William Edward Couch was born in Preston, Sussex, England on 16 April 1877 and was articled to John Thomas Lee (c.1845-1920) from 1895 to 1898. He then worked as an assistant to Alfred Brumell Thomas (1868-1948) from 1898. He qualified as an architect in 1903 and was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) later that year.
Between c.1907 and 1909, he was in partnership with Frederick Chatterton (1872-1934) in the London-based architectural firm Chatterton & Couch. By the early 1920s was in partnership with William Vernon Coupland (1895-1958) as Couch & Coupland in London and later Richmond, Surrey. The partnership was still active in 1939 and may have been dissolved following the outbreak of World War Two or with the death of Couch in 1942. Couch died in Brentford, Middlesex on 3 July 1942.
In partnership with Frederick Chatterton: — Offices at Lloyd's Avenue, E.C.; residence at Las Arenas, Bilbao, Spain. In partnership with William Vernon Coupland : — "Meldon", East Sheen, S.W. (1924); garage, shop and petrol station, Fulham Road, S.W. (1922 and 1924); bungalows at Sandbanks, Poole Harbour, Dorset (1920); numerous houses at Temple Grove Estate, East Sheen, S.W. (1921); Sheen Road, Richmond, Surrey (1920); Sheen House Estate, East Sheen, S.W. (1921-25); Spring Grove Estate, Rlchmond, Surrey (1923-25); Sheen Common Drive, Richmond, Surrey, (1923-25); Freake Estate, Twickenham, Middlesex (1924-25); Enmore House Estate, East Sheen, S.W., and Palewell Lodge Estate, East Sheen [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1926]
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. 163, 10 July 1942 p. 24
Who's Who in Architecture 1926. edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1926