Basic Biographical Details

Name: Messrs Gale
Designation:  
Born: c. 1830
Died: After 1858
Bio Notes: The Gales of Glasgow were civil engineers rather than architects. William Gale was in partnership with Robert Scott and John Stephen in the 1830s, but that partnership came to an end some time after the death of Robert Scott in April 1839. William Gale then entered into a partnership with the Edinburgh architect David Cousin which lasted until 1845, Cousin being in charge of the Edinburgh office and Gale the Glasgow one. The practice came to wider notice almost immediately by winning two competitions, one for the classical West Church in Greenock and another for the neo-Norman Parish Church at Cambuslang. From 1843 their main business was Free Church work for which Cousin had made standard designs.

The Gales continued to provide architectural as well as engineering services after the dissolution of the Cousin & Gale partnership. Their Ayr church was very competent neo-Norman, similar to that of David Cousin's Edinburgh churches, and may have been designed by Cousin before the dissolution of the partnership: whether it owed anything to their referral of the drawings to Thomas Hamilton for an opinion is unclear. William Gale was subsequently engineer of the Gorbals Gravitation Water Company, the operation of which commenced in 1848. He died in 1858. The next generation was represented by Henry Gale, born 1836, who specialised in railway work. He died in 1898.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 1Buchanan Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness   

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 1William GaleBefore 18451858Partner 

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 31844Ayr Free ChurchAyr AyrshireScotlandPlans accepted after consultation with Thomas Hamilton: may have been made by Cousin prior to dissolution of partnership
Item 2 of 31847Free ChurchGartmore StirlingshireScotland 
Item 3 of 3c. 1856Troon Free ChurchTroon AyrshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Binnie, G M1981Early Victorian Water Engineers   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers*  pp348-9