- Selected:
CALWELL, ROBERT INKERMAN
- Born: 1854 Died: 1927
Architect and civil engineer, of Belfast. Robert Calwell, son of Robert and Jane Calwell, of Annadale, Belfast, was born in Belfast in 1854 and educated at the Royal Academical Institution, and Queen's University, Belfast. He graduated BE from the Queen's University of Ireland in 1874 and continued his studies in Paris. He worked for a time with JOHN C. BOWER , after Bower had become Treasury Inspector for the Board of Works in Dublin. He established himself in practice as a civil engineer in Belfast in about 1883. He was civil engineer to the Belfast Central Railway before its purchase by the Great Northern Railway in 1885, adviser to the Belfast Street Tramways Co. in connection with the purchase of the company by Belfast Corporation in 1905, and consultant to Belfast Water Commissioners. He often acted as an expert witness in arbitration cases. He was chairman of the board of architects appointed in connection with the Municipal Housing Enterprise. According to his own account of his career in Belfast and the Province of Ulster, he acted as Belfast City Surveyor during the long illness of JOSIAH CORBETT BRETLAND in 1902-3; however, JAMES MUNCE , who was assistant city surveyor at the time, also claimed to have performed this function. Relations between Calwell and Munce may have been strained; in 1912 Calwell brought an action for slander against Munce. Munce's apology appeared in the Belfast Newsletter on 23 January 1912 and was reprinted in the Irish Builder on 3 February.(1)
Calwell died suddenly at the beginning of 1927, leaving a widow, Jane Forbes Calwell, whom he had married, according to the 1911 census, circa 1901. The couple had no children. Calwell's outside interests included Conservative politics - he was honorary secretary of the Belfast Conservative Association for twenty years - and the breeding of pedigree Galloway cattle. His recreations were shooting and fishing. He was a subscriber to George Lister Sutcliffe,ed., The Principles and Practice of Modern House-Construction (London, 1898).(2)
ICEI: elected member, 2 March 1904.(3)
RSUA: elected member, 29 October 1915;(4) council member, 1918,1927.(5)
Address: Work: 21 Arthur Street, Belfast, <=1898(6)-1903; 16 Donegall Sq, Belfast, <=1906 until death.(7)
Home: Carninard, Annadale, Belfast, 1909.
See WORKS.
References
All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is ICEI membership applications, III, 206, from the biography of Calwell in R.M. Young, Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the 20th Century (1909), 595, which is illustrated with a portrait photograph, and from the obituary in IB 69, 5 Feb 1927, 92.
(1) IB 54, 3 Feb 1912, 86.
(2) MS list of subscribers from Belfast and other towns in the northern counties (photocopy in IAA, Acc. 2009/066).
(3) TICEI 31 (1905), ?.
(4) Building News 109, 10 Nov 1915, 545.
(5) Building News 114, 12 Jun 1918, 430; Architect & Building News 117, 7 Jan 1927, 32.
(6) See note 2, above.
(7) IB 54, 3 Feb 1912, 86; TICEI membership lists.
