Basic Biographical Details

Name: Fredric Berkeley-Miller
Designation:  
Born: 30 January 1911
Died:  
Bio Notes: Fredric Berkeley-Miller was born in 1854 and was articled to John Young of Perth in 1870 (to whom he refers mistakenly as 'Geo Young, City Architect, Perth' in his RIBA nomination papers). In 1875 he moved to Edinburgh to join John Dick Peddie of Peddie & Kinnear as assistant, moving two years later to the office of Robert Rowand Anderson, whom he assisted in the design of Edinburgh University. He left in 1879 and went to London, where he worked first as assistant to Richard Norman Shaw for two years, working on the Albert Hall Mansions, and then to George Edmund Street, assisting with the Royal Courts of Justice. Street died in the same year, and it appears that Berkeley-Miller remained with his son Arthur Edmund Street who continued the firm thereafter. During his early London years Berkeley-Miller studied at the RA Schools and gained several awards, including an RA medal for a drawing of a tomb in Westminster Abbey in 1879, another for a drawing of Somerset House vestibule in 1880, and the RIBA Grissell Gold Medal for a design for a tower and spire in 1881.

In 1890 he took up a position as superintendent in the War Office Design Branch in London, where he remained until he commenced practice on his own account in 1905 at Birkbeck Bank Chambers, moving in 1908 to 7 New Court, Lincoln's Inn, where he shared an office with Francis H Fowler. Despite being based in London, his work appears to have been exclusively in Nigeria, including an industrial institute, church and grammar schools in Abeokuta, a church and a sailors' institute in Lagos, and two prisons, constructed from concrete blocks with iron doors, windows and roofs shipped out from England.

He was elected FRIBA on 30 January 1911, by which time he had moved home and office to 2 Lawn Crescent, Kew. Fowler was his only proposer; the lack of additional proposers is explained by Berkeley-Miller in an accompanying letter which mentions that although he knew several other members of the Institute - including Leonard Aloysius Scott Stokes from his time at the RA Schools, Mervyn Edmund Macartney from his time with Shaw and Walter John Nash Millard from the period he spent with Street - none of them was acquainted with his recent work as principal.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3Birkbeck Bank Chambers, London, EnglandBusiness19051908 
Item 2 of 37, New Court, Lincoln's Inn, London, EnglandBusiness19081910 
Item 3 of 32, Lawn Crescent, Kew Gardens, London, EnglandPrivate/business1910  

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 6John Young18701875Apprentice 
Item 2 of 6Peddie & Kinnear18751877Assistant 
Item 3 of 6(Sir) Robert Rowand Anderson18771879Assistant 
Item 4 of 6Richard Norman Shaw18791881Assistant 
Item 5 of 6George Edmund Street18811881Assistant 
Item 6 of 6Arthur Edmund Street1881(?)1890(?)Assistant(?) 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1Francis H Fowler30 January 1911for 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 31877University of Edinburgh, Medical School and McEwan Hall  EdinburghScotlandMedical School - as assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
Item 2 of 31879Albert Hall MansionsKensington LondonEnglandAs assistant to Richard Norman Shaw
Item 3 of 31881Royal Courts of JusticeWestminster LondonEnglandAs assistant to George Edmund Street

References

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 no474 (microfilm reel 32)