John William Fair

• Birth date            26 February 1871 at Oxted Surrey
• Death date          23 January-6 February 1915 (see probate) at Grassthorpe, Nottinghamshire

John William Fair was born at Oxted, Surrey on 26 February 1871 the son of John Fair, saddler, and his wife Isabella. When John Fair died, Isabella and her children moved to the Cheetham Hill district of Manchester and by 1881 they were living at 225, Cheetham Hill Road where Isabella had a Glass, China, and Toy shop.

He was educated at Manchester Grammar School before being articled to Arthur Schofield (qv) in Manchester in thelate-1880s. In the November1890 examination of the Royal Institute of British Architects he passed the preliminary Examination and qualified as a Probationer. However, he sought no further RIBA qualification but was elected a member of the Architectural Association in 1904 and commenced independent practice as an architect in the same year. From December 1905 he was in partnership with George Valentine Myer (1883-1954) under the style of Fair & Myer with offices at 39, Furnival Street, London.  One source suggests that he also worked for a time at Bexhill-on Sea.

John William Fair died suddenly. from acute pleurisy at some time between 23 January and 6 February 1915. According to the probate record he was last seen alive on the 23 of January 1915 and whose dead body was found on the 6 February 1915 near Weston Lane, Grassthorpe, Nottinghamshire.  However, it was not until May 1915 that his death was announced formally. He never married. 

See Fair and Myer partnership for Works

Address
1906-1915    Fair and Myer, 39 Furnival Street, London

Residence
1911-1914    Riverslea, Marsh Lock, Henley-on-Thames 

Obituary        Builder v 108, 15 May 1915, page 476

Reference      Directory of British Architects 1834-1914.. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
References     Royal Academy Exhibitors 1909-1912
Reference      Who's who in architecture (1914)