Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Inch Morrison
Designation:  
Born: 1878
Died: 25 September 1944
Bio Notes: James Inch Morrison was born in 1878. He was articled to William H Grey of Edinburgh in 1893 and attended Heriot-Watt College. He may have spent some time in London at the South Kensington Schools as he obtained first-class certificates from there in various subjects. At the end of his apprenticeship he joined first Dunn & Findlay and then Cooper & Taylor as an assistant. After some years he moved to Inverness as chief assistant to William Laidlaw Carruthers. At some point before 1907 he travelled in France, Belgium and Holland, spending seven periods of three to six weeks there. In that same year he commenced independent practice at 21 York Place sharing an office with James Alexander Arnott. He described himself in his Licentiateship Paper as 'joint architect' with Arnott for the work on Gorgie Baptist Church and Charlotte Baptist Chapel which they won in competition. He was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911.

A formal partnership with Arnott seems to have been intended, but in 1910-11 Ernest Auldjo Jamieson bought the Sydney Mitchell practice and invited Arnott to join him. Morrison thereafter practised alone until 1920 when John Kinross suffered a serious breakdown in health and took him into partnership, the merged practices taking the title of Kinross & Morrison. His main business was war memorial work and when that tailed off and Kinross became more antique dealer than architect the partnership was dissolved, Morrison resuming practice as sole partner in 1923.

Morrison served on the Council of the Edinburgh Architectural Association c.1930. He merged his practice with that of Arnott after the retirement of Arnott's partner Ernest Arthur Auldjo Jamieson in 1936, the practice finally becoming Arnott & Morrison as planned more than thirty years earlier.

Morrison died on 25 September 1944. He was then living at 93 Ravelston Dykes, and was survived by his wife Daisy Jane Cownie. He left £3,538 1s 10d. Arnott continued the practice alone thereafter.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 64, York Buildings, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1906c. 1907 
Item 2 of 621, York Place, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1908c. 1912 
Item 3 of 624, Clarence Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1911 *  
Item 4 of 624, Duke Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1913c. 1916Practice closed for rest of war
Item 5 of 624, Duke Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/businessc. 1919c. 1940Practise merged with that of J A Arnott c.1936
Item 6 of 6Topgates, Ravelston Dykes, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivatec. 1930 *c. 1938 

* earliest date known from documented sources.


Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 6William H Grey1893c. 1898Apprentice 
Item 2 of 6William Laidlaw CarruthersAfter 18981907Senior Assistant 
Item 3 of 6Cooper & TaylorAfter 1898Before 1907Assistant 
Item 4 of 6Dunn & Findlayc. 1898Before 1907Assistant 
Item 5 of 6Kinross & Morrison19201923Partner 
Item 6 of 6Arnott & Inch Morrison19361944Partner 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 3Thomas Bowhill Gibson19131916Apprentice 
Item 2 of 3Archibald Craig1926 * Assistant 
Item 3 of 3Rona Helen Inch Morrison (Mrs Allan)19331934Apprenticefor 9 months

* earliest date known from documented sources.


RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 4James Alexander Arnott30 November 1925for Fellowship
Item 2 of 4John Begg30 November 1925for Fellowship
Item 3 of 4James Bow Dunn20 July 1911for Licentiateship - as President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association
Item 4 of 4John Keppie30 November 1925for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 12Elizabeth Fergus Comrie (Miss)6 February 1939for Associateship
Item 2 of 12Archibald Craig28 March 1927For Associateship
Item 3 of 12Thomas Bowhill Gibson6 February 1939for Licentiateship
Item 4 of 12Thomas Craigie MarwickMid 1932for Fellowship
Item 5 of 12Frederick Alistair Morrison10 May 1937for Associateship
Item 6 of 12Rona Helen Inch Morrison (Mrs Allan)30 November 1936for Associateship
Item 7 of 12David Alexander Murray20 July 1943for Licentiateship
Item 8 of 12Thomas Edward Patrick13 August 1940For Associateship
Item 9 of 12Eileen May Sherwell (Mrs Goodman)10 February 1936for Associateship
Item 10 of 12William Innes Thomson14 January 1935for Associateship
Item 11 of 12Charles Edward Tweedie (junior)9 January 1940for Fellowship
Item 12 of 12Alexander Wentworth Varcoe4 January 1935For Associateship

