Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Beresford Inglis | Designation: | | Born: | | Died: | | Bio Notes: | William Beresford Inglis appears to have belonged to Hamilton: he studied at Glasgow School of Art as William Inglis from 1903-05 and commenced practice about 1908-09 at what must have been an early age. He was a cinema specialist and owner of cinemas, hotels etc in Glasgow and the west of Scotland. He also designed various public houses, houses and industrial buildings.
In 1932 Inglis merged his practice with that of James Wilkie Weddell, the newly formed partnership being based at 216 Bath Street which Inglis had occupied since 1926. At the time of the merger, Inglis was the owner of the North British Theatres Ltd, formed to build the Andalusian atmospheric Boulevard Cinema in Knightswood. Inglis ran it himself and booked his own films.
Immediately after the formation of the partnership Inglis promoted a second company, the Toledo Picture House Company, to build another atmospheric cinema at Muirend. This company ran into financial difficulties and was sold to ABC a year later. Shortly thereafter, ____ Taylor was very briefly a partner, the practice becoming Weddell, Inglis & Taylor.
In 1937 Inglis promoted Glasgow Hotels Ltd, of which he was managing director, to build the £180,435 Beresford Hotel on Sauchiehall Street, the immediate commercial objective being to accommodate visitors to the Glasgow Empire Exhibition of 1938. To help finance it North British Theatres and the Boulevard was sold to Singleton Cinemas Ltd. George Singleton found Inglis 'curious' and recorded that 'he found cinemas too stressful' complaining of 'film renters, booking agents and problems with staff'. The Beresford Hotel proved to be a greater drain on his time and it was a welcome relief when it was requisitioned during the Second World War. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 102, Portland Place , Hamilton | Private(?) | 1903 | | | | Fullwood, Bent Road, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Private | 1905 | 1908 | | | The Bungalow, Thora Drive, Bearsden, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1908 | 1925 | | | 261, West George Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1909 | 1926 | | | 32, Granby Terrace, Hillhead, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1925 | 1926 | | | 216, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1926 | c. 1932 | | | Whitethorns, Whittinghame Drive, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1926 | 1933 | | | Redholm, Westerton, Bearsden, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1933 | 1938 | | | 2, Knightscliffe Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1934 | 1935 | Office of Weddell & Inglis | | 2, Kinghtscliffe Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1937 | 1938 | In Inglis' name only |
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Weddell & Inglis | 1932 | c. 1942(?) | Partner | | | Weddell, Inglis & Taylor | c. 1935 | c. 1935(?) | Partner | |
Employees or Pupils
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | McKean, Charles | 1987 | The Scottish Thirties: An Architectural Introduction | | Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press | p195 | | Peter, Bruce | 1996 | 100 Years of Glasgow's Amazing Cinemas | | Edinburgh: Polygon | | | RIBA | 1930 | The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 32252 | | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Personal information from the late Alfred G Lochhead |
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