Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Tait Conner
Designation:  
Born: c. 1868
Died: December 1931
Bio Notes: William Tait Conner was born c.1868 and articled to Campbell Douglas & Sellars from 1884 to 1889, remaining with Campbell Douglas & Morrison for six months as an assistant. During his time with Campbell Douglas & Sellars he studied at Glasgow School of Art and was engaged on further work at St Andrews Halls and the New Club, but in 1886-88 was principally employed on the International Exhibition Buildings. At the end of his time with Douglas he moved to London, working in the offices of Arthur Richard George Fenning and Augustus Eldred Hughes. While there he passed the RIBA's qualifying examination, his address being given as 60 Albany Street, Regents Park, London and was elected ARIBA on 2 March 1891 his proposers being Campbell Douglas, Thomas Lennox Watson and John Honeyman.

On his return to Glasgow in 1894 Conner formed a partnership with Henry Mitchell. Born in 1864, Mitchell had been articled to Campbell Douglas & Sellars at the same time as Conner, but left at the end of his apprenticeship to join Honeyman and Keppie where he remained until the formation of the partnership with Conner.

The partnership did not prosper although both were excellent draughtsmen, most of their time being spent entering competitions. Conner emigrated to Johannesburg in 1902 where he formed a partnership with __ Hamilton. Mitchell then entered into a partnership with the Beaux-Arts-trained Charles Edward Whitelaw who had more influential family connections and whom he had known at both Campbell Douglas's and Honeyman & Keppie's; this lasted until about 1909 when Thomas Lennox Watson, with whom Mitchell had worked briefly on the interiors of the Steam Yacht Margarita and on competition designs for the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Glasgow & West of Scotland Technical College at the beginning of the century, offered Mitchell a partnership which lasted until Watson's retirement.

Conner took a great interest in the Volunteer Movement both at home and abroad and became a Major in the Transvaal Scottish. He died in December 1931.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 460, Albany Street, Regents Park, London, EnglandPrivate1890 *  
Item 2 of 4121, West Regent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1894 or 18951899 or 1900 
Item 3 of 4166, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1900Before 1902 
Item 4 of 4Johannesburg, South AfricaPrivate1902After 1925At 'PO Box 5615' from 1914 to 1925

* 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 6Campbell Douglas & Sellars4 February 18844 February 1889Apprentice 
Item 2 of 6Campbell Douglas & MorrisonFebruary 1889August 1889Assistant 
Item 3 of 6Arthur Richard George Fenning18901890Assistant(?) 
Item 4 of 6Augustus Eldred Hughes18901894(?)Assistant 
Item 5 of 6Conner & Mitchell18941902Partner 
Item 6 of 6Conner & Hamilton1902 Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Campbell Douglas2 March 1891for Associateship
Item 2 of 3John Honeyman2 March 1891for Associateship
Item 3 of 3Thomas Lennox Watson2 March 1891for Associateship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1William Shanks24 June 1912for Licentiateship

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 81895Design for a Royal Mausoleum     
Item 2 of 81895Tenement, Castlebank StreetPartick GlasgowScotland 
Item 3 of 81896Dumfries AcademyDumfries DumfriesshireScotlandCompetition design - unsuccessful
Item 4 of 81896Glasgow School of Art  GlasgowScotlandUnsuccessful competition design
Item 5 of 81896Inglis Memorial Hall and LibraryEdzell AngusScotlandCompetition design - unsuccessful
Item 6 of 81896Meffan InstituteForfar AngusScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 7 of 81898Moulin SchoolPitlochry PerthshireScotlandCompetition design
Item 8 of 81901Design for a manager's house and offices     

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Journal5 December 1931v 39London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsObituary p105

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Research by Iain Paterson
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A v11 p77 (microfiche 48/D6)