Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Forrest Steel (or John Forrester Steel?) | Designation: | | Born: | 1875 | Died: | 23 June 1967 | Bio Notes: | John Forrest (or Forrester?) Steel (generally known simply as John Steel) was born in Wishaw in 1875, the son of Thomas Steel. He was educated at Cambusnethan School and St John's Grammar School, Hamilton. He was articled to W H Howie & H D Walton of Glasgow from 1891 to 1896, attending classes at Hamilton Academy and Glasgow School of Art where he obtained a free studentship. At the end of his articles in 1896 he became an assistant in the office of Dykes & Robertson, but in 1897 he succeeded in obtaining a place in the office of Niven & Wigglesworth in London, remaining there until 1900 when he spent a year with Hall-Jones & Cummings. These posts enabled him to study for five years at the RA Schools and obtain its diploma. At some point before 1901 he seems to have worked for the Wishaw architect Alexander Hinshelwood but by that year he was certainly in independent practice there. He formed a partnership with the younger John King (born 1880) in January 1905 which was dissolved by mutual consent five years later. He became a councillor in Wishaw in 1908 and was a magistrate in 1909-12. He was admitted LRIBA on 4 July 1910, his proposers being George Bell, Alexander McGibbon and James Black Fulton. By that date he had travelled in France. At that time his practice was thriving with a wide range of commissions both in Wishaw and further afield and besides those listed, numerous business premises, speculative tenements, villas and cottages in and around Wishaw, working in a heavy Classical, Mannerist or Arts & Crafts style. His office address in 1910-14 was Royal Buildings, Main Street, and his home address The Chalet, both in Wishaw.
Steel was admitted FRIBA in 1921. In 1923 he was described as having work in hand for the County Council of Lanark, The Town Council of Motherwell and Wishaw, Cambusnethan Parish Council and the Lanarkshire Burghs Sanatorium Committee. In 1938 he was a member of the Local Council of the League of Nations and of the Local Council for Community Service. He retired in 1953 and died at Murieston, Cambusnethan, Wishaw 6 June 1967. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Hill Street, Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Business | 1902 * | | | | Old Post Office buildings, Main Street, Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Business | 1904 * | | | | The Chalet, Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Private | c. 1910 | After 1920 | | | Royal Buildings, Main Street, Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Business | c. 1910 | 1939 or after 1939 | | | 11, Walter Street, Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Private/business(?) | 1950 * | | | | Murieston, Cambusnethan, Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Private | 1967 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Measurers\' Companion | 1911 | The Scottish Architects' and Measurers' Companion | | | | | RIBA | 1930 | The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | Scottish Biographies | 1938 | | | E J Thurston (pub.) | | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1914 | | | | | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1923 | | | | | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1923 | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Building | 23 June 1967 | | | Obituary - CHECK for further info |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L v2 no 133 (microfilm reel 29); F no 1829 (microfilm reel 15) |
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