Basic Biographical Details | Name: | Morley & Woodhouse (Bradford) Woodhouse & Morley (Bolton) | | Designation: | | | Born: | c. 1884 | | Died: | c. 1892 | | Bio Notes: | William James Morley was born in 1847 and educated at Leeds Grammar School. He was articled to Lockwood & Manson of Bradford in 1861 and became their office manager in 1868, leaving at the end of 1873 to commence independent practice in the same town at the beginning of 1874. At some unspecified point prior to 1868 Morley had previously been an assistant with Eli Milnes and Charles France, also of Bradford.
In 1883 illness had forced George Woodhouse of Bolton to cease active work and put contol of the business in the hands of Trustees. Morley was employed on a temporary basis to manage his Bolton office while continuing to maintain his own practice in Bradford until such time as Woodhouse recovered. However, the illness was to prove fatal and Woodhouse died at Uttoxeter a few weeks later. Seemingly Morley continued to manage the practice on behalf of the Trustees until the inheritance was resolved. Claims that William James Morley had entered into partnership with George Woodhouse in these few weeks before his death in 1883 appear extremely doubtful.
At the time of his father's death George Herbert Woodhouse was barely out of his teens and it was not until 1884 or 1885 that the Trustees gave him control of the practice. Almost immediately he entered into partnership with W J Morley a partnership that was unusual if not unique in that it operated under two styles - Woodhouse and Morley in Bolton and Morley and Woodhouse in Bradford. The partnership was dissolved about 1892 at which time Morley opened a branch office on Mawdsley Street, Bolton while George Herbert Woodhouse continued to practice from his father's old offices in St George's Road in partnership with Edward Potts.
Woodhouse and Morley were primarily industrial architects specialising in stylish multi-storey brick and terracotta mills and factories. Morley was admitted FRIBA on 21 November 1892, his proposers being William Young, London, John Bradshaw Gass of Bolton, Lancashire.
Following the dissolution of the partnership with G H Woodhouse, Morley practised in his own name only. In his later years he was assisted by his son, Eric Morley, born in 1884 who became his partner and continued the practice. The elder Morley died on 16 March 1930 at Heaton, West Yorkshire.
N.B. Various sources state that there was a brief partnership between George Woodhouse senior and Morley in 1883. However further research has indicated this did not exist. | Private and Business Addresses| The following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | St George's Road, Bolton, Lancashire, England | Business | Before 1884 | c. 1892 | Practice continued in the offices of George Woodhouse | | 269 Swan Arcade, Bradford, Yorkshire, England | Business | c. 1884 | c. 1892 | Practice continued in the office of W J Morley |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils| The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | William James Morley | c. 1884 | c. 1892 | Partner | | | George Herbert Woodhouse | c. 1884 | c. 1892 | Partner | The Bolton office was listed as Woodhouse and Morley throughout the partnership |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic References| The following books contain references to this : | | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Walker, Frank Arneil | 1986 | South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew | | | p29, p38 |
Archive References| The following archives hold material relating to this : | | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Additional information from Graham Potts |
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