Basic Biographical Details

Name: Alexander Law
Designation:  
Born: 18 September 1874
Died: 1956
Bio Notes: Alexander Law was born in Edinburgh on 18 September 1874, the son of Henry Law, joiner and his wife Elizabeth Brown Law. He was presumably apprenticed to his father as a joiner but he took Jerdan's course at Heriot Watt College. Thereafter he obtained what was described as a good job but whether in an architect's office or with a builder in unclear. In the 1890s he seems to have been working in independent practice from 20 George Street, Edinburgh. He married Gwendolyn Millwood of Rhyll, Wales in 1902 and emigrated to Toronto in 1905, moving to Vancouver in 1907. While there he saw the opportunity for development at Burrard Inlet, North Vancouver and started building speculatively, partly financed by the leading Edinburgh art dealer, P McOrnish Dott. He was joined by his brother Robert as construction manager, in the following year, and in 1913 they built a large apartment block, the Law Building, on East 3rd Street for Vancouver Properties Ltd.

During the First World War Law worked for the Foundation Building Company which had properties in San Pedro, California. This caused Law to relocate his practice to California in 1920: he practised there until the financial crash of 1929 when he bought an apple orchard in Oak Glen, dying there in 1956.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 620, George Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessAfter 1896c. 1905 
Item 2 of 628, Mardale Crescent, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1899c. 1905 
Item 3 of 6Toronto, CanadaBusiness1905  
Item 4 of 6Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaBusiness1907  
Item 5 of 6San Pedro, California, United States of AmericaBusiness1920  
Item 6 of 6Oak Glen, California, United States of AmericaBusiness1929  

Employment and Training

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 1James Macraec. 1900(?)Before 1904Assistant 

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 11905Villa for Alexander LawColinton EdinburghScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Luxton, Donald (ed.)2003Building the West: the early architects of British Columbia Vancouver: Talon Books 
Item 2 of 2Post Office Directories