Basic Biographical Details

Name: Arthur John Alexander Illingworth
Designation:  
Born: 7 July 1887
Died:  
Bio Notes: Arthur John Alexander Illingworth was born on 7 July 1887 and was articled to Sir Thomas Duncan Rhind in Edinburgh in 1903, studying at the Royal Institution School of Architecture and Heriot-Watt College. Having completed his apprenticeship he moved to Liverpool in 1909, joining the firm of Woolfall & Eccles as assistant and studying for his intermediate exams. He emigrated to Canada in 1912, commencing practice on his own account in Saskatchewan, and over the next two years passed both intermediate and final exams at the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

He served with the 46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry during the First World War, reaching the rank of Captain by his retirement from the forces in December 1919. The following month he returned to Woolfall & Eccles with a view to future partnership, but he resigned in September that year having secured an appointment as assistant architect to the Government of Bombay. He travelled to Bombay in 1929.

He was admitted ARIBA in 1922. From that year until 1934 he acted as a visiting lecturer in the architectural department of the Sir J J School of Art, whilst remaining in the Government of Bombay Architectural Department, where he was promoted to Chief Architect in 1928. Between 1929 and 1933 he was a member and sometime chairman of the RIBA Examination Board in India, and from 1930 to 1933 was a consulting architect to the Bombay City Improvement Trust.

The closure of the Government of Bombay Architectural Department on economic and political grounds in 1934 caused him to return to England, where he was appointed Housing and Town Planning Inspector for the Ministry of Health in London. He remained there thereafter, moving to Bristol to become Senior Regional Architect for the South Western Region in 1939. He was a member of the RIBA Council from 1938 to 1941, representing the Indian Institute of Architects, and was elected FRIBA early in the latter year, his proposers being Ion Beresford Pite, David Gordon McIntosh and Archibald Scott.

He retired in 1952 and to be living in Kingussie by the mid 1950s. During the 1950s he made several trips to the Far East: in 1953 to Penang, in 1957 to Bombay and to Singapore in 1958. On each occasion he was accompanied by his wife, Frances. He may have died abraod as his death is not recorded in Scotland.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3Saskatchewan, CanadaBusiness19121914 
Item 2 of 3Wolverton House/10, Clifton Park, Bristol, Somerset, EnglandPrivate1940 *  
Item 3 of 3Ardselma, Kingussie, Inverness-shire, ScotlandPrivate1950 *  

* 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 7(Sir) Thomas Duncan Rhind19031908Apprentice 
Item 2 of 7Woolfall & Eccles19091912Assistant 
Item 3 of 7Eccles & McIntoshJanuary 1920September 1920Senior Assistant 
Item 4 of 7Public Works Secretariat, BombaySeptember 19201928Assistant 
Item 5 of 7Public Works Secretariat, Bombay19281934Chief Architect 
Item 6 of 7Ministry of Health19341939 Housing and Town Planning Inspector, in Whitehall office
Item 7 of 7Ministry of Health1939After 1940 Senior Regional Architect for South Western Region, in Bristol office

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3David Gordon McIntoshEarly 1941for Fellowship
Item 2 of 3Ion Beresford PiteEarly 1941for Fellowship
Item 3 of 3Archibald ScottEarly 1941for Fellowship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2England and WalesBirths, marriages and deaths  
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers F no3803 (box 28)