Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Ramsay Wark
Designation:  
Born: 8 May 1914
Died: 23 August 1995
Bio Notes: William Ramsay Wark was born on 8 May 1914, the son of William Wark, master plumber, and his wife Agnes Ramsay. He enrolled in Building Construction classes at Kilmarnock Technical College in 1930 and moved on to the five-year certificate course in architecture at Glasgow School of Art in 1932. In 1937-38 he took classes in reinforced concrete design at the Royal Technical College. During the same period from 1930 he served his articles with Ayr County Architect's Department staying on for a further three years after the completion of his articles from 1935-38 as assistant. In 1939 he moved to become a seior architectural and town planning assistant in the Burgh Surveyor's office in Kilmarnock,

The years 1940-44 were spent serving with HM Forces. In the latter year he returned to his previous post in Kilmarnock. He sat the RIBA Special Final Exam in December 1946 and was elected ARIBA in 1947, proposed by Gabriel Steel, Professor William James Smith and Jack Coia. By 1950 he had moved to Inverness. He appears to have been appointed Banff County Architect by 1952. In 1963 he was County Architect and Planning Officer, Westmorland in which post he remained at least until the mid-1970s when through Government reorganisation he became Director of Architecture. He had retired by 1979. At the time of his resignation from the RIBA he was living in Carlisle.

He died on 23 August 1995 at the Royal Infirmary in Perth, though his home was still in Carlisle. He was survived by his wife Margaret Addie Stuart Stobie.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 446, McLelland Drive, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)1939 *  
Item 2 of 462, Culduthel Road, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)1950 *  
Item 3 of 4County Chambers, Cullen, Banffshire, Scotland 1952 *1953As County Architect
Item 4 of 4Greystead/62, Longlands Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, EnglandPrivate1979 *1995 

* 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 4Ayr County Architect's Office19301935Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4Ayr County Architect's Office19351938Assistant 
Item 3 of 4Kilmarnock Burgh Council Architect's Department19381940Senior Assistant 
Item 4 of 4Kilmarnock Burgh Council Architect's Department19461947Senior Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Jack Antonio Coia6 May 1947For Associateship
Item 2 of 3(Professor) William James Smith6 May 1947For Associateship
Item 3 of 3Gabriel Steel6 May 1947For Associateship

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 131952Housing, GardenstownGardenstown BanffshireScotland34 new houses
Item 2 of 131952Housing, MacduffMacduff AberdeenshireScotlandAs Banffshire County Architect
Item 3 of 131952School, CullenCullen  ScotlandTo prepare plans
Item 4 of 131952School, Glenrinnesnear Keith  ScotlandAs County Architect (presumably for Banffshire)
Item 5 of 131953Old People's Home, BuckieBuckie BanffshireScotlandOld people's home
Item 6 of 1313 November 1953School, CullenCullen  ScotlandTo prepare plans (same scheme as Feb '52?)
Item 7 of 1320 November 1953New Public School, GlenrinnesGlenrinnes BanffshireScotlandTo prepare plans for new school
Item 8 of 1320 November 1953New Public School, MacduffMacduff BanffshireScotlandTo prepare plans for new school
Item 9 of 1327 November 1953Public School, DunlugasDunlugas BanffshireScotlandTo prepare plans for new school
Item 10 of 1327 November 1953Public School, KeithKeith BanffshireScotlandTo prepare plans for new school
Item 11 of 134 December 1953New Public School, NetherdaleNetherdale BanffshireScotlandTo prepare plans for new school
Item 12 of 134 December 1953New Public School, WhitehillsWhitehills BanffshireScotlandTo prepare plans for new school
Item 13 of 131955Protestant SchoolGlenrinnes BanffshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 2 of 4RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 4RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   
Item 4 of 4RIBA1979Directory of members   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 10Builder1 February 1952  p205
Item 2 of 10Builder15 February 1952  p276
Item 3 of 10Builder16 May 1952  p756
Item 4 of 10Builder25 July 1952  p148
Item 5 of 10Builder22 May 1953  p812
Item 6 of 10Builder13 November 1953  p764
Item 7 of 10Builder20 November 1953  p814
Item 8 of 10Builder27 November 1953  p862
Item 9 of 10Builder4 December 1953  p903
Item 10 of 10Builder7 January 1955  p36

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2H M Register HouseDeath Register  
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no9008 (Combined Box 221)