Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Ernest Watson | Designation: | | Born: | 1880 | Died: | 12 January 1950 | Bio Notes: | William Ernest Watson ('Willy') was born in Sheffield in 1880 and educated at Glebe School, Greenock. He spent the years 1893 to 1897 in the Ardgowan estate office in Greenock training as a surveyor but on 21 July 1898 he was articled to John Burnet & Son in Glasgow as an architect, attending classes at Glasgow School of Art. In 1901 he became an assistant to William Douglas Caröe in London, and in 1905 he passed the qualifying exam, being admitted ARIBA on 4 December that year, his proposers being Caröe, John Slater, Herbert Passmore and Herbert Duncan Searles-Wood. In the same year he joined William James Ancell as head draughtsman, remaining with him until 1911 when he commenced independent practice at 53 Chancery Lane. At some point he became architect to the St George's in the East Board of Guardians.
He was elevated to FRIBA in mid-1919, his sole proposer being John James Burnet. At that time he was still on war service as a Captain with the Royal Field Artillery, based at the Western General Hospital, Liverpool having previously served in France; he had already been a Territorial for some years before the war. His nomination papers state that he was sub-editor of 'The Hospital', for which he had written several articles on hospital decoration and construction. His literary works also included a number of books and articles on building contracts, practice and arbitration; he was for a time President of the Institute of Arbitrators, and appeared as counsel in cases concerning architectural and contract matters. He was an expert in the London Building Acts, having qualified as a District Surveyor, and was an Associate of the Town Planning Institute and of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He was joint-Honorary Secretary of the Practice Standing Committee from 1926 to 1932, and served as a RIBA Examiner from 1929 to 1933 and on the Special Committee on the Scale of Charges from 1927 to 1933.
Watson died suddenly of heart failure on 12 January 1950. He was warmly remembered by his fellows as a genial character. In a RIBAJ obituary, H B Cresswell writes of him: 'Though born in Sheffield, W.E. was emphatically a Scot. The strong, dark, hirsute brow, with the kindly blue eye gazing from beneath its pent; and the measured rhythm of the utterance with precise value given to consonants, was part of his personality; and his patrician tastes were also true to his blood: soldiering, riding, golf, fly-fishing and the wilds. So, too, was his appreciation of high quality in things, from the split cane fly rod to the haggis sent him every week from Scotland and the fish pie and Bradenham double-cured ham for which Sunningdale Golf Club was famous in days when I went there as his guest. … [H]e had higher aims than success; and the many lame dogs that he helped over stiles, and others who, seeking his advice, lived to be grateful for rescue from litigation, stood for much with him.' | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 4 Verulam Buildings, Gray's Inn, London, England | Business | | | | | Linthwaite, Laleham, Middlesex, England | Private | 1905 * | | | | 53, Chancery Lane, London, England | Business | 1911 | After 1914 | | | No 1 Western General Hospital, Liverpool, England | Private | 1919 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | John Burnet & Son | 21 July 1898 | 1 January 1901 | Apprentice | | | William Douglas Caröe | 1 January 1901 | September 1905 | Assistant | | | William James Ancell | September 1905(?) | 1911 | Chief Draughtsman | |
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Eric Kingdon Rowe | 24 November 1935 | For Licentiateship |
ReferencesPeriodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA Journal | February 1950 | v57 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p160 - obituary | | RIBA Journal | April 1950 | v57 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p245 - obituary by H B Cresswell |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v16 p99 (microfilm reel 19); F no1665 (microfilm reel 14) |
|