Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Roderick Macdonald
Designation:  
Born: 1879
Died:  
Bio Notes: William Roderick Macdonald was born in Inverness in 1879 and educated at Inverness High School. He was articled to Alexander Finlay Mackenzie in 1894, attending classes at Inverness School of Art. On completion of his apprenticeship in 1898 he moved to London as assistant and later chief assistant to Best & Callon, transferring to the office of William Ralph Low in 1903 and moving to St Annes-on-Sea to work as chief assistant to H E Kelvey in 1905.

Macdonald practised on his own account as a perspective artist with an office at 141 Fenchurch Street from 1906 until 1908 when he became an assistant architect to the Board of Education in Whitehall. He was admitted LRIBA in late 1910, his proposers being his former employers William Ralph Low and John Reginald Best, and George Edward Kendall, a senior colleague at the Board of Education. He was living at 57 Saltoun Road in Brixton in 1910 and 79 St Leonard's Road, East Sheen, in 1914.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 4141, Fenchurch Street, London, EnglandBusiness19061908Address when working as an perspective artist
Item 2 of 457, Saltoun Road, Brixton, London SW, EnglandPrivate1910 *  
Item 3 of 4Board of Education, Whitehall, London, EnglandBusiness1910 *  
Item 4 of 479, St Leonards Road, East Sheen, London, EnglandPrivate1914 *  

* 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 6Alexander Finlay Mackenzie18941898Assistant 
Item 2 of 6Best & Callon1898Before 1903Assistant 
Item 3 of 6Best & CallonAfter 18981903Chief Assistant 
Item 4 of 6William Ralph Low19031905Chief Assistant 
Item 5 of 6H E Kelvey19051906Chief Assistant 
Item 6 of 6Board of Education Architects' Department1908After 1910AssistantSecond Assistant Architect

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3John Reginald BestLate 1910for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3George Ernest KendallLate 1910for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 3William Ralph LowLate 1910for Licentiateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2British Architectural Library, RIBA2001Directory of British Architects 1834-1914   
Item 2 of 2Who's Who in Architecture1914    

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 L v5 no303 (microfilm reel 30)