Name

James Allner

Designation
Architect
Born
1884
Place of Birth
Westbury-on-Trym
Location
Poole, Dorset
Died
1955

  • Birth date            6 December 1884, Westbury-on-Trym, Gloucestershire
  • Marriage:             3 April 1919 to Olive Margaret Okey Taylor at Reading
  • Death date          24 February 1955, Poole, Dorset, aged 70
  • Burial                  St Mary’s, Longfleet, Poole

The son of George and Harriet Jane Allner, James Allner was educated at Weymouth College and Hulme Grammar School, Manchester before being articled to Richard Bassnett Preston 1901-1904, remaining as assistant 1904-1906. He also studied at Manchester School of Art and Manchester School of Technology, under Hugh Stannus FRIBA and S H Capper ARIBA., passing the RIBA qualifying examination in 1908. He was elected a Student member of the RIBA in 1905; Associate on 1 March 1909: proposed by W C Hardisty, J W Beaumont, I Taylor. [RIBA Nomination Papers A vl8 p48] and a Fellow in 1923.

James Allner commenced independent practice at Blandford and Sturminster Newton, Dorset in 1907. He was later in partnership with George Augustus Bligh Livesay (1867-1916) this partnership being dissolved on 31 December 1914, presumably as a result of Livesay’s enlistment to fight in the First World War. Livesay joined the 5th Battalion, South Wales Borderers and was lost at sea 28-29 May 1916 when he fell overboard in the North Sea.

By 1915 James Allner had established an office at 91 High Street, Poole, which subsequently became his principal address. During the inter-war period he carried out considerable domestic work in Dorset, Hampshire and Somerset; also choir stalls, St Saviour Woolcott Park Bristol; alterations and additions to the Tudor House, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire Poole War Memorial (1926-1927) Repairs St James Shaftesbury Dorset (1937-1938). For many years he was Diocesan Surveyor for the diocese of Salisbury.

Address:
1911             Sturminster Newton, Dorset
1913             James Allner, Parkstone and Blandford. Dorset and Romiley, Cheshire; Fir Vale Chambers. Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth. [RIBA Kalendar 1913]    
1914             Fir Vale Chambers, Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, Dorset
1914             East Street, Blandford
1914             Station Road, Parkstone, Dorset,
1915             National Provincial Bank, Sturminster Newton, Dorset
1915-1926    91 High Street, Poole
1929-1936    High Street Poole [RIBA Kalendar]

Residence
1901             Melcombe Regis, Weymouth, Dorset
1911             Sturminster Newton, Dorset
1922             Kingscote, Sterte, Poole
1929-1936    Auster Island Road Parkstone, Dorset [RIBA Kalendar}
1950             26 Parkstone Road, Poole, Dorset (FRIBA; Diocesan Surveyor for Salisbury).

Obituary        Builder vl88, 1955, page 379
Reference      Who’s Who in Architecture, 1914, 1923, 1926