GREGORY, William John Henry (Gregs)

Architect

ARIBA (1921); ISAA (1929); CPIA (1929).

Born in London, the son of William Arther Ryder Gregory, Gregory was articled to Stanley Ellison of Liverpool from 1914 to 1916, attending classes in architectural construction and design at the University of Liverpool School of Architecture. He spent three months in America in the office of Carrere & Hastings, New York, and from 1916 to 1918 he served in the Royal Flying Corps. On his return from New York he became chief assistant to Sir Edwin LUTYENS 'and worked on the Viceroy's Palace, New Delhi; the Cenotaph, Whitehall and the War Memorial, Ypres' (Gregory 1973). The latter two works suggest that after the war as well Gregory worked in Lutyen's office. In 1920 he was studying at the School of Architecture, Liverpool where he was awarded a number of prizes, a finalist in the Rome Scholarship in Architecture (1921), winner of the Lever Prize (1921) and a Victory Prize finalist. He received a Certificate in Architecture from the School in 1920, and was elected an Associate member of the RIBA in 1921. Gregory exhibited for three consecutive years at the Royal Academy, displaying drawings of the Chicago Tribune Tower (1924), the National Theatre (1925) and the Manchester Art Galley (1926).

In 1928 he arrived in Cape Town, appointed head of Design at the School of Architecture, at that time part of the Michaelis School of Art, and registered as a member of the Institute of South African Architects in 1929. By 1934 he apparently had an office in Cape Town, since HE Twentyman JONES worked there for a few months as a student from December 1933 to July 1934. From 1938 until 1957 Gregory held the office of chief architect for CAPE TOWN MUNICIPALITY and was, inter alia, responsible for the Steenbras Filtration Plant and Camps Bay Civic Centre. He restored Holy Trinity Church, Belvidere, Knysna. He married Winifred Hoogf in London in 1935, they had no children. In 1939 his address was Palmyra Homestead, Montrose Avenue, Claremont, Cape Town. He died in Cape Town.

By 1969 he is recorded as a retired member of the Cape Institute of address 6 Buitencingle, Cape Town.

(AB&E Dec 1933:7; ARIBA nom papers (1921) 3144; Gregory 1973; ISAA mem list; Master of Supreme Court, Deceased Estates (CT) 5058/72; Budden 1932; UCT MS Libr: DAD 479

All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.

List of projects

With photographs
With notes

Athlone Power Station: 1954. Cape Town, Western Cape - Design Architect

Camps Bay Civic Centre: n.d.. Camps Bay, Western Cape - Design Architect

House Mrs Kent: 1930. Highwick Estate, Kenilworth, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect

Steenbras Dam Filtration Plant: 1941. Gordon's Bay, Western Cape - Design Architect

Books citing GREGORY

Herbert, Gilbert. 1975. Martienssen & the international style: The modern movement in South African architecture. Cape Town - Rotterdam: AA Balkema. pp 14

ISAA. 1959. The Yearbook of the Institute of South African Architects and Chapter of SA Quantity Surveyors 1958-1959 : Die Jaarboek van die Instituut van Suid-Afrikaanse Argitekte en Tak van Suid-Afrikaanse Bourekenaars 1958-1959. Johannesburg: ISAA. pp 91, 207

ISAA. 1969. The Yearbook of the Institute of South African Architects and Chapter of SA Quantity Surveyors 1968-1969 : Die Jaarboek van die Instituut van Suid-Afrikaanse Argitekte en Tak van Suid-Afrikaanse Bourekenaars 1968-1969. Johannesburg: ISAA. pp 93, 174