Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Young
Designation:  
Born: Early 1843
Died: 1 November 1900
Bio Notes: William Young was born in Paisley in 1843 (christened 25 March), the son of James Young, bootmaker and spirit dealer, and his wife Helen Nisbet. About 1857 he was articled to James Jamieson Lamb of Paisley, but in 1859 he moved to the office of William Nairne Tait in Glasgow. Although not included in his RIBA nomination paper a well-informed articled in 'The Bailie' records that he spent some time with Salmon Son & Ritchie and a period in Manchester before settling in London in 1865 as assistant to Charles Henry Howell, the Surrey County Surveyor. This enabled him to study at the South Kensington Schools prior to commencing independent practice in 1869. In the same year he produced 'Picturesque Examples of Old English Churches and Cottages from Sketches in Sussex and the Adjoining Counties', published in Birmingham in 1869. This book brought him to the attention of Lord Elcho who found him 'living in chambers in Exeter Hall, a young unknown architect without even a draughtsman'. In the following year he was commissioned by Elcho to put up the National Rifle Brigade's timber marquee at Wimbledon Common which had a floor area of 50,000 square feet, and in 1873 Elcho's brother-in-law, William Wells MP, commissioned a large country house from him. Thereafter the recommendations of Elcho and Wells brought a steady stream of up-market house work culminating in Chelsea House, Cadogan Place for Earl Cadogan for which he made a study tour of Florence, Venice and Rome. It established his reputation in London, John McKean Brydon observing of him that 'No man knew more the requirements of the great country house, or how more effectively to carry them out'.

Young's practice was heavily backed up by a continuing programme of publishing. In 1872 he brought out 'Picturesque Architectural Studies and Practical Designs for Gate Lodges, Cottages, Cottage Hospitals etc' . It would appear that Young had formed a partnership about this time as a number of the plates in this book were by Shaw & Young architects or R M Shaw & W Young. It is as yet unclear how long this partnership lasted. 'Picturesque Architectural Studies' were followed by 'Town and Country Mansions with Notes on the Sanitary and Artistic Construction of Houses', 1878, and 'Town and Country Mansions and Suburban Houses', 1873, all of which were published in London and New York. These form a record of his earlier practice. In parallel with these he became the founder editor of E & F N Spon's long-running 'Architects and Builders Pocket Book' in 1873.

In 1877 Young attempted to establish himself as an architect of major public buildings, by entering the competition for Liverpool Stock Exchange in which according to 'The Bailie' (but not Harper) he was placed second. In June 1881, with the encouragement of Lord Elcho, Young entered the second Glasgow Municipal Buildings competition with a well-judged entry which improved upon but did not radically depart from Carrick's outline plans. He reached the second tier of the competition in January 1882 and was placed first by the assessors in June. He was unplaced in the competition for South Kensington Museum in 1891 but through the influence of Elcho, from 1883 the 10th Earl of Wemyss, he was given the commission for the new War Office in Whitehall without competition.

Young was admitted FRIBA on 12 January 1891, his proposers being Brydon, Howell and Charles Barry Junior. He died suddenly of pneumonia on 1 November 1900 at his home, Ingleside, 23 Oakhill Road, Putney and was buried at Putneyvale Cemetery. At the time of his death he had been working on extensive alterations and additions to Elveden Hall, Suffolk, the English seat of the first Viscount Iveagh, of whom he was the favoured architect, and for whom he had also made alterations to Farmleigh, County Dublin and designed a ballroom and other additions at Iveagh House, Dublin.

The work at Elveden Hall was completed and the practice continued after his death by his son Clyde Francis Young, born 1871, who had been taken into partnership in 1898 and retained the editorship of Spon's 'Practical Builders Pocket Book' and the 'Architects and Builders Price Book' as the original publication had become. Clyde had attended classes at South Kensington in 1889 prior to being articled to his father in 1890-94, during which period he had taken the courses at University College, London. He had travelled in France and Belgium, studying for a time at Lille, and then spent six months in Italy. He passed the qualifying exam in 1900 and was admitted ARIBA on 3 December, his proposers being John McKean Brydon, Thomas Drew and Edward William Mountford. He became a Fellow on 5 December 1910, his proposers being Thomas Edward Collcutt, Sir Aston Webb, and Sir John Taylor. His practice was a similar mix of major public buildings and country house work. He died on 4 May 1948, the practice being continued by his partner Bernard Engle.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 6Manchester, EnglandBusinessAfter 1859Before 1865 
Item 2 of 619, Exeter Hall, Strand, London, EnglandBusiness18731878 
Item 3 of 64, Lancaster Place, Strand, London WC, EnglandBusiness18801892 
Item 4 of 6New Municipal Buildings, George Square, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1888 Branch office?
Item 5 of 6Ingleside/23, Oakhill Road, Putney, London, EnglandPrivateBefore 18901900 
Item 6 of 66 (or 16?), Lancaster Place, Strand, London WC, EnglandBusiness18921900 

