Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Leslie Roworth | Designation: | | Born: | 29 October 1913 | Died: | 14 February 1980 | Bio Notes: | William Leslie Roworth (generally known as 'Bill') was born on 29 October 1913, the son of George Ernest Lawrence Roworth, electro-medical engineer's consultant and his wife Amy Law Burnside. He was articled to Lorimer & Matthew for five years from September 1931, studying at Edinburgh College of Art. He obtained his diploma in June 1938 after a further two years of full-time study. During the years of his training he obtained various three-week travelling scholarships enabling him to visit Germany in 1934, England in 1935, Rome in 1937 (an RIBA scholarship) and England again in 1938 (a Town Planning scholarship). He was also an ECA travelling scholar in 1939-40. He was admited ARIBA on 3 April 1939, his proposers being John Fraser Matthew, James Macgregor and Frank Charles Mears. His nomination papers give a business address of the Department of Town Planning, Edinburgh College of Art. He had written a thesis on open space in town planning in Sweden.
He worked for Rowand Anderson, Paul & Partners before being appointed chief draughtsman in the Edinburgh office of Basil Spence & Partners from 1947. He later moved to Northern Ireland, but subsequently returned to Scotland and worked as Aberdeen City Architect. He was in that position when he resigned his RIBA membership in 1974.
He died on 14 February 1980 at Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen. He was survived by his wife Mary Olive Sinclair Campbell. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 5, Northcote Hill, Aberdeen, Scotland | Private | | 1980 | | | 24, Saxe-Coburg Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1939 | | | | Dept of Town Planning, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1939 * | | | | 22, Camus Avenue, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1950 * | | | | Northern Ireland | | c. 196(?) | | | | City Architect's Office, St Nicholas House, Aberdeen, Scotland | Business | 1974 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers* earliest date known from documented sources.
RIBARIBA Proposers
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 | | c. 1947 | Bannerfield Estate | Selkirk | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | As chief draughtsman to Basil Spence & Partners | | 1948 | Housing, 1-6 Harbour Court, Castle Gate | Dunbar | | East Lothian | Scotland | Worked in team | | 1948 | Housing, 15A-15D Victoria Street and 8 Writer's Court | Dunbar | | East Lothian | Scotland | Worked in team | | 1948 | Housing, 19A, 19B, 19C Victoria Street and 10, 12 Writer's Court | Dunbar | | East Lothian | Scotland | Worked in team | | 1948 | Housing, Victoria Place | Dunbar | | East Lothian | Scotland | Worked in team | | 1953 | Council houses | Dunbar | | East Lothian | Scotland | Worked on the implementation of the reduced scheme as chief draughtsman with Basil Spence & Partners | | Late 1960s | Grampian Police Headquarters | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Job architect with main responsibility | | 1975 | Multi-storey housing, Marchburn Drive | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1976 | Multi-storey housing, Hilton Road and Rosehill Drive | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | As City Architect |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p14 Harbour Court Housing, Dunbar | | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | H M Register House | Death Register | | | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A no7180 (combined box 177) | | Sent to DSA by email | Information from AHRC/RCAHMS Spence project per David W Walker and Clive Fenton | | Clive Fenton's research notes (sent July 2010) |
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