Stained-glass artist, of Belfast. According to the 1911 census, William Douglas was born in Co. Antrim in 1871 or 1872. He studied at the School of Art in Belfast, where he was a prizewinner in 1897, and at the South Kensington School before becoming chief artist for the Belfast firm of designers and art craftsmen, WARD & PARTNERS PARTNERS . In 1909 he started to teach in the newly established stained-glass craft class at the Belfast School of Art. He describes himself as 'Designer for Stained Glass, Damask & Embroidery' in his 1911 census return. By this time he had been married for eleven years to his wife, Frances Mary, from Leicester, and had four sons and one daughter. He set up an independent business in Belfast in 1918, continuing to produce stained glass until his death in 1938, from the 1920s onwards as Douglas & Sons, and then as Douglas, Sons & Co. According to Larmour, 'none of his known later windows approaches the earlier work in quality or interest'.
Address: 2 Stranmillis Street, Cromac, Belfast, 1911; 75 Great Vicgorial Street, Belfast, <=1935.
See WORKS.
References
All information in this entry not otherwise attributed is from the 1911 census, http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai001488161/ (last visited Mar 2009) and from Paul Larmour, The Arts and Crafts Movement in Ireland (Belfast, 1992), 72,97-8,118-9.
In the brochure produced by W.J. Douglas & Sons in or after 1935, he is described as 'an ExNational Scholar of the Royal College of Art London.
14 work entries listed in chronological order for DOUGLAS, WILLIAM JOSEPH *
Sort by date | Sort alphabetically
| Building: |
CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, MALONE ROAD, ST JOHN'S CHURCH (CI) |
| Date: |
1906;1907 |
| Nature: |
Single-light windows depicting Faith, Hope & Charity in S. transept, 1906; Lazarus window in N. transept, 1907. |
| Refs: |
Paul Larmour, The Arts & Crafts Movement in Ireland (Belfast, 1992), 118; Paul Larmour, The Architectural Heritage of Malone & Stranmillis (UAHS, 1991), 106,109
|
| Building: |
CO. ARMAGH, KILDARTON, CHURCH (CI) |
| Date: |
1925 |
| Nature: |
Single lancet window (Christ as Light of the World and Nativity) in memory of William and Julia Neill, signed Douglas, Sons & Co.
|
| Refs: |
Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/building/3419/ (last visited, Feb 2014)
|
| Building: |
CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, BROADWAY (& FALLS ROAD), PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH |
| Date: |
1933 |
| Nature: |
4 windows in memory of Mr [i.e. Rev. J.W. Gibson?] Gibson (Solomon; Resurrection) and Mrs Gibson (Fath & Hope; Christ and the little Children)designed and carried out in the studio of Messrs. W.J. Douglas & Sons.
|
| Refs: |
Publicity brochure of WJ. Douglas & Sons, post 1935, citing Northern Whig, Nov. 1933.
|
| Building: |
CO. ARMAGH, ANNAGHMORE (PORTADOWN), CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS (CI) |
| Date: |
1934 |
| Nature: |
Triple light stained glass window in N transept (Christ and Evangelists) in memory of David & Fanny Wilson, 1934. Signed Douglas, Sons, & Co. Dedicated, Aug 1934, by Dean of Armagh.
|
| Refs: |
Publicity brochure of W.J. Douglas & Sons, post 1935, citing Belfast Telegraph, Aug 1934; Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/building/3406/ (last visited, Feb 2014).
|
| Building: |
CO. ANTRIM, BELFAST, ?, SAILORS' REST |
| Date: |
1934 |
| Nature: |
Stained glass windows designed and executed in the studio of Messrs. W.J.Douglas & Sons.
|
| Refs: |
Publicity brochure of W.J. Douglas & Sons, post 1935, citing Belfast News Letter, 2 Nov 1934.
|
| Building: |
CO. ARMAGH, CREGGAN, CHURCH (CI) |
| Date: |
? |
| Nature: |
Stained glass E window (Fatih, Hope & Charity) in memory of Sir Thomas Jackson (d. 1915). Signed Douglas, Sons, & Co.
|
| Refs: |
Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/building/3414/ (last visited, Feb 2014).
|