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 4James Jamieson Lambc. 18571859Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4William Nairne Tait (or William Nairn Tait)18591865Assistant 
Item 3 of 4Charles Henry Howell18651869Assistant 
Item 4 of 4R M Shaw & W Young (or Shaw & Young)1972 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 12George John Oakeshottc. 1875c. 1880Apprentice 
Item 2 of 12William LeckAfter 1877Before 1889Assistant 
Item 3 of 12Harry Redfern (or Henry Redfern)After 1878Before 1896Assistant 
Item 4 of 12George John Oakeshottc. 1880c. 1881Improver 
Item 5 of 12James Marjoribanks MacLarenc. 1881(?)Before 1884(?)Assistant 
Item 6 of 12William Holmes Howie18841887 or 1888Assistant 
Item 7 of 12Henry Denison Walton18861887AssistantAs clerk of works on City Chambers, Glasgow
Item 8 of 12Alexander MackintoshAfter 1886Before 1892Assistant 
Item 9 of 12Francis William TroupAfter 1888Before 1890Assistant 
Item 10 of 12Clyde Francis Young18901984Apprentice 
Item 11 of 12Clyde Francis Young1898 Partner 
Item 12 of 12Frederick Julian WassMid 1898Late 1899Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Charles Barry (junior)12 January 1891for Fellowship
Item 2 of 3John McKean Brydon12 January 1891for Fellowship
Item 3 of 3Charles Henry Howell12 January 1891for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1Alexander Mackintosh7 March 1892for 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 13Before 18771 and 2 Lowther Gardens  LondonEnglandInitially appointed as architect
Item 2 of 131881Elcho Place and East Wemyss PlaceCockenzie East LothianScotland 
Item 3 of 131881Glasgow Municipal Buildings  GlasgowScotlandCompetition design (first competition) submitted under the pseudonym Clyde and under the pseudonym Viola in second competition. Won second competion to secure job.
Item 4 of 131882Village HallAberlady East LothianScotland 
Item 5 of 131884Peebles Parish ChurchPeebles PeeblesshireScotlandChurch completely rebuilt
Item 6 of 131884Terrace of housesAberlady East LothianScotland 
Item 7 of 131886Aberlady Parish ChurchAberlady East LothianScotlandRecasting of the body of the church
Item 8 of 131886Gosford House  East LothianScotlandReconstruction and new wings
Item 9 of 131890Corstorphine Parish ChurchCorstorphine EdinburghScotlandScheme for restoration and enlargement
Item 10 of 131896Farmleigh  County DublinEireAlterations
Item 11 of 13Late 1800sGosford House, East Lodge  East LothianScotland'Possibly' (HS)
Item 12 of 131900Elveden Hall  SuffolkEnglandExtensive alterations and additions
Item 13 of 131900Iveagh House  DublinEireBallroom and other additions

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4British Architectural Library, RIBA2001Directory of British Architects 1834-1914   
Item 2 of 4Girouard, Mark1979The Victorian Country House   
Item 3 of 4Gray, A Stuart1985Edwardian Architecture: A Biographical Dictionary   
Item 4 of 4Grove Dictionary of Art Grove Dictionary of Art   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 10Architectural Review1900v8 p234-235 - obituary of William Young
Item 2 of 10British Architect9 November 1900  Obituary of William Young
Item 3 of 10Builder10 November 1900  Obituary of William Young
Item 4 of 10Builder14 May 1948  Obituary of Clyde
Item 5 of 10RIBA Journal10 November 1900 London: Royal Institute of British Architectsp20
Item 6 of 10RIBA Journal24 November 1900 London: Royal Institute of British Architectspp44-47 - obituary of William Young by J M Brydon
Item 7 of 10RIBA JournalJune 1948 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsObituary of Clyde
Item 8 of 10The Bailie16 August 1882no 513  
Item 9 of 10The Times6 November 1900  p6 - obituary
Item 10 of 10Trans… of the Edinburgh Architectural Association* Edinburgh: Edinburgh Architectural Associationp120-122

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers F v10 p75 (microfiche 108/E2)