Basic Biographical Details

Name: Charles Jean Menart (or Ménart)
Designation:  
Born: c. 1876
Died: Before 1938
Bio Notes: Charles Jean Menart (or Ménart) was born c.1876 in Belgium. He studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1893 to 1898. He commenced practice in Glasgow and in 1903 took into partnership John Stirling Jarvie from Perth, opening a branch office there in the name of Menart & Jarvie. Jarvie had been a pupil of David Smart and had sought wider experience with John Archibald Campbell, Alexander Cullen and John Arthur, formerly of Burnet's office. The work of the partnership has a marked Burnet/Campbell character and it therefore seems possible that Menart had also been in that office as an apprentice or assistant, and that they originally met there.

Menart's Glasgow practice was mainly for the Archdiocese of Glasgow. From about 1907 onwards he gradually obtained a share of its business which had previously been almost exclusively Pugin & Pugin's, but he also did work for other dioceses, particularly Aberdeen. He offered a Roman baroque alternative to Sebastian Pugin Powell's Gothic and Romanesque, but his Torry church shows that he could offer a stylish Auvergne Romanesque if required. Jarvie's Perth practice was a more general one and undertook work for the Church of Scotland.

Menart became a member of Glasgow Institute of Architects on 16 December 1908. The Menart & Jarvie partnership was dissolved some time before 1911. Menart continued to practise in Glasgow, designing a number of First World War memorials in Belgium, and returned to his native country in 1928 at the age of about fifty-two, perhaps with the intention of recommencing practice there; he had an address in Brussels by 1930. Johnston says that he was active for the period 1895-1935, though his source is not given. He had died in Brussels by 1938.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 7Perth, Perthshire, ScotlandBusiness   
Item 2 of 734, Alexandra Parade, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1893After 1898 
Item 3 of 7241, West George Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 19091923 
Item 4 of 7Methven Road, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate1920s  
Item 5 of 7221, West George Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness19231929 
Item 6 of 7135, Avenue des Combattants, Genval, BelgiumPrivate1929  
Item 7 of 768, Square Marie-Louise, Bruxelles/Brussels, BelgiumPrivateBefore 1930After 1934 

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 2Menart & Jarvie (or Ménart & Jarvie)1903Before 1911Partner 
Item 2 of 2John Archibald CampbellBefore 1903(?)Before 1903(?) Uncertain

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 5Walter Alison19101912Draughtsman 
Item 2 of 5Robert WilsonAfter 1915 Assistant 
Item 3 of 5Duncan Macpherson HunterAfter 19181920Assistant 
Item 4 of 5Frank Flood MacDonald19211926Apprentice 
Item 5 of 5Alexander McAnally (sometimes misspelt McNally or Macannally)March 19241928Apprentice 

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 25 House, Methven RoadHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandFor himself - date unknown
Item 2 of 251904108-112 High Street and King Edward StreetPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 3 of 251904City of Perth Fever Hospital, FriartonPerth PerthshireScotlandDesign highly commended
Item 4 of 25c. 1905St Leonard's MansePerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 5 of 251907'Buckie Cathedral', St Peter's RC Church and PresbyteryNether Buckie BanffshireScotlandChancel, altar and baptistery
Item 6 of 251908St Aloysius RC ChurchGarnethill GlasgowScotland 
Item 7 of 251908St Mary's RC ChurchBathgate West LothianScotlandRadical remodelling
Item 8 of 251909RC Church of the Sacred HeartBridgeton GlasgowScotlandOriginal church
Item 9 of 251909Residence, WhitecraigsWhitecraigs GlasgowScotland 
Item 10 of 251910Blairs College, New Chapel  AberdeenshireScotlandInterior remodelling and decoration
Item 11 of 251910St Charles RC ChurchGosforth Newcastle upon TyneEngland 
Item 12 of 251910St Joseph's College Chapel for Little Sisters of the PoorRoystonhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 13 of 251911'Buckie Cathedral', St Peter's RC Church and PresbyteryNether Buckie BanffshireScotlandFurther alterations?
Item 14 of 251911Sacred Heart RC Church and PresbyteryTorry AberdeenScotland 
Item 15 of 251911Sacred Heart RC School  GlasgowScotland 
Item 16 of 251911St Joseph's RC ChurchHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 17 of 251912St Joseph's RC SchoolHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 18 of 251913St Patrick's School  DundeeScotlandNew block
Item 19 of 251915Chapel of the Holy Souls     
Item 20 of 251916St Thomas's RC ChurchKeith BanffshireScotlandAdditions and dome
Item 21 of 251919St Aloysius CollegeGarnethill GlasgowScotlandAdditional block
Item 22 of 251920St Andrew's RC Church  DundeeScotlandAddition of apse
Item 23 of 251921St Alexander's RC ChurchDenny StirlingshireScotlandNew altarpiece
Item 24 of 251923St Joseph's College ChapelDumfries DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 25 of 251924St Joseph's RC ChurchStranraer WigtownshireScotlandAddition of tower and alterations

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Johnston, W T2003Artists of Scotland Officina Publications CDROM 
Item 2 of 2RIBA1930The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Personal information from Alexander Wright; additional research by Iain Paterson (including information from Frank Worsdall)