Basic Biographical Details

Name: (Sir) Thomas Duncan Rhind
Designation:  
Born: 14 July 1871
Died: 24 April 1927
Bio Notes: Thomas Duncan Rhind was born in Edinburgh on 14 July 1871, the son of sculptor John Rhind and younger brother of William Birnie Rhind. He was educated at George Watson's and studied sculpture with his father and brother. He was articled to Hippolyte Jean Blanc in Edinburgh from 1887 to 1892, spending his holidays sketching around Scotland, in particular visiting the abbeys and cathedrals. On completing his apprenticeship he moved to London and spent six months in the offices of London County Council Architectural Department before moving to the firm of Gibson & Russell. He passed the qualifying exam in November 1894, and was elected ARIBA at the early age of 24 on 11 March 1895, his proposers being John Macvicar Anderson, Thomas Edward Collcutt and William Leiper. In 1898, Rhind formed a partnership with Robert Hamilton Paterson (born 1843), with whom he is said to have studied. In 1902 he married Mary Elizabeth Gilbert, the elder daughter of W Matthews Gilbert, chief reporter of 'The Scotsman'. The partnership with Hamilton Paterson was short-lived, being dissolved by 1906 when Paterson decided to take his nephew Thomas Tolmie Paterson into partnership. Thereafter Rhind practised alone in close association with his sculptor brother.

Rhind's work was either Arts and Crafts or a sculptural London neo-baroque, his views on the role of sculpture in architecture being set out in a paper entitled 'Sculpture as applied to Architecture', published in the EAA Transactions, Vol 6 (1910), pp54-64. He was also a skilful etcher.

Rhind was an enthusiastic volunteer and territorial, becoming a major in The Royal Scots and receiving the TD. On the outbreak of the First World War he was appointed Commandant of Redford Barracks while German prisoners of war were held there and was for a time provost marshal. Thereafter he became Brigade Major in the Lothian Brigade and was appointed CBE in January 1916. Shortly thereafter he was called to the War Office to join the staff of Sir Andrew Geddes, Director of Recruiting, and appointed Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, War Office, undertaking the organisation of the statistical branch of the Recruiting Department. He was promoted Brevet Lieutenant Colonel in 1917 and appointed Assistant Adjutant General. During that time he was attached to the London Scottish.

On the transfer of recruiting to the civil administration he was appointed Controller of Statistics to the Minister for National Service. Latterly he was Chief Recorder at the Ministry and as such was responsible for estimates of civil manpower as well as the progress of recruiting. He was created KBE in 1919.

After the war Rhind resumed practice at a very low level at 8 Hope Street in Edinburgh, but retained his London base at 8 Gunterstone Road, W14. He died in a nursing home at Hove, Sussex on 24 April 1927. He was survived by his wife.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 108, Gunterstone Road, London, W14, EnglandPrivate   
Item 2 of 1097-99, Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh?, ScotlandPrivate1889 *  
Item 3 of 1011, Gray's Inn Square, London, EnglandBusiness1895 * With Gibson & Russell
Item 4 of 109, Manor Terrace, Highbury, London, EnglandPrivate1895 *  
Item 5 of 1044, Queen Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 18971898Practising separately from R Hamilton Paterson
Item 6 of 1010A, George Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1899c. 1902Hamilton Paterson & Rhind
Item 7 of 104, Duke Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivatec. 1903c. 1907 
Item 8 of 1028, Rutland Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1905c. 1911 
Item 9 of 101, Wester Coates Gardens, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivatec. 1909  
Item 10 of 108, Hope Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1911 or c. 1912c. 1922 

* 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 4Hippolyte Jean Blanc3 October 18871892Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4London County Council Architects' Department (LCC Architects' Department)18921892 or 1893Assistant 
Item 3 of 4Gibson & Russell1892 or 1893After 1895Assistant 
Item 4 of 4Hamilton-Paterson & Rhind1898Before 1906(?)Partner 

