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 Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 44, Graham Street, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1909After 1925 
Item 2 of 4109, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1911 *  
Item 3 of 495, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessc. 1913  
Item 4 of 412, Stirling Street, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1952After 1964British Linen Bank Buildings (per Builder 1953, 31 July, p188)

* earliest date known from documented sources.


Employment and Training

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 11John Maurice Arthur1899(?) PartnerSole partner after his father's death
Item 2 of 11John Barbour19001903Assistant 
Item 3 of 11John Ballantine1909 or 1910After 1911Principal Assistant 
Item 4 of 11Hugh Aitken Hutchison WalkerJune 1919December 1920Draughtsman 
Item 5 of 11Thomas Victor DeasSeptember 1919September 1924Apprentice 
Item 6 of 11William BlackNovember 19221925Senior Draughtsman 
Item 7 of 11Thomas Victor DeasSeptember 1924After September 1925Assistant 
Item 8 of 11George Arthur19301933Apprentice 
Item 9 of 11George Arthur19331935Draughtsman 
Item 10 of 11Robert Ferguson KennedySeptember 1933After 1939Assistant 
Item 11 of 11Kathleen Hutton Arthur (Mrs Tebbitt)1934 Assistant 

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 591896(?)'Coatbridge Rows'Coatbridge LanarkshireScotland 
Item 2 of 591899Airdrie Mansion HouseAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandRestoration
Item 3 of 591899Black Bull InnAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 4 of 591899Buildings at Deedes Street and Rochsolloch RoadCoatbridge LanarkshireScotland 
Item 5 of 59After 1899South Bridge Street UF ChurchAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandReconstruction
Item 6 of 591901British Linen BankAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 7 of 591901Union (?) Bank of ScotlandAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 8 of 591902Annathill SchoolhouseAnnathill LanarkshireScotland 
Item 9 of 591902British Linen BankCoatbridge LanarkshireScotland 
Item 10 of 591903Wilson Memorial HallsAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 11 of 591904New Monklands Parish ChurchNew Monklands/Glenmavis LanarkshireScotlandReconstruction, including addition of apse
Item 12 of 591904Queen Victoria Nurses' HomeAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 13 of 591905Airdrie High SchoolAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 14 of 591905Masonic TempleAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 15 of 591906Rullion GreenAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 16 of 591908Bay Area, Port GlasgowPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotlandRedevelopment scheme
Item 17 of 591908Craig InstituteCaldercruix LanarkshireScotland 
Item 18 of 591909Annathill SchoolAnnathill LanarkshireScotlandRebuilding
Item 19 of 591909John Wood Street TenementsPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 20 of 591909King Street TenementsPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 21 of 591909The Star HotelPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 22 of 591910Olympia Theatre of VarietiesBridgeton GlasgowScotlandIn association with Frank Matcham
Item 23 of 591910Sir John Wilson Town HallAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandCompetition design - placed second as results given in Building News
Item 24 of 59c. 1910GlentoreAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandBuilt 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.
Item 25 of 59c. 1910PinecrestAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandFour 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.
Item 26 of 59c. 1910RockparkAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandFour 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.
Item 27 of 59c. 1910WoodcroftAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandFour 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.
Item 28 of 591911Union BankPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 29 of 591912Easter Moffat HouseAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandRestoration
Item 30 of 591913Belhaven UP ChurchDowanhill GlasgowScotlandRestoration
Item 31 of 591913Garage for John Foster  GlasgowScotland 
Item 32 of 591913Headquarters of Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland  GlasgowScotland 
Item 33 of 591919The KnoweGreenock RenfrewshireScotlandRestoration
Item 34 of 591920Rochsoles HouseGlenmavis LanarkshireScotlandRestoration
Item 35 of 591922Airdrie War MemorialAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 36 of 591924AuchengrayCaldercruix LanarkshireScotlandAdditions.
Item 37 of 591924House for James McMorran, Mossend Place, North King StreetHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 38 of 591925Airdrie Public LibraryAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 39 of 591925Airdrie Savings BankAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 40 of 591925Bank of ScotlandBlair Atholl PerthshireScotland 
Item 41 of 591926Union Bank  GlasgowScotland 
Item 42 of 591928Ramsay's BuildingsAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 43 of 591928Rockbank MillsGreenock RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 44 of 591930Housing and churchPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 45 of 591930Merion MillsGreenock Renfrewshire Additions
Item 46 of 591934Garrowhill Housing Development  GlasgowScotland 
Item 47 of 591935Airdrie Public BathsAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 48 of 591935Garrowhill HouseBaillieston GlasgowScotlandEnlargement as Garrowhill Institute
Item 49 of 591935Town HallPort Glasgow RenfrewshireScotlandExtension
Item 50 of 591936Airdrie Savings BankBellshill LanarkshireScotland 
Item 51 of 591936Church of Scotland buildingsHamilton LanarkshireScotland 
Item 52 of 591936Mure Memorial ChurchGarrowhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 53 of 591938Municipal buildings and OfficesAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 54 of 591944Lochend Colliery Canteen  LanarkshireScotland 
Item 55 of 591951New buildings for Russell, Sterling Road  LanarkshireScotland 
Item 56 of 591952Harthill Post OfficeHarthill LanarkshireScotlandExtensions and additions
Item 57 of 591953Jackson ChurchAirdrie LanarkshireScotland 
Item 58 of 591953South Biggar Road Garage & Workshops, AirdrieAirdrie LanarkshireScotlandPlans in hand for (July) additions
Item 59 of 591955114 Shamrock StreetCowcaddens GlasgowScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Municipal Annual1964Scottish Municipal Annual1964-1965  
Item 2 of 3Peden, Allan1992The Monklands: an illustrated architectural guide RIASp9
Item 3 of 3Walker, Frank Arneil1986South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew  p111

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Builder18 May 1951  p719
Item 2 of 4Builder8 August 1952  p212
Item 3 of 4Builder31 July 1953  p188
Item 4 of 4Builder18 February 1955  p316