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Basic Biographical Details

Name: Aston Webb
Designation: Architect
Born: 22 April 1849
Died: 21 August 1930
Bio Notes: Aston Webb was born at Clapham on 22 May 1849 the son of Edward Webb an engraver and watercolour artist. He was articled to Banks & Barry from 1886 to 1871, during which period he took classes at the Architectural Association. He made an extensive continental study tour in 1871-1872 and won the Pugin Studentship in 1873. He commenced independent practice in that year but the next two years were principally spent in assisting other architects. He was admitted ARIBA on 9 February 1874, his proposers being Charles Barry Junior, Augustus Frere and Henry Currey.

After some years Webb took into partnership Edward Ingress Bell. In 1885 the partnership of Webb & Bell made its name by winning the competition for the Birmingham Law Courts and in 1891 that for the South Kensington Museum; that for Christ's Hospital in Horsham followed in 1894. These successes brought in their wake a long series of public commissions and further competition successes notably that for the improvement of the Mall in 1901.

Webb was President of the RIBA in 1902-04 and was knighted in the latter year. He received the Royal Gold Medal in 1905 and the American Gold Medal in 1907. He was President of the Royal Academy 1919-24.

By the tiem of the death of Bell in 1914, Webb had taken his son Maurice Everett Webb, born 23 April 1880, into partnership.

Webb died on 21 August 1930.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect:
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 119, Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, London, EnglandBusiness1910 *  

* 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 2Banks & Barry18661871  
Item 2 of 2(Sir) Aston Webb & E Ingress Bellc. 1880(?) Partner 

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 17Ralph Knott  Assistant 
Item 2 of 17Alexander MackintoshAfter 1886Before 1892Assistant 
Item 3 of 17Thomas Ballantine18931894Assistant 
Item 4 of 17Henry Ebenezer BuddenAfter 1895Before 1900Assistant 
Item 5 of 17Claude Waterlow Ferrierc. 18961902 or 1903Apprentice 
Item 6 of 17Walter Crum Watson18971899Assistant 
Item 7 of 17John Jerdan18981903Assistant 
Item 8 of 17Leslie Dowie1899After 1910Senior Assistant 
Item 9 of 17David Theodore Fyfe19011903AssistantOccasional jobs whilst in independent practice
Item 10 of 17William Patterson19011903Assistant 
Item 11 of 17James Black FultonAfter 1901Before 1903Assistant 
Item 12 of 17Walter Nicol McKinlayc. 1901 Assistant 
Item 13 of 17Thomas Stewart PurdieMarch 1903March 1910Assistant 
Item 14 of 17Robert Ernest Stewardson19051908AssistantOn-site in Bloemfontein, South Africa
Item 15 of 17Charles Turnbull Ewing19061909Draughtsman 
Item 16 of 17John Alan Slater19081910Apprentice 
Item 17 of 17Thomas Smith Shearerc. March 1913December 1913Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposals

This architect proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 35Henry Lennox Anderson27 February 1911for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 35(Sir) Robert Rowand Anderson2 March 1903for Fellowship - reinstatement after lapsing
Item 3 of 35Ormrod Maxwell Ayrton1920for Fellowship
Item 4 of 35Robert Shekleton Balfour11 June 1906for Fellowship
Item 5 of 35Thomas Ballantine4 March 1907for Fellowship
Item 6 of 35John Begg2 December 1901for Fellowship
Item 7 of 35Charles Frederick Sutton Butt27 March 1911For Associateship
Item 8 of 35Robin Smith Dods (or Robert Smith Dods)8 June 1891for Assocateship
Item 9 of 35Leslie Dowie1910for Licentiateship
Item 10 of 35Charles Turnbull Ewing4 July 1910for Licentiateship
Item 11 of 35James Black Fulton3 December 1906for Associateship
Item 12 of 35James Black FultonEarly 1921for Fellowship
Item 13 of 35David Theodore Fyfe10 June 1907for Fellowship
Item 14 of 35Peter Kydd Hanton2 March 1908for Associateship
Item 15 of 35John JerdanLate 1920for Fellowship
Item 16 of 35Robert Henry Kerr2 December 1907for Fellowship
Item 17 of 35Edwin Landseer Lutyens8 January 1906for Fellowship
Item 18 of 35(Sir) Mervyn Edmund Macartney8 January 1906for Fellowship (reinstated after resignation in 1891)
Item 19 of 35Alexander Mackintosh7 March 1892for Associateship
Item 20 of 35Thomas MacLaren13 June 1892for Associateship
Item 21 of 35George Arthur Mitchell29 November 1909for Associateship
Item 22 of 35David Barclay Niven13 January 1890for Associateship
Item 23 of 35David Barclay Niven5 March 1900for Fellowship
Item 24 of 35George John Oakeshott11 March 1889for Associateship
Item 25 of 35Alexander Nisbet Paterson28 February 1910for Fellowship
Item 26 of 35William Patterson20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 27 of 35Frank Loughborough Pearson11 June 1900for Fellowship
Item 28 of 35Andrew Noble Prentice3 February 1902for Fellowship
Item 29 of 35Thomas Stewart Purdie24 June 1912for Licentiateship
Item 30 of 35Thomas Smith ShearerMid 1920for Associateship
Item 31 of 35(Sir) John William Simpson3 December 1900for Fellowship
Item 32 of 35Leonard Aloysius Scott Stokes16 June 1890for Fellowship
Item 33 of 35Percy Goddard Stone23 January 1888for Fellowship
Item 34 of 35Hugh Thackeray Turner8 January 1906For Fellowship
Item 35 of 35Clyde Francis Young5 December 1910for Fellowship

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 111885Birmingham Law Courts  BirminghamEnglandWon competition and secured job
Item 2 of 111887Imperial Institute  LondonEnglandUnsuccessful competition design
Item 3 of 11Before 1891South Kensington MuseumSouth Kensington LondonEnglandWon competition to secure job
Item 4 of 111893Edinburgh Castle, Magazines and Ordnance Store  EdinburghScotlandPlans for reconstruction as a military hospital drawn up
Item 5 of 111899Royal Naval CollegeDartmouth DevonEngland 
Item 6 of 111900Birmingham UniversityEdgbaston BirminghamEngland 
Item 7 of 111900Royal College of ScienceSouth Kensington LondonEngland 
Item 8 of 11c. 1903Queen Victoria Memorial and triumphal arch at east end of The Mall  LondonEnglandCompetition entry
Item 9 of 111912Dunecht House, West LodgeEcht AberdeenshireScotland 
Item 10 of 11c. 1912Dunecht House, North LodgesEcht AberdeenshireScotland 
Item 11 of 111913Dunecht House (including chapel)Echt AberdeenshireScotlandAdditions comprising boilerhouse wing, gates and lodges (northeast and northwest), terraces, loggia and gazebo

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architect:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Gray, A Stuart1985Edwardian Architecture: A Biographical Dictionary   
Item 2 of 2Service, Alastair1975Edwardian Architecture and its Origins   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architect:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Builder29 August 1930  Obituary of Webb
Item 2 of 5Builder5 September 1930  Obituary of Webb
Item 3 of 5Builder19 December 1930  Obituary of Webb
Item 4 of 5Building News3 November 1890   
Item 5 of 5RIBA Journal20 September 1930 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsObituary of Webb pp710, 744

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© All rights reserved. © Trustees of the National Library of Scotland 

© All rights reserved. © Trustees of the National Library of Scotland