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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

Wilson & Wilson
Architectural practice
Year Only
1937
Date Not Known
Henry (Harry) Wilson was born on 27 March 1880 and was articled to George Deas Page of Falkirk in July 1895, attending classes at the Falkirk School of Art and Science. On completion of his apprenticeship in 1900 he moved first to Lerwick as assistant to John Morgan Aitken and then a year later to Glasgow as assistant to R MacLelland (probably a civil engineer), also spending some time in MacLelland's office in Johnstone, Renfrewshire. This move enabled Wilson to study at Glasgow School of Art under Alexander McGibbon.

In 1903 Wilson commenced independent practice in partnership with a slightly older apprentice at Page's, David Alexander Tait (born 1879), the firm being named Wilson & Tait and based in Grangemouth. Both architects were admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, Wilson's house being then at Carnach, Polmont and Tait's at Sunnylea, Ronaldshay Crescent, Grangemouth.

Tait retired in 1937. In the same year Henry Wilson merged his practice with that of Strang & Wilson, James Strang also having retired in that year, the combined practice of Wilson & Wilson being now based in Strang's office at 39 Vicar Street, Falkirk. The surviving partner of Strang & Wilson, Robert Wilson, was not related to Henry Wilson but was a nephew of Strang and had been articled to him in July 1907 and remained there until November 1915. During this period he had taken classes in architecture at Falkirk School of Art & Science and then at Glasgow School of Architecture and the Royal Technical College where he had won the Whitelaw Medallion for Junior Design in 1913 and been placed second in Senior Design in 1915. In the period 1910-14 he had sketched and made measured drawings in various places in the central belt of Scotland. He had then moved to become assistant to Charles Menart, thereafter to the office of Peter Macgregor Chalmers and to that of James Miller. At the end of the war he had been admitted ARIBA under the war exemption scheme and after becoming chief assistant to his uncle in 1919, had been taken into partnership.

In 1940, by which time both Wilsons were Fellows of the Stirling Society of Architects and Robert was serving on its Council, the partnership re-opened an office in Grangemouth, but it was closed again in 1943. Henry Wilson was elected FRIBA on 15 June of that year, his proposers being Alexander Nisbet Malcolm, Alastair Marshall McMichael and Eric Sinclair Bell; it must have been in preparation for this that he had been re-elected LRIBA on 17 November the previous year with the same proposers, presumably having allowed his membership to lapse. At this time he was President of the Stirling Society of Architects and was also a member of council of the RIAS. In 1955 Henry Wilson's son Rory was taken into partnership, Henry not retiring until 1960 at the age of 80. A further partner, Robert Mather Godfrey, was taken on in April 1956.

Robert Wilson died in October 1965; Henry had died some years earlier.

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architectural practice:

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
Arnot Grange Maggie Woods Loan Falkirk Stirlingshire ScotlandPrivate/businessBefore 1979

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
39 Vicar Street Falkirk Stirlingshire ScotlandBusinessIn year 1938After 1950Builder (3 Oct 1952, 488) lists address here in 1952
2 Charing Cross Grangemouth Stirlingshire ScotlandBusinessIn year 1940After 1943
Station House Denny Stirlingshire ScotlandBusinessIn year 1970Branch office
Station Road Grangemouth Stirlingshire ScotlandBusinessIn year 1970
Arnot Grange Maggie Woods Loan Falkirk Stirlingshire ScotlandPrivate/businessBefore 1979

Partners, Employees and Pupils

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

Employees or Pupils2

NamePositionDate FromDate ToNotes
Alexander Abercrombie WilkieAssistantIn year 1932In year 1940
Robert WilsonPartnerIn year 1937In year 1965
Alexander Jamieson SmithAssistantIn year 1937
Alexander John Macaskill CurrellApprenticeIn year 1937In year 1938
Henry ('Harry') WilsonPartnerIn year 1937In year 1960
John George MacGruerChief Assistant1939/021939/10
Robert Mather GodfreyApprenticeIn year 1941In year 1943
Cecil Harry Friston NimmoChief Assistant1942/041943/01
Robert Mather GodfreyAssistantIn year 1946In year 1949
Robert Mather GodfreyAssistantIn year 19541956/04
Thomas Ronald WilsonAssistantIn year 1954In year 1955
Rory WilsonPartnerIn year 1955
Thomas Ronald WilsonJunior PartnerIn year 1955In year 1956
Thomas Ronald WilsonSenior PartnerIn year 1956After 1975
Robert Mather GodfreyPartner1956/04After 1975

Buildings and Designs

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

Buildings and Designs

BuildingPartnership GPRoleDate FromDate ToTown DistrictIslandCity CountyCountryNotes
Commercial garageAArchitectural practiceFalkirkStirlingshireScotland
Grangemouth Town HallBArchitectural practiceIn year 1937In year 1938GrangemouthStirlingshireScotlandReconstruction and additions
Falkirk Ice RinkAArchitectural practiceIn year 1938FalkirkStirlingshireScotland
Housing scheme(s) for West Lothian County CouncilA?Architectural practiceBefore 1938Before 1943West LothianScotlandHenry Wilson responsible, either under Wilson & Tait (if pre-1938) or Wilson & Wilson (if post-1938)
Four blocks of housingAArchitectural practiceIn year 1939HaggsStirlingshireScotland
Church hallAArchitectural practiceIn year 1939WestquarterStirlingshireScotland
Large Prisoner-of-War CampAArchitectural practiceIn year 1942In year 1943Stirlingshire?Scotland
Garage, Workshops and Offices, Cochrane and High StreetsArchitectural practiceIn year 1951FalkirkStirlingshireScotland
Shopping Centre, BeancrossArchitectural practice1952/10/03GrangemouthScotlandNew shopping centre
Premises of James Garshores & Sons, Maxwell PlaceArchitectural practice1952/10/10FalkirkScotlandTo prepare plans for restoration and additions - also acting as quantity surveyors
Housing Estate, AirfieldArchitectural practiceIn year 1955GrangemouthStirlingshireScotland
Grangemouth Town HallCArchitectural practiceAfter 1956Before 1968GrangemouthStirlingshireScotlandFurther extensions
Foundry buildings and officesAArchitectural practiceAfter 1956Before 1968FalkirkStirlingshireScotland
Denny & Dunipace Town Centre redevelopmentAArchitectural practiceAfter 1956Before 1968Denny|DunipaceStirlingshireScotland
Larbert Old ChurchCArchitectural practiceAfter 1956Before 1968LarbertStirlingshireScotlandRepairs

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architectural practice:

Bib ref

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
RIBADirectory of Practices 19811981
RIBARIBA Directory 19701970
Bailey, Rebecca MScottish architects' papers: a source book1996Edinburgh: The Rutland Pressp117

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architectural practice:

Period ref

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Builder1955/01/28p196
Builder1952/10/03p488
Builder1952/10/10p528-529
Builder1951/2/2p186