Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Meek Page
Designation:  
Born: 27 September 1875
Died: c. 1955
Bio Notes: William Meek Page was born on 27 September 1875 and articled to David Alexander Crombie of Edinburgh from 1890 to 1894, during which period he attended Heriot-Watt College and the Edinburgh School of Applied Art under Professor Frank Worthington Simon. Simon took him into his own practice for the years 1894-95 but in the latter year he moved to Dunfermline as assistant to John Houston.

In 1897 he commenced independent practice in Perth, but had to return to Simon as an assistant in 1899, being absorbed into the merged practice of Anderson Simon & Crawford in that year as chief assistant. When the Anderson, Simon & Crawford partnership dissolved in litigation in 1903, and Simon left for Liverpool, Page remained with Anderson and his new partner Arthur Forman Balfour Paul. From about 1903 he appears to have operated independently as well with an office address at 7 Hermand Terrace until 1905 when he moved to Glasgow to work for John Campbell McKellar mainly on tenement work under the supervision of George Gunn.

Page emigrated to Wellington, New Zealand in 1907, working first for the Scottish practice of Thomas Turnbull & Son where the elder Turnbull had died in that year, and then for Atkins & Bacon from 1909. He was admitted LRIBA on 24 June 1912, his proposers being William Turnbull, James Hector McKay and Roger Francis Bacon, all of Wellington. In his nomination form he states that prior to 1907 he had visited 'most principal buildings in Scotland and many in England' and had travelled in Belgium, Holland and Germany. In the same year of his admittance as LRIBA he commenced practice on his own account in Wellington, and he was still there when he was elected FRIBA by the RIBA Council in April 1931. His practice consisted of domestic, ecclesiastical, educational and commercial buildings.

It seems likely that hs died between 1954 and 1956 as he no longer appears in the RIBA directory having retained membership until well after retirement age.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 6Perth, Perthshire, ScotlandPrivate/business18971899 
Item 2 of 67, Hermand Terrace, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1903c. 1906 
Item 3 of 6Hatton Street, Karori, Wellington, New ZealandPrivate1912 *  
Item 4 of 6Royal Exchange Building/115, Customhouse Quay, Wellington, New ZealandBusiness1930 or 1931 *1939 or after 1940 
Item 5 of 6Sunninghill, Karori, Wellington, New ZealandPrivate1931 *  
Item 6 of 6131, Karoni Road, Wellington, New ZealandPrivate1940s1953 or 1954 

* 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 9David Alexander Crombie18901894Apprentice 
Item 2 of 9Frank Lewis Worthington Simon18941895Assistant 
Item 3 of 9John Houston18951897Assistant 
Item 4 of 9Frank Lewis Worthington Simon18991899Assistant 
Item 5 of 9Anderson Simon & Crawford18991903Chief Assistant 
Item 6 of 9Rowand Anderson & Paul19031905Chief Assistant 
Item 7 of 9John Campbell McKellar19051907Chief Assistant 
Item 8 of 9Thomas Turnbull & Son19071909Chief Assistant 
Item 9 of 9Atkins & Bacon1909After 1912Chief Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 4Roger Francis Bacon24 June 1912for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 4James Hector (or Hill) McKay24 June 1912for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 4RIBA CouncilApril 1931for Fellowship
Item 4 of 4William Turnbull24 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 61894Gorgie EU ChurchGorgie EdinburghScotlandAs assistant to Frank Worthington Simon
Item 2 of 61894Macfadyen Memorial ChurchChorlton-cum-Hardy Manchester EnglandAs assistant to Frank Worthington Simon
Item 3 of 61895Kelty Established ChurchKelty FifeScotlandAs assistant to John Houston
Item 4 of 61895Kelty Infant SchoolKelty FifeScotlandAs assistant to John Houston
Item 5 of 61898Boys Brigade HomeFountainbridge EdinburghScotlandAs assistant to Frank Worthington Simon
Item 6 of 61901Claremont Congregational ChurchBlackpool LancashireEnglandAs chief assistant to Anderson, Simon & Crawford

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Post Office Directories     
Item 2 of 6RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 6RIBA1946The RIBA Kalendar 1946-1947 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 4 of 6RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 5 of 6RIBA1954RIBA Kalendar 1953-54   
Item 6 of 6RIBA1956Kalendar 1956-57   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v25 no2054; F no286 (box 13)