Philip John Turner [also known as Philip J. Turner] was born in Stowmarket, Suffolk, England in 1876. He was articled to John Shelwell Corder (1857-1922) in Ipswich, Suffolk from 1892 to 1895 and remained with him as his assistant until 1898. He then worked as an assistant to Francis William Tasker (1848-1904) in 1898; to James Ransome (1865-1944) in 1899-1900; and to Charles Edward Barry (1856-1944) of Charles Barry & Son from 1901 to 1907. He also attended the Architectural Association Schools in London.
Turner qualified as an architect in 1900 and commenced independent practice in Ipswich and Stowmarket that year. In 1907 Turner emigrated to Canada. He settled in Montreal, Quebec where he practised as architect from 1908 to 1943. He was in partnership with William Edward Carless (1881-1949) as Turner & Carless in Montreal from 1913 to 1915. From 1910 until his retirement in 1942, Turner taught construction and materials at McGill School of Architecture in Montreal
Turner was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1901 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1907. He was awarded the Architectural Association Silver Medal in 1897, and the Architectural Union Company's Prize in 1897. He died in Montreal on 13 August 1943.
Bank Office Buildings for Molson's Bank, Port Arthur, Lachine, Drummondville, Montreal, Ottawa, &c. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
For a detailed list of architectural projects by Philip John Turner and Turner & Carless see the Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada 1800-1950
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