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 7Arthur John Alexander Illingworth19031908Apprentice 
Item 2 of 7John Mailler Scott19051911(?)Improver 
Item 3 of 7Douglas De-Butts RobertsonOctober 19051910(?)Apprentice 
Item 4 of 7James Fulton Ford19061911Apprentice 
Item 5 of 7Thomas Aikman SwanBefore 19061906Apprentice 
Item 6 of 7James Fulton Ford1911Before 1914Draughtsman 
Item 7 of 7James Fulton FordAfter 19111914Chief Draughtsman 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3John Macvicar Anderson11 March 1895for Associateship
Item 2 of 3Thomas Edward Collcutt11 March 1895for Associateship
Item 3 of 3William Leiper11 March 1895for Associateship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 5William Beattie-Brown20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 5Walter Fairbairn20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 5Alfred Greig20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 4 of 5George Donaldson Macniven20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 5 of 5George Mackie Watson20 July 1911for Licentiateship

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 35 Hydropathic InstitutionNorth Berwick East LothianScotlandHall and fireplaces - date unknown
Item 2 of 35c. 1890Cottage, 87 Portland StreetLeith EdinburghScotland 
Item 3 of 351895NorhamNorth Berwick East LothianScotlandFor his brother, W Birnie Rhind
Item 4 of 351897GlenorchyNorth Berwick East LothianScotland 
Item 5 of 351897HouseNorth Berwick East LothianScotland 
Item 6 of 351898VillaNorth Berwick East LothianScotland 
Item 7 of 351900Macvitties Guest & Co / McVities Guest & Co shop and tea room  EdinburghScotlandOriginal L-plan development round the corner house
Item 8 of 35c. 1900Business Premises, Randolph Place  EdinburghScotland 
Item 9 of 35c. 1900House, 9 Succoth Gardens  EdinburghScotland 
Item 10 of 351900 or 1901The HolliesBarnton EdinburghScotland 
Item 11 of 35190183 George Street  EdinburghScotland 
Item 12 of 351902Queen Victoria Memorial  LiverpoolEnglandCompetition design
Item 13 of 351903South African War MemorialHawick RoxburghshireScotlandSculpture? - possibly by William Birnie Rhind
Item 14 of 351903St Giles Cathedral, Royal Scots Boer Memorial  EdinburghScotland 
Item 15 of 351903St Rule'sDunbar East LothianScotland 
Item 16 of 351904NorhamNorth Berwick East LothianScotland 
Item 17 of 351905Premises for John Croall & Sons  EdinburghScotlandNew garage
Item 18 of 351905Unspecified country house, no 1     
Item 19 of 351905Unspecified country house, no 2   Scotland 
Item 20 of 351906Business premises at BathgateBathgate West LothianScotland 
Item 21 of 351906St Rule'sDunbar East LothianScotlandPlans passed
Item 22 of 3519071 Wester Coates Gardens  EdinburghScotland 
Item 23 of 351907Cranston's Ivanhoe Hotel  LondonEngland 
Item 24 of 351907Scottish National Exhibition, 1908Saughton EdinburghScotlandCompetition design - third premium
Item 25 of 351907Star Hotel  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 26 of 351912Cooling Towers  EdinburghScotland 
Item 27 of 351912Drill HallBathgate West LothianScotland 
Item 28 of 351912Marksmen’s Pavilion Hunters Bog Range Holyrood Park Holyrood Park  EdinburghScotlandFrom sketches by W T Oldrieve
Item 29 of 351912Royal Artillery Drill Hall  EdinburghScotland 
Item 30 of 351912St John's Episcopal Church  EdinburghScotlandDesign for unspecified work in church
Item 31 of 351912Territorial Army Building  EdinburghScotland 
Item 32 of 351913LynedaleWest Linton PeeblesshireScotlandUnspecified work
Item 33 of 351913Usher Hall  EdinburghScotlandCompetition design
Item 34 of 351914Henley BridgeHenley upon Thames OxfordshireEnglandCompetition design
Item 35 of 351914VillaCorstorphine EdinburghScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A1996A History of Scottish Architecture   
Item 2 of 4Post Office Directories     
Item 3 of 4Who Was Who Who was Who   
Item 4 of 4Who's Who in Architecture1914    

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Builder6 May 1927  p716 Obituary
Item 2 of 4Scotsman25 April 1927  Obituary
Item 3 of 4The Times26 April 1927  Obituary
Item 4 of 4The Watsonian3 July 1927XXIII p137

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 A v13 p37 (microfiche 59/F7)