Basic Biographical Details

Name: Henry Mitchell
Designation:  
Born: 1864
Died: 23 December 1932
Bio Notes: Henry Mitchell was born in 1864 at Renton/Cardross (Reg dist 494, entry 122), the son of Francis Mitchell, gem and seal engraver, and his wife May Liddel. He was articled to Campbell Douglas & Sellars from 1884, studying at the Glasgow School of Art and winning several medals. After Sellars's death in 1888 he worked as draughtsman to Honeyman & Keppie for five years before forming a partnership with William Tait Conner, who had been articled to Campbell Douglas & Sellars at the same time. The partnership did not prosper although both were excellent draughtsmen, most of their time being spent entering competitions. Conner emigrated to Johannesburg in 1902 and Mitchell merged his practice with that of Charles Edward Whitelaw whom he had known at both Campbell Douglas's and Honeyman & Keppie's. The partnership took the name of Mitchell & Whitelaw and prospered rather better, partly through Whitelaw family connections and ship interior work. It had Vernon Constable as draughtsman and was assisted part-time by Alexander Wright from 1907. About 1907 Thomas Lennox Watson, with whom Mitchell had worked briefly on the interiors of the Steam Yacht Margarita and on competition designs for the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Glasgow & West of Scotland Technical College at the beginning of the century, offered Mitchell a partnership. Mitchell's partnership with Watson was brief.

The practice seems to have run out of work as a result of the Finance Act of 1909: by 1914 the St Vincent Street office had been been closed and Mitchell was practising alone from his house at 20 Sutherland Street, Helensburgh.

Mitchell was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, proposed by John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects, of which Mitchell had been a member since 1907. He continued to practise from his home in Helensburgh until at least 1929. He died of angina at Tighnloan, Helensburgh on 23 December 1932.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 9187, West Princes Street, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 18851888 
Item 2 of 9Free Church Manse, Renton, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate18881890 
Item 3 of 9Scotstoun Villa, Whiteinch, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1890After 1895 
Item 4 of 9121, West Regent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness18941899 or 1900 
Item 5 of 9166, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1900 *  
Item 6 of 92, Thornfield, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate1902 *  
Item 7 of 9219, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1904After 1911 
Item 8 of 920, Sutherland Street, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate/businessBefore 1911 *After 1931(?) 
Item 9 of 9Tighnloan, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate23 December 1932 * Place of death

* 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 5Campbell Douglas & Sellars1884Late 1888 or early 1889Apprentice 
Item 2 of 5Honeyman & KeppieLate 1888 or early 18891894Draughtsman 
Item 3 of 5Conner & Mitchell18941902Partner 
Item 4 of 5Mitchell & Whitelaw1902c. 1909Partner 
Item 5 of 5Watson & Mitchell1907 or 1909Before 1917Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1John Bennie Wilson20 July 1911for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects

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 361895Design for a college     
Item 2 of 361895Tenement, Castlebank StreetPartick GlasgowScotland 
Item 3 of 361896Dumfries AcademyDumfries DumfriesshireScotlandCompetition design - unsuccessful
Item 4 of 361896Glasgow School of Art  GlasgowScotlandUnsuccessful competition design
Item 5 of 361896Inglis Memorial Hall and LibraryEdzell AngusScotlandCompetition design - unsuccessful
Item 6 of 361896Meffan InstituteForfar AngusScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 7 of 361896Steam Yacht Margarita II, interior     
Item 8 of 361897Design for a bandstand    Design exhibited
Item 9 of 361898Moulin SchoolPitlochry PerthshireScotlandCompetition design
Item 10 of 361898Tenement, 16-20 Sinclair StreetHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandExtension
Item 11 of 361899Rowallan Castle and Rowallan HouseKilmaurs AyrshireScotlandDesign exhibited - restoration proposals?
Item 12 of 361899Springburn & Cowlairs District HallsSpringburn GlasgowScotlandCompetition design - not successful
Item 13 of 361899St Leonard'sHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandPorch and verandah
Item 14 of 361900Glasgow Royal Infirmary  GlasgowScotlandThird premiated competition design - in collaboration with Thomas Lennox Watson
Item 15 of 361900Steam Yacht Margarita III, interior    Interiors - as assistant to Thomas Lennox Watson
Item 16 of 36Late 1900 or early 1901Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College  GlasgowScotlandCompetition design submitted after invitation (in collaboration with Thomas Lennox Watson) - unsuccessful
Item 17 of 361901Design for a manager's house and offices     
Item 18 of 36After 1902Anchor Line steamship California, interior     
Item 19 of 361903ClydeviewHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandExtension
Item 20 of 361903EasterhillHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 21 of 361906Allan Line steamship Virginian, interior     
Item 22 of 361906Beulah LodgeHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandExtension
Item 23 of 361906OakburnHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandStable
Item 24 of 361907396-450 Sauchiehall Street  GlasgowScotland 
Item 25 of 361907Six Villas, Easterhill RoadHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 26 of 361908Business premises for J T Whitelaw's Trust  GlasgowScotlandOriginal retail warehouse
Item 27 of 361908Helensburgh Golf ClubhouseHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 28 of 36c. 1909Meteor Yacht Interior     
Item 29 of 361910116 West King StreetHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandRear extension
Item 30 of 361913Aon DarachHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandExtension for bedrooms and cloakroom
Item 31 of 361913Two detached villas, Lennox Drive EastHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 32 of 361913UplandsHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandExtension
Item 33 of 361915AthelstaneHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandAddition
Item 34 of 3619234-6 East Princes StreetHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandAlterations
Item 35 of 361923St AndrewsHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 36 of 361929Park Free Church hallHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandExecuted the Paterson work with minor alterations

References

Bibliographic References

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

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Additional research by Iain Paterson (birth, death and addresses)
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v19 no1465