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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

(Sir) Andrew Thomas Taylor
Architect
Exact Date
Exact Date
12/05/1937
Andrew Thomas Taylor was born in Edinburgh on 13 October 1850, the son of publisher James Taylor and Agnes Drummond, and was articled to Pilkington & Bell in Edinburgh from 1864 to 1869. Thereafter he was in the architectural department of the Duke of Roxburgh's estate office for a year, followed by a further year as assistant to William Smith in Aberdeen. In 1872 he moved to London as assistant to Joseph Clarke, and he remained there until 1878, during which period he appears to have studied at the RA Schools and at University College. He won the RIBA Silver Medal in 1874 for an essay on architecture in London in the sixteenth century, and spent two months in France and Italy in 1877, visiting, among other places, Rouen, Paris, Milan and Florence. He was admitted ARIBA on 4 March 1878, his proposers being Clarke, Richard Phené Spiers and Professor T Hayter Lewis, and in the following year he passed the District Surveyor's exam. He was to be an RIBA medallist for a second time in 1881, this time for an essay on the towers and steeples of Sir Christopher Wren.

Taylor commenced independent practice in 1879 at 29 Finsbury Road, London and was immediately successful his first commission being the Memorial Hall and Schools at Dover, built 1880-81. By early 1880 he had formed a association with an earlier Pilkington pupil, Henry Hall, in order to enter the Glasgow Municipal Buildings competition as Joint Architects. Henry Hall was born at Wansford, Lincolnshire in 1826 and was subsequently assistant first to Edward Blore and then William Allen Boulnois. In 1882 they came second in the second stage of the second competition with a design by Taylor, the winner William Young being instructed to adopt certain features of the plan. The cost of entering this final tier seems to have been a problem. Taylor then wrote appealing for an uplift in the £150 second premium as it had not covered the staff costs of entering the competition and appears to have had some success.

In 1881 Taylor wrote and illustrated an important book: 'The Towers and Steeples designed by Sir Christopher Wren, a descriptive, historical and critical essay' published by Batsford. It may have been based on his RIBA prize essay.

Although Taylor's obituary of Hall shows that their relationship remained a happy one, Taylor then entered into partnership with George William Hamilton Gordon. Born in 1854, Gordon was extremely well connected, educated at Eton and apprenticed to Alfred Waterhouse 1874-78, remaining as assistant until he joined Taylor in 1882. In the following year Taylor set up an office in Montreal where he had the influential support of his maternal uncle, the industrialist and financier George Drummond, Gordon remaining in charge of the London office. In 1886 Gordon passed the qualifying exam and was admitted ARIBA on 21 June his proposers being Waterhouse, Arthur Blomfield and Arthur Cates. Shortly thereafter, in 1888, the partnership was dissolved. The reasons are not known, but the Montreal practice was much more successful than the London one.

Thereafter Taylor concentrated solely on his practice at 43 St Francis Xavier Street in Montreal where he worked in a Richardsonian Romanesque manner and was active in public life and education. He was advanced to FRIBA on 3 June 1889, his proposers being Octavius Hansard, Alexander Graham, Henry Hall and John Macvicar Anderson, all of London. He retired from architecture in 1904 and returned to London where he pursued a second career in politics. He represented Hampstead on London County Council from 1908 to 1926 and was its mayor in 1923. He was also active in education and served on the managing committee of University College from 1911 until 1937. He was knighted for political rather than architectural services in 1926. He died in London on 5 December 1937.

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
16 Oakley Road London EnglandPrivate
56 Bouverie Road London EnglandPrivate
22 Lyndhurst Road Hampstead London EnglandPrivate

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
29 Finsbury Pavement London EnglandBusiness18791880
72 Finsbury Pavement London EnglandBusiness1880 or 18811888
43 St Francis Xavier Street Montreal CanadaBusiness18861904

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
William Smith II2018591870 or 18711871 or 1872Assistant
Frederick Thomas Pilkington200795In year 1864In year 1867Apprentice
Pilkington & Bell100142In year 1867In year 1869Apprentice
Joseph Clarke203817In year 1872In year 1878Assistant
Taylor & Gordon203816In year 1882In year 1888Partner

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
Thomas McLaren202495In year 1902In year 1905Assistant

RIBA Proposers

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

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

ProposerProposer LinkDate ProposedNotes
Thomas Hayter Lewis2017051878/03/04for Associateship
Joseph Clarke2038171878/03/04for Associateship
Richard Phené Spiers2036021878/03/04for Associateship
Alexander Graham2035881889/06/03for Fellowship
Arthur Cates2036321889/06/03for Fellowship
Octavius Hansard2036581889/06/03for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

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

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

PersonDate ProposedNotes
Thomas McLaren1903/03/02for Associateship

Buildings and Designs

This person was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2 classic

Building NameDate StartedTown, District or VillageIslandCity or CountyCountryNotes
Glasgow Municipal BuildingsIn year 1881GlasgowScotlandCompetition design for second competition, entered under the pseudonym 'St Ronan', suggesting Peeblesshire connections; placed 2nd - entered with Henry Hall.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
British Architectural Library, RIBADirectory of British Architects 1834-19142001
Who's Who in Architecture1914
Who's Who in Architecture1926
Who's Who in Architecture1923

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIBA Journal1938/01/10v45p257 - obituary