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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

John Arthur
Architect
Year Only
1866
Exact Date
10/07/1936
John Arthur was born the son of John Arthur, farmer at Barr, Ayrshire in 1866 and his wife Margaret Donald. He studied at Glasgow School of Art 1896-97 and was articled to John Mercer of Ayr, 1882-89, and moving thereafter to Burnet Son & Campbell and opting to join Campbell on the breakup of that partnership in 1897. He established his own practice in 1900, first with an office in Glasgow (131 West Regent Street, later 164 Bath Street) and then a branch in Kilmarnock (31 Rennie Street), his practice being very much Ayrshire and Renfrewshire-based and concerned with domestic, ecclesiastical, school and estate work. Like the apparently unrelated Airdrie architect, John Maurice Arthur, John Arthur became a Licentiate of the RIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, his proposers being John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects as a body.

Arthur married Elizabeth Smith McMillan. He was remembered in the Burnet office as being very able. His known works are very few but relatively large. He won the competition for Newton Park School, Ayr, but the commission was given to the Ayr architect, H V Eaglesham. He did, however, secure the competition for Marr College at Troon in 1919. Work on the main building did not begin until the late 1920s and the Kilmarnock office does not seem to have been re-opened after the First World War. By the late 1920s he had merged his practice with that of Alan George MacNaughtan as Arthur & MacNaughtan. They won the competition for Glasgow University Students Union with a Burnetian Scots Renaissance design in 1929. Arthur died at 5 Springvale Park, Ayr on 10 July 1936 of a cerebral haemorrhage. At that date Marr College was still incomplete and it fell to MacNaughtan to finish it.

'Biography authored by the Dictionary of Scottish Architects Compilation Team.'

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From CharDate From TypeDate To CharDate To TypeNotes
31 Rennie Street Kilmarnock Ayrshire ScotlandPrivate
Northfield Barassie Ayrshire ScotlandPrivate

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
131 West Regent Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness19001913
137 West Regent Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness19141919
164 Bath Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness19211936

Employment and Training

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this person (click on an item to view details):

Employers2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
Arthur & MacNaughtan1001241920sIn year 1935Partner
John Mercer100052In year 1882In year 1889Apprentice
Burnet Son & Campbell100125In year 1889In year 1897Assistantfinally head assistant; joined Campbell when partnership broke up.
John Archibald Campbell200179In year 1897In year 1900Chief Assistant

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this person (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
John Stirling Jarvie2017301902 or 1903In year 1903Assistant
John Wilson Wood206670In year 1906Assistant

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this person for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

ProposerProposer LinkDate ProposedNotes
John Bennie Wilson2014791911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Close, RobertAyrshire and Arran, an Illustrated Architectural Guide1992Edinburgh: RIASBiography

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIBA Journal1937/11/08v45p48 - obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
RIBA Nomination PapersRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum100005L v16 no1100; also papers of Harry Hubbard (A v24 no2731 (microfilm reel 23) - declaration witnessed by Arthur