Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Henry Forshaw
Designation:  
Born: 1895
Died: 1973
Bio Notes: John Henry Forshaw was born in 1895. He studied architecture at the University of Liverpool. He had wide experience in private practice in England and in the United States. He was chief architect of the Miners' Welfare Committee in the 1930s, and entering the service the London County Council in the July 1939 as Deputy Architect and became Architect to the Council and Superintending Architect of Metropolitan Buildings in July 1941 on the retirement of Frederick Robert Hiorns.

During the Second World War in addition to his normal duties he also led the London Heavy Rescue Service. This led to directing the War Debris Organisation which oversaw the disposal of debris from air raids.

As Architect to the LCC, in 1943 he was commissioned to prepare, in collaboration with Patrick Abercrombie, Professor of Town Planning at University College London, the County of London Plan for the rebuilding and development of London after the Second World War.

In December 1945 Forshaw left the LCC to assume the office of Chief Architect and Housing Consultant to the Ministry of Health.

He died in 1973.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 1London, EnglandBusiness   

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 2Miners' Welfare Committee (or Miners' Welfare Commission), Mines Department, (National Coal Board Divisional Welfare)1936 * Chief Architect 
Item 2 of 2London County Council Architects' Department (LCC Architects' Department)1943 * Chief Architect 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

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 1Maurice Ewan Taylor1935 Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 10John Howden Cook17 November 1942for Associateship
Item 2 of 10John Austin Dempster20 July 1936for Fellowship
Item 3 of 10John Walter Mackenzie Dudding12 December 1944for Fellowship
Item 4 of 10James William Hepburn17 November 1942for Fellowship
Item 5 of 10Donald Denoon Jack17 November 1942for Fellowship
Item 6 of 10Alan (or Allan?) MacKenzie14 December 1943for Associateship
Item 7 of 10James Boyd Raeside3 September 1946For Licentiateship
Item 8 of 10Hugh Smith1 May 1951for Fellowship
Item 9 of 10Maurice Ewan Taylor5 December 1938For Associateship
Item 10 of 10Reginald Buchanan Urquhart16 October 1945for Fellowship

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 111932Aitken Colliery, Pithead BathsKelty FifeScotlandIn overall charge of Miners' Welfare Commission, architect's department
Item 2 of 111932Lumphinnans Colliery, Pithead BathsLumphinnans FifeScotlandIn overall charge woth Dempster having responsibility for Northern area
Item 3 of 111933Cardowan Colliery, Pithead BathsCardowan LanarkshireScotlandAssisted Joihn Austin Dempster in the design
Item 4 of 111933Minto Colliery, Pithead BathsLochgelly FifeScotlandIn overall charge of Miner's Welfare Commission Architects' Department
Item 5 of 111934Lochhead Colliery, Pithead BathsEast Wemyss FifeScotlandExtensions - with J A Dempster as job architect
Item 6 of 111935Bowhill Colliery, pithead bathsBowhill, Auchterderran FifeScotlandIn overall charge of the Miners' Welfare Commission, Architects' Department
Item 7 of 111935Michael Colliery, Pithead BathsEast Wemyss FifeScotlandIn overall charge of Miners' Welfare Commission Architect's Department
Item 8 of 111935Pithead BathsEast Wemyss FifeScotlandOversaw general direction of Miners' Welfare Commission building schemes, but J A Dempster was responsible for design and execution
Item 9 of 111938Pithead BathsMauchline AyrshireScotlandAs architect for Miners Welfare Committee
Item 10 of 111938Wellesley Colliery, Pithead BathsMethil FifeScotland 
Item 11 of 11c. 1943County of London Plan  LondonEngland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Glendinning, Miles2008Modern architect: the life and times of Robert Matthew RIBA Publishingp80-1,85,112
Item 2 of 2McKean, Charles1987The Scottish Thirties: An Architectural Introduction Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Pressp116

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1London Metropolitan Archives Biographical volumes on Council architects