Born London, a son of George Lethbridge. He articled in architecture under his father for four years (September 1894 to early 1898). After assisting several British architects, including Charles F. Doll, Joseph D. Mathews, Ralph S. Wornum, he emigrated to Canada in 1906 and worked at Winnipeg, with an office in the McIntyre Block. During WW1, he served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, returning to Winnipeg after his military discharge. He returned to England in 1924 and died at Banstead, Surrey.
Sources: Manitoba Historical Society and Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, adds that James Morton Lethbridge was born on 24 October 1877, in Hornsey, Middlesex (now Greater London), the third child of George Lethbridge (1848-1924) and Jessie Naismith Lethbridge née Morton (1843-1936). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1877 in the Edmonton registration district, Middlesex (now Greater London).
In the 1881 census he was shown as living at 9 Cholmeley Villas, Archway Road, Hornsey with his parents and four siblings: Robert Morton Lethbridge (1875-1923); Annie Scott Lethbridge (1876-1947); George Lethbridge (b.1879) and Jessie May Lethbridge (1886-1969), his maternal aunt, Helen Lethbridge (1853-1922) who was a governess, together with three female domestic servants. His father was described as an architect & surveyor.
He was shown as still residing at 9 Cholmeley Villas in the 1891 census with his parents and six of his siblings: Robert Morton Lethbridge; Annie Scott Lethbridge; George Lethbridge; Jessie May Lethbridge; Helen Mary Lethbridge (b.1882) and Dorothy Lethbridge (1888-1976), together with a female general domestic servant. He and all his siblings were described as scholars and his father continued to be shown as an architect & surveyor.
He was described as an architect's assistant in the 1901 census still residing at 9 Cholmeley Villas, with his parents and the same six siblings as in the 1891 census, together with a cook and a housemaid. His brother, George Lethbridge was shown as a commercial clerk and his father as an architect.
He emigrated to Canada in 1906 and is shown as living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the 1911 census. In 1916 he served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force until 1918 and in the 1921 census is again listed in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
He returned to England in 1924 and in the 4th quarter of 1931 he married Margaret Jane Farrell (1877-1960) in the Hampstead registration district, London. Electoral registers in 1935 show them listed at 205 Archway Road, Highgate, together with his mother and sister Annie Scott Lethbridge. The 1995 Archway Road Neighbourhood Plan makes it clear that 205 Archway Road is one of the 11 large houses (203-223) built before 1886 as Cholmeley Villas, so 205 Archway Road is surely the 9 Cholmeley Villas where he had lived with his parents since at least 1881. The registers also show that he and his wife's place of abode was 11 Cannon Place, Hampstead, NW3.
He was described as an architect & surveyor in the 1939 England and Wales Register still residing at 11 Cannon Place, Hampstead, with his wife together with a house parlour-maid and a cook. The register also shows that he was a Warden in the Air Raid Precautions service and a reserve officer with the Canadian Embassy.
Probate records confirm that his address had been 11 Cannon Place, Hampstead and that he died, aged 65 years, on 10 October 1943 at the Castleton Nursing Home, Bolters Lane, Banstead, Surrey. Probate was granted on 24 June 1944 jointly to his widow, to his sister Annie Scott Lethbridge who was described as a spinster and to a solicitor, Thomas Guy Christian-Edwards. His effects totalled £1,691-3s-9d.