21 work entries listed in chronological order for CALWELL, ROBERT INKERMAN
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| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, BOTANIC AVENUE, ULSTER CONVENTION BUILDING |
| Date: | 1892 |
| Nature: | Temporary structure to seat 20,000 on ground to rere of General Assembly's College. |
| Refs: | IB 34, 15 May 1892, 117; Irish Times, 16 May 1892; R.M. Young, Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the 20th Century (1909), 597 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, ?, ART & INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION BUILDING |
| Date: | 1895 |
| Nature: | - |
| Refs: | R.M. Young, Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the 20th Century (1909), 597 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, STEWART ST & STANFIELD STREET, CATTLE MARKET |
| Date: | 1897 |
| Nature: | Builder: McLoughlin & Harvey |
| Refs: | B 72, 17 Apr 1897, 363 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, QUEEN STREET, NO. 036 (JOHN DICKINSON & CO.) |
| Date: | 1899 |
| Nature: | Red brick warehouse. |
| Refs: | PRONI, W.H. Stephens & Sons papers, D1898/1/31; IB 41, 1 Oct 1899, 140; 42, 15 Jan 1900, 246; Marcus Patton, Central Belfast: an historical Gazetteer (UAHS, 1993), 196(illus.), 273 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, CHURCH ROAD (NEWTOWNBREDA), CHURCH (CI, KNOCKBREDA PARISH) |
| Date: | 1910 |
| Nature: | Vestry |
| Refs: | Paul Larmour, Belfast: an illustrated architectural guide (1987), 105 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, WOODSTOCK ROAD, UNIONIST HALL |
| Date: | 1913 |
| Nature: | Opened by Sir Edward Carson in May 1913 |
| Refs: | Building News 104, 23 May 1913, 733 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, BOTANIC AVENUE, ULSTER VOLUNTEER FORCE HOSPITAL |
| Date: | 1915 |
| Nature: | New wing added to hospital established in Ulster Volunteer Force exhibtion hall at outbreak of war. New wing divided into 3 wards|: James Craig Ward; Union Jack Committee Ward and |
| Refs: |
IB 57, 3 Jul,9 Oct 1915, 306,445; Irish Times, 2 Oct 1915. |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, WARING STREET, SOLDIERS' & SAILORS' SERVICE CLUB |
| Date: | 1917 |
| Nature: | - |
| Refs: | IB 59, 17 Mar 1917, 135 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, STRANDTOWN, CRAIGAVON |
| Date: | 1917 |
| Nature: | Conversion for shell-shocked soldiers |
| Refs: | IB 59, 4 Aug 1917, 396 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFASST, ALBERT BRIDGE ROAD, ULSTER UNIONIST LABOUR ASSOCIATION CLUB |
| Date: | 1921 |
| Nature: | RIC honorary architect for onversion of premises into 'splendidly equipped club'. Opened by J.M Andrews, MP, Oct 1921. RIC presented with' handsome silver bowl, in recognition of his valuable services'. |
| Refs: |
Irish Times, 17 Oct 1921. |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, ?, HOUSING |
| Date: | 1923 |
| Nature: | On 5 sites, for Belfast Corporation |
| Refs: | IB 65, 10 Feb 1923, 102 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, NORTH THOMAS STREET, SHOP & CLUB ROOM |
| Date: | 1923 |
| Nature: | For Ulster Labour Unionist Assn. |
| Refs: | IB 65, 21 Apr 1923, 298 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, DIVIS STREET, STORE |
| Date: | 1923 |
| Nature: | For Mssrs Wordie & Co. |
| Refs: | IB 65, 15 Dec 1923, 972 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, CLIFTONVILLE ROAD, NO. 026-30 (HOME FOR THE BLIND) |
| Date: | 1923 |
| Nature: | Public hall and additions |
| Refs: | IB 65, 8 Sep 1923, 692 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, YORK STREET, SHOP & CLUB ROOM |
| Date: | 1923 |
| Nature: | For Ulster Labour Unionist Assn. |
| Refs: | IB 65, 21 Apr 1923, 298 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, CHARLOTTE STREET, WORKSHOP & STORES |
| Date: | 1923-4 |
| Nature: | For William Coates & Sons |
| Refs: | IB 65, 14 Jul 1923, 544; 66, 12 Jan 1924, 25 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, ORMEAU ROAD, ORANGE HALL |
| Date: | 1924 |
| Nature: | Alterations & additions |
| Refs: | IB 66, 28 Jun 1924, 577 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, DUNRAVEN AVENUE, HOUSES |
| Date: | 1925 |
| Nature: | - |
| Refs: | IB 67, 11 Jul,31 Oct 1925, 570,893 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, HENRY STREET, GARAGE AND WORKSHOP |
| Date: | 1926 |
| Nature: | For Mssr. White, Tomkins & Courage. Plans approved by City Surveyor. |
| Refs: | IB 68, 7 Aug 1926, 619 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, SANDOWN ROAD, HOUSE |
| Date: | 1926 |
| Nature: | New villa, for W.J. McCracken. Plans approved by City Surveyor. |
| Refs: | IB 68, 17 Apr 1926, 310 |
| Building: | CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, GLENGALL STREET, ULSTER UNIONIST HEADQUARTERS |
| Date: | 1926 |
| Nature: | Conversion of existing premises into Ulster Unionist headquarters, opened 29 Nov 1926. |
| Refs: | IB 68, 17 Apr,7 Aug,11 Dec 1926, 310,619,921 |