Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Arthur & Son | Designation: | | Born: | Before 1899(?) | Died: | | Bio Notes: | George Arthur was born in High Street, Airdrie, in 1849 and was articled to James Thompson in the same town. At the end of his apprenticeship he joined William Baird, with whom he formed the partnership of Baird & Arthur. Baird's interest proved ephemeral as he was also involved with the family coal business and Arthur was effectively in charge from 1871. From 1884 he was practising solely on his own account. In the following year he became Burgh Architect and was Provost 1893-96.
George died in 1899. The practice was inherited by his eldest son John Maurice Arthur (born 1877) at the age of twenty-two. John Maurice Arthur had been educated at Airdrie Academy and Hutchison's Grammar School, Glasgow and apprenticed to his father from 1891 to 1896, remaining as assistant. He studied under Charles Gourlay at the Royal Technical College and excelled in his academic pursuits, being placed sixth in Britain for his Honours Certificate in Building Construction in 1897 and first in Britain for his certificate in History of Architecture in 1898. He spent holidays sketching in Glasgow, Melrose, Oxford, Chester, Durham, and further afield in Belgium, Normandy and Paris.
John Maurice Arthur's work included mission halls, schools, villas, cottages, tenements, business premises and factories. In 1909 he secured the commission to redevelop the Bay Area of Port Glasgow as red sandstone tenements from the Lithgow Family and opened a Glasgow office (initially at 109 St Vincent Street and from c.1913 at 95 Bath Street) and was elected LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, his proposers being John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects as a whole.
John was an enthusiastic Volunteer and Territorial Army officer, reaching the rank of Colonel. He had a distinguished war record being awarded the DSO in 1915 and apprenticed CMG and Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium. His full honors included TD, DL and JP. He married Katherine Adam Stevenson Hutton. According to the entry in Scottish Biographies, he was conservative in politics. He resumed practice in both Airdrie and Glasgow after the First World War and was elected FRIBA in 1921, his proposers being Alexander Nisbet Paterson, William Brown Whitie and James Lochhead. In his early work he was a freestyle designer of the Burnet school but his later work from 1910 onwards is in a drier classical idiom.
The firm was still practising in the 1960s. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 4, Graham Street, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Business | Before 1909 | After 1925 | | | 109, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1911 * | | | | 95, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | c. 1913 | | | | 12, Stirling Street, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Business | Before 1952 | After 1964 | British Linen Bank Buildings (per Builder 1953, 31 July, p188) |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
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 | | 1896(?) | 'Coatbridge Rows' | Coatbridge | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1899 | Airdrie Mansion House | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Restoration | | 1899 | Black Bull Inn | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1899 | Buildings at Deedes Street and Rochsolloch Road | Coatbridge | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | After 1899 | South Bridge Street UF Church | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Reconstruction | | 1901 | British Linen Bank | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1901 | Union (?) Bank of Scotland | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1902 | Annathill Schoolhouse | Annathill | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1902 | British Linen Bank | Coatbridge | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1903 | Wilson Memorial Halls | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1904 | New Monklands Parish Church | New Monklands/Glenmavis | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Reconstruction, including addition of apse | | 1904 | Queen Victoria Nurses' Home | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1905 | Airdrie High School | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1905 | Masonic Temple | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1906 | Rullion Green | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1908 | Bay Area, Port Glasgow | Port Glasgow | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Redevelopment scheme | | 1908 | Craig Institute | Caldercruix | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1909 | Annathill School | Annathill | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Rebuilding | | 1909 | John Wood Street Tenements | Port Glasgow | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1909 | King Street Tenements | Port Glasgow | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1909 | The Star Hotel | Port Glasgow | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1910 | Olympia Theatre of Varieties | Bridgeton | | Glasgow | Scotland | In association with Frank Matcham | | 1910 | Sir John Wilson Town Hall | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Competition design - placed second as results given in Building News | | c. 1910 | Glentore | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Built by John Maurice Arthur for himself. Four villas on Drumbathie Road (Pinecrest (100151), Rockpark (100152), Woodcroft (100153) and Glentore (100154)) built as one group. Close et al (2016, p.117) state John Maurice Arthur set up home in nearby Glentore c.1910. | | c. 1910 | Pinecrest | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Four villas on Drumbathie Road (Pinecrest (100151), Rockpark (100152), Woodcroft (100153) and Glentore (100154)) built as one group. Close et al (2016, p.117) state John Maurice Arthur set up home in nearby Glentore c.1910. | | c. 1910 | Rockpark | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Four villas on Drumbathie Road (Pinecrest (100151), Rockpark (100152), Woodcroft (100153) and Glentore (100154)) built as one group. Close et al (2016, p.117) state John Maurice Arthur set up home in nearby Glentore c.1910. | | c. 1910 | Woodcroft | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Four villas on Drumbathie Road (Pinecrest (100151), Rockpark (100152), Woodcroft (100153) and Glentore (100154)) built as one group. Close et al (2016, p.117) state John Maurice Arthur set up home in nearby Glentore c.1910. | | 1911 | Union Bank | Port Glasgow | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1912 | Easter Moffat House | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Restoration | | 1913 | Belhaven UP Church | Dowanhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | Restoration | | 1913 | Garage for John Foster | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1913 | Headquarters of Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1919 | The Knowe | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Restoration | | 1920 | Rochsoles House | Glenmavis | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Restoration | | 1922 | Airdrie War Memorial | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1924 | Auchengray | Caldercruix | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Additions. | | 1924 | House for James McMorran, Mossend Place, North King Street | Helensburgh | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | | | 1925 | Airdrie Public Library | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1925 | Airdrie Savings Bank | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1925 | Bank of Scotland | Blair Atholl | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1926 | Union Bank | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1928 | Ramsay's Buildings | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1928 | Rockbank Mills | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1930 | Housing and church | Port Glasgow | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1930 | Merion Mills | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | | Additions | | 1934 | Garrowhill Housing Development | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1935 | Airdrie Public Baths | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1935 | Garrowhill House | Baillieston | | Glasgow | Scotland | Enlargement as Garrowhill Institute | | 1935 | Town Hall | Port Glasgow | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Extension | | 1936 | Airdrie Savings Bank | Bellshill | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1936 | Church of Scotland buildings | Hamilton | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1936 | Mure Memorial Church | Garrowhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1938 | Municipal buildings and Offices | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1944 | Lochend Colliery Canteen | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1951 | New buildings for Russell, Sterling Road | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1952 | Harthill Post Office | Harthill | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Extensions and additions | | 1953 | Jackson Church | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1953 | South Biggar Road Garage & Workshops, Airdrie | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Plans in hand for (July) additions | | 1955 | 114 Shamrock Street | Cowcaddens | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Municipal Annual | 1964 | Scottish Municipal Annual | 1964-1965 | | | | Peden, Allan | 1992 | The Monklands: an illustrated architectural guide | | RIAS | p9 | | Walker, Frank Arneil | 1986 | South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew | | | p111 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 18 May 1951 | | | p719 | | Builder | 8 August 1952 | | | p212 | | Builder | 31 July 1953 | | | p188 | | Builder | 18 February 1955 | | | p316 |
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