Basic Biographical Details

Name: Frederick William Bolton Charles
Designation:  
Born: 15 March 1912
Died: August 2002
Bio Notes: Frederick William Bolton Charles was born on 15 March 1912. He studied at Liverpool School of Architecture from 1930-35 under C H Reilly and Lionel B Budden. During this period he made at least two study tours abroad, the first in 1931 to Italy and the following year to Sweden. In 1933 he was engaged by the University of Liverpool to work under 'Mr Keay' and subsequently gained office experience though it is unclear if this was with Keay or elsewhere. He was an assistant in the offices of E Maxwell Fry amd Walter Gropius from 1935 and then moved to Malaya as architect to the municipality of the Penang Straits Settlements. In 1937 he was elected ARIBA, proposed by H St John Harrison, Joseph Emberton and C H James.

In 1939 he was back in London and spent a year in the office of Sir John Burnet, Tait & Lorne, moving to work with Professor William Holford under Sir Alex Gibbon & Partners. In 1944 he worked for Sir Frank Mears and the South East Scotland Regional Planning Advisory Committee. He was part-arthor of the 'Plan for Central and SE Scotland' and of the Lauderdale Survey both published in 1948.

He commenced independent practice in Edinburgh in 1948 undertaking various hospital commissions and domestic alterations. He taught part-time at Edinburgh College of Art. He moved to Bromsgrove in 1952, initially practising as F W B Charles and R Stewart Johnson but soon under his own name alone. He was also a senior lecturer at the Birmingham school of Architecture. In Worcestershire he mainly undertook private house commissions. In 1956 he was elected FRIBA, proposed by A Douglas Jones, who was head of the School of Architecture in Birmingham, Herbert Jackson and Reginald Edwards.

Charles died in Worcestershire in 2002.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3416, Fulham Road, London, EnglandBusiness1937  
Item 2 of 33, Great Stuart Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)1950 *After 1952 
Item 3 of 3Woodbury/36, New Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, EnglandPrivatec. 1954  

* 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 7Walter GropiusAfter 1935 Assistant 
Item 2 of 7E Maxwell Fryc. 1935 Assistant 
Item 3 of 7(Sir) John Burnet, Tait & Lorne1939 Assistant 
Item 4 of 7William Holford & PartnersAfter 1939 Assistant 
Item 5 of 7Malaya Public Works Department Late 1930s Assistant 
Item 6 of 7(Sir) Frank Charles Mears19441948Assistant 
Item 7 of 7F W B Charles & R Stewart Johnson1952 Partner 

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 1Walter Scott1951 Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6Aldwyn Douglas Jones1956For Fellowship
Item 2 of 6Reginald Edwards1956For Fellowship
Item 3 of 6Joseph Emberton1937For Associateship
Item 4 of 6Harry St John Harrison1937For Associateship
Item 5 of 6Herbert Jackson1956For Fellowship
Item 6 of 6C H James ('Jimmy')1937For Associateship

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 11952Infectious Diseases HospitalHaddington East LothianScotlandMajor additions

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 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder4 April 1952  p536