Basic Biographical Details Name: | Ormrod Maxwell Ayrton | Designation: | | Born: | 1874 | Died: | 18 February 1960 | Bio Notes: | Ormrod Maxwell Ayrton was born in 1874. His career began inauspiciously as an articled apprentice to Harry Beswick of Chester in 1890. He remained with him as an assistant until 1897 when he moved to London as assistant first to William Eden Nesfield's former chief clerk, Richard Creed, then William Alfred Pite and finally Edwin Landseer Lutyens from 1897 to 1899. These posts enabled him to study at the South Kensington Schools. He passed the qualifying exam in 1903 and was admitted ARIBA on 30 November that year, his proposers being Pite, John William Simpson and Lacy William Ridge. He was briefly in independent practice from 1899 until he joined Simpson in 1905.
In 1905, Ayrton was taken into partnership by John William Simpson. From 1905 onwards Ayrton was responsible for most of the practice's design work, his best known work in these later years being the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924-25 which brought Simpson a knighthood. The exhibition put Ayrton in contact with its civil engineer Owen Williams, resulting in their subsequent collaboration on the design of Williams's Scottish bridges. Prior to that time he had been elected FRIBA in 1920, proposed by Lutyens and Aston Webb.
In 1928 the partnership of Simpson and Ayrton was dissolved. Although now seventy years old, Simpson did not retire, taking into partnership Frank W Knight and Henley Cornford. Ayrton continued in independent practice.
Ayrton died on 18 February 1960. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 64, Charlotte Stree, Fitzroy Square, London, England | Business | 1899 * | | | | 28, Theobald's Road, London, England | Private | 1901 | 1902 | | | Manor Mansions/14, Belsize Park Gardens, London, England | Private(?) | 1903 | | | | 3, Verulam Gardens, Gray's Inn, London, England | Business | Before 1906(?) | After 1926(?) | | | 7, Grosvennor Street, London, England | Business(?) | 1928 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesPeriodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 26 February 1960 | | | | | RIBA Journal | May 1960 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p347 (or 247?) Obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v15 p125 (microfilm reel 1918); F v23 no1666 (microfilm reel 14) |
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