Basic Biographical Details

Name: Turner & Carless
Designation:  
Born: Mid 1913
Died: 1915
Bio Notes: William Edward Careless was born on 2 December 1881. He was articled to Essex, Nicol & Goodman of Birmingham from 1897 to 1901, studying at Birmingham School of Art under the direction of Professors William Henry Bidlake and Herbert Tudor Buckland. He became a member of the Birmingham Architectural Association in 1899, from which he won a £15 travelling studentship the following year as well as a further prize for architectural sketching. His early sketching tours took him to Tewkesbury in 1898, to Gloucester in 1899, to Wells in 1900 and to Oxford and Burford in 1901, and on each occasion included an exploration of the surrounding district.

After completing his apprenticeship, he remained with Essex, Nicol & Goodman for a year as Improver. Thereafter he went to Sheffield to assist Henry Ingle Potter for one year, subsequently moving to London to work first for Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas for three years, and then for Edward Robert Robson and for John Dunn for eighteen months each. In about 1909 he was engaged by James Thomson, City Architect of Dundee, principally to design the Ward Road and St Roque's Libraries and to complete Coldside Library which had already been designed by Thomson's son Frank.

Careless commenced independent practice in Dundee in 1910, residing at 9 Balgay Avenue, and in the following year designed Netherton of Craigie and Craigiebarns, Dundee, both Arts and Crafts designs of some originality. He assisted in William Gauldie's office as evening and weekend work.

Careless applied for Licentiateship of the RIBA in March 1911, but since the title required the candidate to have attained the age of thirty years, his acceptance had to be delayed. By this time he had visited Lincoln, York, Winchester and Salisbury cathedrals, and had spent a month in Holland, a week in Belgium, a fortnight in Paris and an unspecified period in Normandy. By the time he was finally elected LRIBA on 22 April 1912 - his proposers being Potter, Dunn and Robson - he had left Dundee for Canada, being based at 475 Guy Street, Montreal. It appears to be at this point that he changed his name to Carless. That summer he met Philip John Turner (born 1876), who had begun his career in Suffolk before emigrating to Montreal in 1908, and in summer 1913 the two became associated in practice. They were based for the following two years at 49 Beaver Hall Hill, Montreal, although in 1914 Carless is also recorded as having a British address at 22 Surrey Street, London. Carless was elected FRIBA in 1915, his proposers being Turner, Percy Erskine Nobbs and Septimus Warwick. At that time he was living at 42 Souvenir Avenue, Montreal.

Carless was a brilliant draughtsman, much sought-after for presentation and graphic work. He was deeply religious and of a very nervous disposition which sometimes resulted in errors ('and careless he was too': Frank Thomson).

He died in 1949.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 149, Beaver Hall Hill, Montreal, CanadaBusiness1913 or 19141915 

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 2William Edward Careless (or Carless)Mid 19131915Partner 
Item 2 of 2Philip John TurnerMid 19131915Partner 

References

Currently, there are no references for this . The information has been derived from: the British Architectural Library / RIBA Directory of British Architects 1834-1914; Post Office Directories; and/or any sources listed under this individual's works.