BEST, William Rayner (c. 1826-1899) was a native of Exeter, Co. Devon, England, and was the son of Robert B. Best (1791-1869), an architect of that city. W.R. Best likely trained under his father, and emigrated to Canada c. 1848. He was recorded in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1849 as a " designer and architect, whose professional reputation is well known in this community", an indication that he was already well-established as a professional architect in Newfoundland when he formed a partnership with Mr. Page, a land surveyor (Morning Courier [St. John's], 5 April 1849, 4, advert.). His services included "......not only the supply of Designs, Plans and Specifications, but, where requested, will also superintend the Erection of all Architectural Works".
The following year, in 1850, he prepared a series of coloured lithographs of new public buildings including the Custom House (built 1848) and the Court House & Market (built 1849). Copies of both drawings can be found in the John Ross Robertson Collection at the Baldwin Room, Metro Toronto Reference Library. His best-known work in St. John's was the Congregational Church, Queen's Road, ST. JOHN'S, NFLD. (1853), a significant landmark described as "...a neat and substantial structure in the early English style". A detailed architectural description of the church, likely supplied by the architect, was published in The Courier [St. John's], 25 June 1853, page 2. The contractors and builders of the church were the father and son team of John Southcott and John T. Southcott, who would later become prominent architects in St. John's.
The name of William R. Best is likely the same person as 'W.R. Best, Architect & Surveyor' who was active in London, Ont. from February 1856 to September 1857 (London Free Press, 4 April 1856, 3, advert.). By 1868 he had returned to Exeter, Engl. and practised there with his younger brother Robert Warren Best (d. 2 February 1886). Their firm, known as Best & Sons, Architects, was active from 1868 onward (The Architect's, Engineer's & Building Trades Directory [London], 1868, 100). One of the pupils in his Exeter office was John Thomas Southcott, a native of St. John's, Nfld. who had moved to England to gain experience in the period from c. 1875 to 1880.
During this period, W.R. Best provided plans for St. Stephen's Anglican Church, 5th Concession, SANDWICH EAST, ONT., near Windsor, Ontario, 1872, and the drawings for this church were sent out from England (Essex Record [Windsor], 13 June 1872, 2, descrip.). This early wood frame church was ;later replaced by a new brick church on the same site in 1913, designed by Leybourne & Whitney. W.R. Best died in Exeter, England on 19 December 1899 (inf. Exeter Registry Office, Engl.). His drawings of old buildings in Exeter were published posthumously in two volumes prepared by George Townsend in a work entitled Sketches of Bygone Exeter, pub. 1908 and 1909 (inf. Prof. Shane O'Dea, St. John's; inf. Kent Rawson, Toronto).
ST. JOHN'S, NFLD., Congregational Church, Queen's Road, 1853 (The Courier [St. John's], 25 June 1853, 3, detailed descrip.)
OLDCASTLE, ONT., St. Stephen's Anglican Church, Howard Avenue near South Talbot Road, 1872; demol. 1912 and replaced by a new church on the same site, by Leybourne & Whitney (Essex Record [Windsor], 13 June 1872, 2, descrip.)