John Coulson Nicol was born in Aberdeen, Scotland on 9 February 1848 and was articled to Alexander Ellis in Aberdeen from 1867 to 1873. He then worked as an assistant in the office of George Beattie & Son in Edinburgh from 1873 to 1876. In 1876 he moved to New Zealand where he worked as an assistant to Robert Arthur Lawson (1833-1902) and to David Ross (c.1833-?). By 1880 Nicol had returned to Britain and worked as an assistant to Alexander Marshall Peebles (1840-1891) in London in 1880-81.
Nicol commenced practice as an architect in London in 1883 although he didn't qualify in the profession until 1886. That year he joined Oliver Essex (1855-1939) in forming the architectural partnership Essex & Nicol in Birmingham. In 1892 John Goodman (1864-1951) was taken as a partner and the name of the practice changed to Essex, Nicol & Goodman.
Nicol withdrew from Essex, Nicol & Goodman in 1905 and formed the partnership Nicol & Nicol in Birmingham with his son, George Salway Nicol (1878-1930).
John Coulson Nicol was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1887, and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1918.
In 1887 Nicol was appointed District Surveyor of Marylebone, Middlesex [now London], a post he held for several years despite living and working in Birmingham. His address was given as 10, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland in 1874; 6 Augusta Roadm Acock's Green, near Birmingham in 1887; King's Court, 117 Colmore Row, Birmingham in 1914; and Elmdon Lodge, Acocks Green, Birmingham in 1917. He died in Acocks Green, near Birmingham, Worcestershire on 14 March 1933.
Architectural works by Essex & Nicol included four houses. Park Hill, Moseley, for John Munro (1887); 2, 4, 6, 8 Church Road, Moseley (1887); 128, 130 Anderton Park Road, Moseley for Oliver Essex (1897); Factory for Mary Hopkins ships' berth makers, Upper Trinity Street and Bowyer Street, Birmingham (1887); Shop and business premises for S. Mason, beer machinery manufacturers , Earl Street and Chapel Street, Birmingham (1888); Coventry Theatre, Coventry, Warwickshire (1888); Two houses, Prospect Road, Moseley (1888); House, Earl Street and Chapel Street for S. Mason (1888); Two Houses, 125, 127, Anderton Park Road, Moseley for Chas. Collins (1888); "Shipley Grange", Barnt Green, Worcestershire for Thomas Walker (1889); 10, 12 Wake Green, Moseley for W. Pewrcy Harrison (1889); Houses and shops, 19-24 Digbeth, Birmingham for Jos. Horton (1889); "Hill Crest", Church Road, Moseley (1889); 32, 34, Wake Green Road, Moseley for Oliver Essex (1889); House, Tindal Street, Birmingham for Mr. Parkes (1889); "Revesby", 36 Wake Green Road, Moseley for Edwin Fletcher (1889); House, Edgbaston Road and Park Hill, Moseley for John Pickering (1889); Shop for Hoskins & Sewell, bedstead manufacturers, High Street, Bordesley (1889); Shop and alterations for Crane & Son, file manufacturers, 2, 3 Moseley Street, Birmingham (1889); Shop for Mr. Mohr, Bradford Street, Birminghm (1889); Bakehouse for John Collins, High Street, King's Heath (1890); oHouse, Alum Chine, Bournemouth, Hampshire for W. C. Ginder (1890); Manufacturing premises for Martin & Martin, Granville Street, Birmingham (1890); House, 3 Park View, Alcester Road, Moseley for Thos Wilkinson (1890); 41 and 43 St. Agnes Road, Moseley for George Collins (1890); House, Wake Green Road, Modsely for F. Bromhall (1891); 17 Wake Green Road, Moseley for H. R. Hall (1891); Two houses, Highfield Road, Birmingham for John Parker (1891); Factory and shop for C. B. Partridge & Son, nicel platers, Northwood Street, Birmingham (1891); Factory for Thos. Cross, gun action maker, Vesey Street and Price Street, Birmingham (1891); Shop for Ward & Sons, gun manufacturers, St. Mary's Row, Birmingham (1891); Furnishing warehouse for J. W. Lill, draper, Bristol Street, Birmingham (1892); Steel warehouse for Edwin Bayliss. Weaman Street, Birmingham (1892); Factory for P. G. Allday, brass founders, Northwood Street, Birmingham (1892); Stables, etc., 15 Carpenter Road, Birmingham for Harry Berrell (1892); and "Athol Lodge", 6 Elmdon Road, Acock's Green gor J. c. Nicol (1892).
