Basic Biographical Details Name: | Boston, Menzies & Morton | Designation: | | Born: | Before 1893 | Died: | After 1940 | Bio Notes: | Very little is known about Boston, Menzies and Morton as they neither joined the RIBA nor provided information to 'Who's Who in Architecture'. John Boston was a native of Coatbridge and was articled to James Baird of Glasgow but went to Greenock in c.1877 to join the Office of Public Works as assistant at 18 Hamilton Street. It would appear that one of his older brothers, James, who was a butcher by trade, moved to Greenock about the same time. By 1881 he had opened a shop at 5 West Blackhall Street. John Boston held the post of assistant in the Office of Works for seven years. His house at this time was 4 Finnart Street.
He commenced business on his own account as architect, measurer and surveyor in 1884 from an office at 11 William Street. His home address by this date was 73 Nicholson Street. Possibly due to poor health his brother James emigrated to Melbourne, Australia but died three days after he landed there. John too suffered from poor health and had been ailing for some time before his early death on 11 October 1889. He had taken an active part in the social life of Greenock being a a member of the cricket club and of the choral society. He was not married.
His business was taken over by William Menzies of Bonhill, Dumbartonshire and George Morton of Greenock who formed partnership with offices both in Greenock and Bonhill and later Alexandria in Dumbartonshire. Boston's name was retained in the practice title which remained unchanged until at least 1940. William Menzies lived at Overvale, Bonhill, Dunbartonshire in the 1890s, moving to Smollett Street in the early 1920s. The firm then had an office at 17 Bank Street Alexandria which appears to have been run concurrently with the Greenock one, presumably with George Morton in charge of one and William Menzies of the other. George Morton lived in Greenock in the 1890s at 86 Union Street.
They were very able, the Greenock Masonic Temple being quite Burnetian and the Queens Hotel at Kirn inventive Arts and Crafts with Art Nouveau touches. A strong Art Nouveau influence is also present in the flowing tracery of Clune Park Church at Port Glasgow. Their offices from 1920s at leas, were at 11 William Street, Greenock.
Boston was probably related to William James Boston of Burnet & Boston as in 1898 Arthur James Stewart later of South Africa moved from Boston Menzies & Morton to Burnet & Boston.
As regards the subsequent history of the firm, it appears that the business which was run in the 1940s by a Mr Stirling at the same address in William Street was merged with Stewart Tough & Alexander. Sometime early in the 1940s Douglas Lindsay Crawford who had been an assistant since 1928 was made a partner and he was joined in 1944 by John Tonner. James Neil joined the firm in 1950, the name changing at this point to Crawford & Neil. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Bonhill, Dunbartonshire, Scotland | Business | 1890 or 1891 * | | | | 11, William Street, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland | Business | Before 1904 | After 1940 | | | 24, Gilmour Street, Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, Scotland | Business | 1911 | | | | Ferry Brae, Dunoon, Argyll, Scotland | Business | 1911 | | | | 17, Bank Street, Alexandria, Dunbarrtonshire, Scotland | Business | c. 1920 | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils* earliest date known from documented sources.
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Measurers\' Companion | 1911 | The Scottish Architects' and Measurers' Companion | | | | | Post Office Directories | | | | | | | Walker, Frank Arneil | 1986 | South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew | | | p108, p124, p127 |
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