William Edward Willink [also known as W.E. Willink] was born in Tranmere, Cheshire, England on 17 March 1856. He was articled to Alfred Waterhouse (1830-1905) from 1873 following which he studied King's College, Cambridge from where he graduated with a BA in 1881 and was awarded an MA in 1884.
He qualified as an architect in 1885 and was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1885 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1898.
Willink commenced independent practice in Liverpool in 1882 and in 1884 formed the architectural partnership Willink & Thicknesse with Philip Coldwell Thicknesse (1860-1920). The partnership was dissolved following the death of Thicknesse in 1920 and that year Willink formed a new partnership with Harold Alfred Dod (1890-1965) as Willink & Dodd.
Willink's address was given as Venice Chambers, Lord Street, Liverpool and Dingle Bank, Liverpool in 1885; 154 Castle Street, Liverpool in 1914; and Cunard Building, Liverpool in 1923. He died in Liverpool on 11 March 1924.
In conjunction with the late Philip C. Thlcknesse: — School of Art, Liverpool; three elementary schools, Liverpool ; secondary schools at Goole, Wallasey, and Macclesfield; University laboratories; school halls at Uppingham, Shrewsbury and King William's College, Isle of Man; school houses at Uppingham, and Shrewsbury; Lancaster County Asylum Hospital; various banks, houses, churches and commercial buildings; internal decorations of various ships for Cunard S.S. Co., and Booth S.S. Co.; Cunard Building and offices therein; War Memorials. In conjunction with Harold A. Dod: — Reconstruction of Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Co.'s offices, Liverpool; internal decorations of ships for the Cunard S.S. Co., and Anchor-Donaldson Line; school buildings at King William's College, Isle of Man; War memorials. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1923]
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See also Historic England [link below]
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
Gray, A. Stuart. Edwardian architecture: a biographical dictionary. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 1985
‘Obituary’. Architectural Review vol. 55, April 1924 p. lviii
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 31, 1924 p. 365
Who's Who in Architecture 1923. Edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1923