James Allner was born in Westbury-on-Trym, Gloucestershire, England on 6 December 1884. He was articled to Richard Bassnett Preston (1855-1934) in Manchester from 1901 to 1904 and remained as his assistant until 1906. He also attended Manchester School of Art and Manchester School of Technology.
Allner commenced practice in Blandford, Dorset in 1907. He passed his qualifying exam the following year and was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1909. He formed a partnership with George Augustus Bligh Livesay (1867-1916) which was dissolved in December 1914. Allner subsequently set up an office in Poole, Dorset in 1915 and, thereafter, worked alone. He was for several years Diocesan Surveyor for the diocese of Salisbury. He was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1923 and was a Fellow of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Association of Architects. He died in Poole, Dorset on 24 February 1955
Domestic and other work in Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire, &c. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
'Obituary'. The Builder vol. 188, 1955, p.379