Architectural works by Essex, Nicol & Goodman: New builds by the practice included "Greylands", Lichfield Road, Erdington for Dr. Aspinall (1893); "Glandore", Sutton Road, Erdington for Dr. Donovan (1893); Three semidetached houses, Chantry road, Birmingham for Oliver Essex and J. Parker (1893); Two houses, Chantry Road, Birmingham for Oliver Essex and J. Parker (1893); "La Fontaine", 40 Heathfield Road, King's Heath for G. Hynd (1893); Coach House, stable and conservatory, 54 Chantry Road, Birmingham for G. W. Dawes (1893); three semi-detached houses, Chantry Road,. Birmingham for Essex, Nicol & Parker (1893); Arcade and shops, Preston, Lancashire (1893); New offices for te Imperial Live Stock Ins. Corp., 17 Pall Mall East, London (1893); Builders' premises, Welches Hill for E. J. Charles (1893); Technical School, Suffolk Street, Birmingham for the Corporation of Birmingham (1893); Meat Market, Bradord Street and Sherlock Street, Birmingham, for the Corporation of Birmingham (1894); Business premises, warehouse and shops for R. Lunt & Co., Old Square, Birmingham (1894); Six houses, Ashfield Avenue, Birmingham, for R. Morton Hughes (1894); "The Chains", 1 Church Road, Edgbaston for Oliver Essex (1894); Two semi-detached houses, Prospect Road, Birmingham, for John Lewis (1894); "Wych Elms", coach house and stable, 215 Forest Road for Edward Hurley (1894) Six houses, Chantry Road, for E. J. Charles (1894); Residence, Chantry Road for James Percival (1894); Shops, cottages at rear, Alcester Road, Birmingham (1895); House and stables, 35 Westfield Road, Moseley for Walter Jones (1895): "Beverley", 22 Salisbury Road for John Goodman (1896); Two greenhouses and conservatory, Wake Green Road, for Mr. Harrison (1896); "Hill Crest", Lyttleton Road for E. Smallwood (1896); Premises, Newall Street and Cornwall Street for Dr. Ed Malins (1896); Business premises, Old Square, for Newbury's Ltd., drapers (1896); Business premises, Upper Priory, for Essex & Nicol (1896); Business premises, Cannon Street, Needless Alley, and New Street, Birmingham) for Clarence Property Co. (1897); Workmen's hall, club, etc., Newhall Street and Bread Street, Birmingham for W. T. Smedley & Others (1897); Business premises, Bull Street and Minories Street for George Berrill & Son, grocers (1897); Four Shops, Bristol Street and Barn Road, Birmingham for Essex & Nicol (1897); Three shops and offices, Broad Street, Birmingham, for Oliver Essex (1897); Shed, Conybere Street, Birmingham for Parkers Ltd., joiners (1897); Shops, Newtown Row, Birmingham for R. Baker (1897); Stable, coach house, etc., Westfield Road for H. Wright (1897); House vand business premises, 19 Drayton Road for R. Webb (1897); Residence, 37 Chantry Road, Birmingham for F. Pickering (1897); Two houses, 48 and 50 Salisbury Road, Birmingham for John Goodman (1897); "Lisshocawn", Birmingham Road, Solihull for C. J. Newbeury (1897); Business premises, Edgbaston Street, Birmingham for J. Collins (1898); Business premises, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, for J. C. Nicol (1898); Warehouse, Moseley Road and Edgbaston Road, Birmingham for Mr. Grew (1898); Shop, Northwood Street, Birmingham for Bent & Parker, buckle manufacturers (1898); House, 323 Hagley Road, Birmingham for J. F. Craig (1898); House, stables and coach house, 93 Alcester Road, Birmingham for J. F. Taylor (1898); Two houses, St. Bernard's Road, Olton for J. P. Achurch (1898); Shop, Stafford Street, for Harris & Sheldon, shop fitters and brass founders (1899); Shops, offices and business premises, Colmore Row, New Street and Waterloo Street, Birmingham for Birmingham Cental Estates Co. (1899); Business premises, Minories, Birmingham for Newbury's Ltd., drapers (1899); Business premises, Station Street, Birmingham for Lockerbie & Wilkinson, hardware merchants (1899); House on Chantry Road, Birmingham, for John Parker and Adie (1899); House, Chantry Road, Birmingham for John Parker (1900); Two shops with offices above, Paradise Street, Birmingham for Oliver Essex (1900); Three shops and dwellings, Bell Lane and Bristol Road, Birmingham for F. H. Morrison, grocer; shops, offices and consulting rooms, Easy Row and Edmund Street, Birmingham for Buildings Ltd. (1901); New premises, The Crescent, Handsworth, for Hill & Egginton, shop fitters (1901); Business premises, Upper Priory, Birmingham for J. C. Nicol (1901); New premises, Moat Lane, Birmingham for A. Shorthouse, meat salesman (1902); New premises, High Street, Birmingham for High Street Ltd. (1903); New premises, John Bright Street and Suffolk Street, Birmingham for E. B. S. Musgrave (1903); New Premises, Bull Street for Barrows Ltd., grocers, tea and coffee merchants (1903); "Stukely", 27 Farquar Road, Edgbaston, for J. P. Achurch; "Elmdon Lodge", 50 Yardley Road, Acock's Green for J. C. Nicol (1903); and Mission Church, Hobmoor Road, Birmingham for Rev. H. Jacob (1904)
Architectural works by Nicol & Nicol: Hearts of Oak Benefit Society's Offices, Euston Road, London; White House, Birmingham; Picture House, Birmingham; St. Benedict's Church, Birmingham; St. Chad's Church, Bradford; Messrs. Grainger and Smith's premises, Birmingham; and housing for Birmingham Corporation. [Source: entry on George Galway Nicol in Who's Who in Architecture 1926]
Abbott, Donald. ‘Essex, Nicol & Goodman’ in Birmingham’s Victorian and Edwardian Architects, edited by Phillada Ballard. Wetherby: Oblong Creative Ltd. for the Birmingham and West Midlands Group of the Victorian Society, 2009 pp. 197-220
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 40, 22 July 1933 p. 743
Who's Who in Architecture. Edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1926