sicily Verona and Pistoia were exhibited at the RSA in 1899-1901.

The partnership quickly made a name for high quality Renaissance and arts and crafts work but it came at a cost. Overwork resulted in Inglis suffering from chronic insomnia and a desperate overdose of a sleeping draught resulted in his death at his home, 26 Pitt Street, Edinburgh, on 9 June 1901, two days before he was to be married. He left moveable estate of £1048 5/1 and was buried at Dean Cemetery. Williamson then closed the Edinburgh office and did not take another partner at that time but he appears to have still retained the name of the practice for some years thereafter.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 131, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1897c. 1901 

Employment and Training

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 6Francis Henry Fitzgerald1897c. 1900Apprentice 
Item 2 of 6John Alexander Russel Inglis18971901Partner 
Item 3 of 6William Williamson1897c. 1909Partner 
Item 4 of 6Francis Henry Fitzgeraldc. 19001902Assistant 
Item 5 of 6Arthur Robert Doggart19031907Apprentice 
Item 6 of 6James Macgregor19041909Apprentice 

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 231897Alexandra HouseKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 2 of 231898Abbotshall School infant department, LinktownKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 3 of 231898Central ChambersKirkcaldy FifeScotlandAlterations to front
Item 4 of 231898Dunnikier Infant SchoolKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 5 of 231898Tenements, Lady Helen StreetKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 6 of 231899Braehead HouseKirkcaldy FifeScotlandReconstruction
Item 7 of 231899Hardengreen HouseKirkcaldy FifeScotlandAddition of north wing
Item 8 of 231899Premises of David BeatsonKirkcaldy FifeScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 9 of 231899Tenement and 15 cottages, Nicol StreetKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 10 of 231900Braehead HouseKirkcaldy FifeScotlandGate lodge
Item 11 of 231900Parish ManseAuchtertool FifeScotlandBack wing
Item 12 of 231900Police BuildingsKirkcaldy FifeScotlandPlaced third in competition but got the job
Item 13 of 231900The CroftKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 14 of 231901Anstruther Easter new public schoolAnstruther Easter FifeScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 15 of 231901Electricity Generating StationKirkcaldy FifeScotlandWilliam Williamson in collaboration with Charles Stanley Peach
Item 16 of 231901Two blocks of tenementsBowhill, Auchterderran FifeScotland 
Item 17 of 231902Board SchoolKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 18 of 231902Feuar's ArmsKirkcaldy FifeScotlandRebuilding
Item 19 of 231902Philp's SchoolKirkcaldy FifeScotlandConversion into club
Item 20 of 231905InniscarraHazelhall DundeeScotland 
Item 21 of 231905Victoria Road UF ChurchKirkcaldy FifeScotlandAlterations
Item 22 of 23c. 1905Pittormie HouseDairsie FifeScotlandAlterations
Item 23 of 231906Public LibraryBurntisland FifeScotlandWon competition to secure job

References

Currently, there are no references for this . The information has been derived from: the British Architectural Library / RIBA Directory of British Architects 1834-1914; Post Office Directories; and/or any sources listed under this individual's works.