Basic Biographical Details Name: | Matthew Steele | Designation: | | Born: | 19 February 1878 | Died: | 12 December 1937 | Bio Notes: | Matthew Steele was born on 19 February 1878 at Corbie Hall, Bo'ness, the son of Alexander Steele (whose family were Spar and Block Makers though Alexander Steele at one point seems to have been a grocer) and Elizabeth Mackie of Kilbirnie. Matthew attended primary school in Bo'ness and transferred in 1891 to George Heriot's School in Edinburgh for his secondary education. He entered an as yet unidentified office in Glasgow in 1893 as an apprentice allowing him to attend classes at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College between 1896 and 1900, studying under Professor Charles Gourlay. After the completion of the course at the College he entered the City of Glasgow Corporation Telephone Company as a draughtsman and may have come into contact with his counterparts from Scandinavia and Germany as the telephone company sought advice from the municipal companies of Copenhagen, Stockholm and Trondheim before opening its service in 1901. During his time with the telephone company he entered a competition for Thomas Parsons' premises in Oxford Street in London and gained second prize. In 1905 Steele returned to Bo'ness to commence independent practice.
On 28 September the following year he married Margaret Watson Dudgeon Louden, daughter of Robert Louden, builder, at her home, 12 Broughton Place, Edinburgh. The Louden family appear to have had a connection with Bo'ness, John Louden being burgh surveyor. Matthew and Margaret Steele's son Alexander, the future City Architect of Edinburgh, was born three months after their wedding on 20 December at 1 Jane Terrace, Bo'ness. A daughter, Nan, was born later.
Steele rapidly built up a wide range of clients in Bo'ness - perhaps through his connections as a Freemason (his first practice address was the Masonic Hall Buildings at Corbiehall and an early commission was for the new lodge in Stewart Avenue): Dean of Guild records show there was a continual flow of work even during the years of the First World War. Steele's pre-war buildings were designed in an Arts and Crafts or continental early modern manner. His Arts and Crafts style continued into the 1920s but in the 1930s he adopted an Art Deco Moderne manner.
Steele was admitted LRIBA in 1925, having transferred his membership of the Society of Architects to the RIBA at this point without having to go through the normal application procedures. In the 1930s Steele was employed on various Local Authority Housing schemes, some with John Taylor in what was probably an informal partnership. At this time he was also involved as joint sponsor of a scheme for putting a dam across the Forth at South Queensferry to make an inland shipping lake and forming a roadway across the Forth.
Steele died of pneumonia on 12 December 1937 at The Quarry, Carriden, Bo'ness, and was buried in Bo'ness Cemetery. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Clifton Cottage, Bo'ness/Borrowstouness, West Lothian, Scotland | Private | Before 1896 | 1905 or 1906 | | | Masonic Hall Buildings/4, Corbiehall, CarridenBo'ness/Borrowstouness, West Lothian, Scotland | Business | 1905 | After 1925 | | | 1, Jane Terrace, Bo'ness/Borrowstouness, West Lothian, Scotland | Private | 1905 or 1906 | Before 1915 | | | Kelty Avenue, Bo'ness/Borrowstouness, West Lothian, Scotland | Private | 1915 | | | | The Quarry, Grahamsdyke Road, Carriden, Bo'ness/Borrowstouness, West Lothian, Scotland | Private | Before 1925 | After 1937 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Alexander Steele | c. 1921(?) | Before 1925(?) | Apprentice(?) | Probably began training in his father's office, but this is not certain |
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | | Carriden House | Carriden | | West Lothian | Scotland | Renovation - date unknown | | | Duchess Nina's Nurses' Home | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Date unknown | | | Housing, East and West Partings | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Date unknown | | | Labour Exchange | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Date unknown | | | Station Hotel | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Date unknown | | 1905 | Double cottage, 47- 49 Dean Road | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1905 | West Lothian Pottery, drying shed | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1906 | Cottage | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1906 | Two blocks of four houses | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1907 | Shed and store | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1907 | Shops and flats | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | New shop and flats above | | 1907 | T Ovens & Sons Chemical works | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Laboratory | | 1907 | The Knowe | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Additional servants' quarters and outlook tower | | 1908 | Artisan terraced housing | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1908 | Office and flat for Bo'ness Iron Co | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1909 | Cross Keys public house | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1909 | House in the of style of Old Grange | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1909 | Masonic Lodge | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1909 | Seaforth, Linlithgow Road | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1909 | Tenements, Stewart Avenue | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1910 | House for John Jeffrey | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1911 | Bo'ness Established Church, church hall | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1911 | Generating station | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1911 | Grangewells | Muirhouses | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1911 | Hippodrome Cinema | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1911 | Picture Palace | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1912 | Gas holder | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1912 | Hippodrome Cinema | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | New dressing room | | 1912 | The Knowe | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | New billiard room on first floor | | 1913 | Elmpark, garages | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1914 | House for J Forrester | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1915 | New cinema | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1917 | Workshop for Mickel & Co | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Additions | | 1919 | Bo'ness Distillery, Buildings for James Calder and Co | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Extension to boiler house and drag and dreg building | | 1919 | Cochrane Brothers premises | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Alterations | | 1919 | House, Mora Grahamsdyke Road | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Alterations | | 1919 | Housing scheme, Marchlands Avenue | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1919 | T Ovens & Sons Chemical works | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | New shed | | 1921 | Bo'ness Picture House, Corbiehall | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1922 | Bo'ness Co-operative Society bakery | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | addition | | 1922 | Victoria Sawmills | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | New offices | | 1923 | Craigellan Housing plan | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1924 | Bo'ness Hosiery Co | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Extension | | 1924 | Bungalow, Rob Park | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Alteration | | 1924 | Bungalows, Cadzow Crescent | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1924 | Cochrane Brothers premises | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | New workship | | 1924 | House, Braemar | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Addition of dormers | | 1924 | House, Ochilview | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Addition of bathroom | | 1924 | Housing development | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1924 | Victoria Sawmills | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | New shed | | 1925 | Bungalow, Grahamsdyke Road | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1925 | Cottage, Cadzow Crescent | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1926 | Shop and office, East Partings | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1929 | Melville Place | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Subdivision of houses | | 1930 | T Ovens & Sons Chemical works | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Alterations to chemical works | | 1931 | Scheme for damming the the River Forth at South Queensferry | South Queensferry | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1931 | Villa housing development | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1932 | Housing development | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1932 | Housing development | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1932 | Housing development | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1932 | Housing development, Corbiehall/Snab | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1932 | Housing development, Laverockbank Avenue South | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1932 | Villa housing development | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1933 | Shops, Laverockbank Avenue South and Trinity Road | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1934 | Viewforth | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Alterations | | 1935 | Four blocks of flats, Cadzow Crescent | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1935 | One block of flats, Stewart Avenue | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1935 | Re-housing scheme | Bridgend Village | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1935 | Re-housing scheme, cottages | Newtown, Linlithgow | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1936 | 3/4/5 apartment cottage type housing | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1936 | Clydesdale Bank | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1936 | Housing and shops, Seaview Place | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1936 | Housing, Register Street | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1936 | Re-housing scheme, phases I & II | Blackburn | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1936 | Two bungalows, Grahamsdyke Road | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1937 | Lauderdale | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1937 | Linlithgow Bridge (or Linlithgowbridge), cottage type housing | Linlithgow Bridge | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1937 | Winton Hall | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Emmerson, Roger and Tilmouth, Mary | 2010 | Matt Steele, Architect: A Biography | | Weidenfeld | | | Post Office Directories | | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 24 December 1937 | | | p1147 - obituary | | Linlithgowshire Gazette | 17 December 1937 | | | p5 - obituary | | Scotsman | 14 December 1937 | | | Obituary |
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 | | Information on addresses and family history from research by Iain Paterson and Roger Emmerson | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L no2810 (microfilm reel 35) |
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