Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Priddle | Designation: | | Born: | 1885 | Died: | 31 January 1932 | Bio Notes: | William Priddle was born in 1885. Nothing is now known of his education or training but he was brought up in London and was described in the 1911 census as an architectural assistant. In 1912 he married Gwendoline Thompson of 15 Broadway, Cricklewood and it was from this address he commenced independent practice as an architect and surveyor from 1915, if not earlier, carrying out some minor commissions for F W Woolworth & Co. In 1916 he enlisted in the Royal Engineers and served as a draughtsman in France. Priddle was demobilised on 22 February 1919. In March of that same year Fred Woolworth, head of Woolworths' UK business appointed him as chief architect at the age of thirty-four. As he had not then built anything substantial on his own account it seems probable that he was already known to Woolworth as a job architect with his previous architects, North & Robin or with Trahearne & Norman, architects for Woolworths' head office in Kingsway, his first major store buildings in Liverpool and London's Oxford Street being in a similar classical idiom, the latter with its facade in Shaw's faience. From 1920 Priddle had set up two construction teams, London supervised by A Barton (succeeded 1929 by William Arthur Sherrington) and Liverpool supervised by Bruce Campbell Donaldson, to execute his store building programme, the latter being entrusted with design responsibilities.
In 1923 Fred Woolworth died, the management of UK operations then becoming the responsibility of William Lawrence Stepehenson who had been with the firm since 1909. In January 1924 Stephenson and Priddle sailed for New York to study the parent company's most recent store building. This resulted in a dramatic shift from classicism to a bold American-inspired Art Deco, first seen at Belfast and Walsall in 1928-29, the larger stores all having facades in Shaw's faience.
Priddle died suddenly on 31 January 1932 at the early age of forty-seven. He left moveable estate of £19,590 11s 8d. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Unknown | Business | | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployers
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | 1922 | F W Woolworth and Company | | | Glasgow | Scotland | As Chief Architect | | 1924 | F W Woolworth store | | | Dundee | Scotland | As Chief Architect with Woolworths | | 1925 | Rentons, 10-15 Princes Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Complete rebuilding for Woolworths - as chief architect | | 1929 | Woolworth's store | Saltcoats | | Ayrshire | Scotland | As Chief Architect | | After 1929 | Woolworth's store | | | Glasgow | Scotland | As Chief Architect - rebuilding after fire | | 1930 | Woolworths | Hawick | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Morrison, Kathryn A | | Woolworths: 100 years on the High Street | | London: English Heritage (or Historic England) | |
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