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 36 Biggar KirkBiggar LanarkshireScotlandInstructed Scott Morton & Co on interior work - date unknown
Item 2 of 36 Royal College of Physicians  EdinburghScotlandUpper library woodwork - date unknown
Item 3 of 361898Tenements with shops, Abbeyhill  EdinburghScotland 
Item 4 of 361904(?)Bristo Memorial Church  EdinburghScotland'B of S' attribution - probably incorrect as Morrison did not commence private practice until 1907
Item 5 of 36After 1907Block of artisan's houses and shopsAbbeyhill EdinburghScotland 
Item 6 of 36After 1907Craigmillar ChurchCraigmillar EdinburghScotland 
Item 7 of 36After 1907Gilmerton Public SchoolGilmerton EdinburghScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 8 of 36After 1907Inzievar HouseDunfermline FifeScotlandNew north wing added
Item 9 of 36After 1907Liberton Parish ChurchLiberton EdinburghScotlandAlterations and internal reconstruction
Item 10 of 36After 1907Liberton Parish Council Offices (and house)Liberton EdinburghScotlandCompetition design - won competition and secured job?
Item 11 of 36After 1907Liberton Public SchoolLiberton EdinburghScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 12 of 36After 1907Niddrie Public SchoolNiddrie EdinburghScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 13 of 36After 1907Oakley SchoolOakley FifeScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 14 of 36After 1907WemyssfieldKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 15 of 361908Charlotte Street Baptist ChapelNew Town EdinburghScotlandWon commission through competition - not in partnership but working as joint architect'
Item 16 of 361909Little Church in the FieldGorgie/Dalry EdinburghScotlandAlterations and additions for the Baptist congregation - as 'joint architect' with Arnott
Item 17 of 361909Lothianburn Golf Club, Clubhouse  EdinburghScotland 
Item 18 of 36After 1911Braid Hills Hotel  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 19 of 36After 1911Caledonian Distillery  EdinburghScotlandReconstruction
Item 20 of 36After 1911Chocolate Works  EdinburghScotland 
Item 21 of 36After 1911Loanhead Public SchoolLoanhead MidlothianScotland 
Item 22 of 36After 1911Park Gardens Housing SchemeLiberton EdinburghScotland 
Item 23 of 36After 1911Queen's Club  EdinburghScotlandExtensions and reconstruction
Item 24 of 36After 1911Regent WorksBeaverhall EdinburghScotlandNew factories
Item 25 of 36After 1911Wester BrewlandsGlenisla AngusScotland 
Item 26 of 361912Anderson Memorial SchoolGilmerton EdinburghScotland 
Item 27 of 361921Norwich Union Life Assurance Office  EdinburghScotlandRebuilt the ground and first floors for Norwich Union
Item 28 of 361922Premises for Messrs Gairn, Motor Engineers  EdinburghScotland 
Item 29 of 3619245 Inverleith Avenue SouthInverleith EdinburghScotland 
Item 30 of 361925Fulton's Brewery  EdinburghScotlandGymnasium, playhall and terraces, violet ray and massage buildings reconstructed
Item 31 of 361928St Cuthbert's Parish Church  EdinburghScotlandAlterations to chancel
Item 32 of 361933St Aidan's Church and hallStenhouse EdinburghScotland 
Item 33 of 361934United Wire Rope Company's factory  EdinburghScotlandReconstruction and extension
Item 34 of 361935Falkirk Municipal BuildingsFalkirk StirlingshireScotlandWon competition - but not executed? Apeears to have informal partnership with Carruthers Laidlaw for this competition
Item 35 of 361937Fulton's Brewery  EdinburghScotlandGirl's block and caretaker's house
Item 36 of 361938Model FarmFenton Barns East LothianScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Post Office Directories     

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Scotsman26 September 1944  p3 - obituary
Item 2 of 3Scotsman13 October 1944  p2 - states address at time of death
Item 3 of 3Scotsman11 October 1950  p1 - details of continuation of practice by Arnott after Morrison's death

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v19 no1471; F no 2306 (microfilm reel 17)