Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Manuel (junior)
Designation:  
Born: 18 June 1879
Died: June 1933
Bio Notes: John Manuel junior was born at 25 Bridge Street, Hawick on 18 June 1879, the son of John Manuel who served as Master of Works for Hawick Burgh from 1874. He was articled not to his father but to James Pearson Alison of Hawick in November 1894. After completing his apprenticeship he moved to Edinburgh in 1899 to work as assistant to Hippolyte Jean Blanc, enabling him to study at the School of Applied Art under Professor Frank Worthington Simon. He gave an address of 32 Warrender Park Terrace, Edinburgh when he exhibited designs at the RSA in 1900, but his father took ill early in that year and he returned to Hawick to serve as interim burgh surveyor during his father's illness, living at his former home, Elmbank, Hawick, a house designed by his father. He was still there when he exhibited at the RSA in the following two years (drawings of Jedburgh Abbey in 1901 and of Holyrood Abbey in 1902). In early 1904 he gave an Edinburgh address at 114 Viewforth, but this was the home of his fiancée and may just have been an address of convenience; later in that year when Frank Worthington Simon moved to Liverpool to join Huon Arthur Matear in partnership he took Manuel with him. Manuel remained with the Matear & Simon practice until 1907 when he transferred to that of Robert Weir Schultz in London.

In a United Free Church service at 14 Mayfield Gardens, Edinburgh on 17 April 1908 he married Madeline Brown, daughter of William Brown, hardware merchant and his wife Hannah Logan; but by then Manuel had moved to North Wales to work in the office of Porter & Elcock of Colwyn Bay. He was still at Colwyn Bay when he was admitted LRIBA on 24 June 1912, his proposers being Blanc, Alison and Matear.

At some point after 1912 Manuel emigrated to Canada where he contributed to the design of the provincial legislature in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and became resident architect at the Banff Springs Hotel in Banff National Park. He was also responsible for the design of the Labor Temple in Calgary. Manuel died from a fall from a tenth-storey window in the Palliser Hotel of which he had been making some sketches (now the Fairmont Palliser Hotel) in Calgary, Alberta in June 1933. He is buried in Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary.

He was survived by his wife and his three sisters who had all emigrated to North America and his brother in India.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 7Alberta, CanadaBusiness 1933 
Item 2 of 732, Warrender Park Terracre, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1900 *  
Item 3 of 7Elm Bank (or Elmbank), Hawick, Roxburghshire, ScotlandPrivate1900After 1902Also lived here as a child (parental home, designed by his father)
Item 4 of 7114, Viewforth, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1904 *  
Item 5 of 725, York Road, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, WalesPrivate1908 *  
Item 6 of 725, Erskine Road, Colwyn Bay, WalesPrivate1912 *  
Item 7 of 7The Estate Office, Colwyn Bay, WalesBusiness1912 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.


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 6James Pearson AlisonNovember 1894November 1898Apprentice 
Item 2 of 6Hippolyte Jean Blanc18991904Assistant 
Item 3 of 6Matear & Simon19041907Assistant 
Item 4 of 6Robert Weir Schultz1907Before 1910Assistant 
Item 5 of 6Charles Ernest Elcock1910 Assistant 
Item 6 of 6Porter & Elcock1910 * Assistant 

* earliest date known from documented sources.


RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3James Pearson Alison24 June 1912for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3Hippolyte Jean Blanc24 June 1912for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 3Huon Arthur Matear24 June 1912for Licentiateship

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 51899Bangour Village AsylumUphall West LothianScotlandAsylum - as assistant to Hippolyte Jean Blanc
Item 2 of 5c. 1899Coats Memorial Baptist ChurchPaisley RenfrewshireScotlandAs assistant to Hippolyte Jean Blanc, Blanc having won the competition
Item 3 of 51900Sketch for a house in the suburbs     
Item 4 of 51901Carnegie Public Baths and gymnasiumDunfermline FifeScotlandAs assistant to Hippolyte Jean Blanc
Item 5 of 51905Liverpool Cotton Exchange  LiverpoolEnglandAs assistant to Matear & Simon

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3RSA1901   628 & 714 (drawings of Jedburgh Abbey)
Item 2 of 3RSA1902   747 (drawings of west front of Holyrood Abbey)
Item 3 of 3RSA1904   433 (drawing of west towers of York Minster)

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Calgary Albertan27 June 1933   
Item 2 of 3Calgary Albertan28 June 1933   
Item 3 of 3Calgary Daily Herald26 June 1933   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Information from research by Ron H Smith, owner of former Elm Bank, Hawick. Also information from Harry Sanders in Alberta Canada
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v25 no2022