BOW, William (1882-1956) was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 4 January 1882 and attended the Glasgow School of Art. He articled for five years with Sir John J. Burnet & Son, one of that city's leading firms, then worked as chief draftsman there from 1903 to January 1913. He emigrated to Canada in February 1913 and settled in Vancouver where he was partner in the following firms:
Bow & Bow, 1913-15 (with Douglas Bow)
MacKenzie & Bow, 1920-22 (with James C. MacKenzie)
Benzie & Bow, 1923-30 (with James A. Benzie)
Palmer & Bow, 1932-36 (with Bernard C. Palmer)
William Bow, 1936 until after 1950
After the sudden death of Palmer on 24 May 1936, Bow continued to use the old partnership name until 1939, but the buildings he designed after May 1936 can be credited solely to himself (see list of works under Palmer & Bow). Much of his early career was devoted to domestic work in the Shaughnessy Heights area of Vancouver, while one of his major works from the latter period was a sumptuous residence for Alfred J.T. Taylor, President of British Properties Ltd., developer of the lands in West Vancouver. Bow served a term as president of the Architectural Inst. of British Columbia in 1934-35 and continued to practise until after 1950. He died in Vancouver on 10 August 1956 (death notice Vancouver Sun, 11 Aug. 1956, 28; D. Luxton, Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 422-3, 493-4; inf. Architectural Inst. of British Columbia)
WEST VANCOUVER, residence for William Bow, architect, Anderson Cresent, 1946 (D. Luxton, Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 423, illus.)
(with E. Evans & Son) NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C., major addition to Royal Columbian Hospital, Columbia Street at Sherbrook Street, 1947 (Canadian Hotel Review, xxv, 15 Jan. 1947, 44)
(with E. Evans & Son) NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C., Duke of Connaught High School, Royal Avenue, 1948-49 (C.R., lxi, March 1948, 171, t.c.)
NORTH VANCOUVER, Sutherland Junior High School, East 19th Street at Sutherland Avenue, 1949-50 (C.R., lxii, March 1949, 138)