Basic Biographical Details Name: | Thomas Forbes Maclennan | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 1873 | Died: | 25 February 1957 | Bio Notes: | Thomas Forbes Maclennan was born in 1873, the son of George Maclennan, and educated at George Watson's College. He was articled to McArthy and Watson in 1888 and attended Heriot-Watt College and Edinburgh College of Art and the School of Applied Art, winning a silver medal for building construction and the David Cousin prize for measured drawings. He spent a year with Thomas Greenshields Leadbetter before joining James Macintyre Henry as assistant in 1894. In the autumn of 1898 he made a study tour in Normandy and was taken into partnership in 1905. He passed the qualifying exam in 1902 and although no London classes are mentioned in his nomination papers, he was able to call on the London architects John Slater and Edward Augustus Gruning, together with Richard Phené Spiers, head of the RA Schools, as proposers when he was admitted ARIBA on 2 March 1903. While in partnership with James Macintyre Henry he conducted a private practice. In 1907 he married Euphemia Anderson, daughter of John Cathles, Secretary of the North British Railway Company, a match which probably brought useful connections.
Henry died on 18 September 1929. Maclennan thereafter ran the practice with junior partners, including John Colville Cunningham and his own daughter, Mrs E L Westwater. The practice operated from St Andrews as well as Edinburgh; it is as yet unclear if Maclennan had moved there to live after the death of Henry.
Thomas Maclennan took a rather more active part in public life than Henry. He joined the Queen's Edinburgh Rifles in 1890, was President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association 1914-18, and during the First World War he served on the Architects' War Committee and volunteered for service as sub-lieutenant in a Royal Engineers Signal Company in 1917. After the war he was one of the founders of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland of which he was later President, and like Henry before him he was Dean of Guild 1930-34. From 1934 to 1937 he was assistant Master of the Merchant Company and was Moderator of the High Constables and Guard of Honour of Holyroodhouse in 1941. In his youth he played water polo.
Maclennan retired in 1949 and went to live in Dolphinton, by West Linton, Peeblesshire. He died 25 February 1957. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 62, Colinton Road, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1903 * | | |  | 7, South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | Before 1903 | After 1930 | |  | 14, Cluny Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1924 * | | |  | St Andrews, Fife, Scotland | Private/business | c. 1930 | | Drawings by Maclennan & Cunningham with this address |  | 57, Melville Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1939 or 1940 * | | |  | Dolphinton, Peeblesshire, Scotland | Private | 1950 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes |  | Robert Thom Currie | 1904 | c. 1905 | Assistant | |  | Michael Lumsden | 1935 | 1937 | Apprentice | |
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA Proposals
Buildings and DesignsThis architect was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes |  | 1899 | Midlothian County Council Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | As assistant to James Macintyre Henry (in 1902 was engaged in drawing 1/2 and f.s. details) : design placed fourth in competition but was selected for the job |  | 1904 | Post office buildings | Penicuik | | Midlothian | Scotland | Mainly responsible |  | 1905 | School at New Elgin | New Elgin | | Morayshire | Scotland | Unsuccessful competition entry |  | 1906 | Lockerbie House | | | | Scotland | Alterations and additions |  | 1906 | Royal Blind Asylum | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Proposed additions of two storeys, not carried out but does appear to have done some extensions and reconstruction |  | 1906 | Scottish Horse HQ and Public Hall | Blair Atholl | | Perthshire | Scotland | |  | 1907 | Birmingham Council House extension and Art Galleries | | | Birmingham | England | Competition design for extension - not successful |  | 1907 | Blair Castle | Blair Atholl | | Perthshire | Scotland | Proposed addition to library |  | 1907 | Newington Free Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Refronting |  | 1907 | Newington UF Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | New front and chancel |  | 1907 | St Andrews Parish Church | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | Tower and porch added |  | 1908 | Blair Castle | Blair Atholl | | Perthshire | Scotland | New porch to wing; armoury |  | 1908 | Perth Town Hall | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Competition design placed third by J J Burnet |  | 1909 | Balnacraig House and Lodge | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Billiard room |  | 1909 | Millhills House | Crieff | | Perthshire | Scotland | Additions and remodelling; steading |  | 1911 | Corner site with shops, High Street | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1911 | Meal Mills | Bonnington | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Rebuilding after fire |  | 1912 | Edinburgh Royal Lunatic Asylum | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Nurses home, new quadrangular pavilion |  | 1912 | Lochbuie House | | Mull | | Scotland | Alterations |  | 1913 | Birnam Hotel | Birnam | | Perthshire | Scotland | Rebuilding after fire |  | 1914 | Chesterknowes | | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | |  | 1914 | Haddon's Court | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | East side |  | 1914 | Wester Riddell | Lilliesleaf | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | |  | 1915 | Glenegadale House | Inverleith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Mainly responsible |  | 1915 | Mary Murray Hospital | Prestonpans | | East Lothian | Scotland | Additions |  | 1916 | Scottish Veterans Garden City, Earl Haig Gardens | Trinity | | Edinburgh | Scotland | 1st and 3rd phases |  | 1916 | Scottish Veterans' Garden Cities Association Settlement, Kitchener Crescent | Longniddry | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1919 | Lawers | Comrie | | Perthshire | Scotland | Alterations for Captain Rockey |  | 1920 | Welfare buildings and hosiery factory for Munro & Co Ltd | Restalrig | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension to factory and new welfare buildings - mainly responsible |  | 1921 | Chamber of Commerce | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations, furnishing and decoration - mainly responsible |  | 1921 | Orchill | Dunblane | | Perthshire | Scotland | Restoration after fire |  | 1922 | Premises for John Croall & Sons | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations? |  | 1923 | Café Royal | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | American bar at NW corner |  | 1923 | New Grange Works | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension - mainly responsible |  | Before 1923 | Dyeworks | Slateford | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additions |  | Before 1923 | Gas Meter Works | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | Before 1923 | Skinworks | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | |  | 1925 | Millhills House | Crieff | | Perthshire | Scotland | Garden works |  | 1928 | House for Miss Margaret White | Greenbank | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1928 | Roxburghe Hotel | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Shopfront |  | 1929 | Menzies' Hanover Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1929 | Open Air Swimming Pool | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1930 | Garage, Castle Terrace and Lady Lawson Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | Between 1930 and 1939 | University Hall | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Drawing not dated |  | 1931 | Leith Methodist Church | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1931 | Torwood | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations |  | 1933 | House at Luffness | Luffness | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1933 | Houses for Fife County Council | Guardbridge | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1934 | Bonnington Road Oatmills | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1934 | Premises of the Scottish Motor Traction Co | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additions |  | 1934 | Premises of the Scottish Motor Traction Co | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension |  | 1934 | Printing works, 115-119 Rose Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1934 | Thornton's Warehouse | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1934 | Warehouse for Messrs Smarts | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1936 | Clarendon Hotel and Shopping Arcade | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations |  | 1936 | Methodist Central Hall | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Internal alterations |  | 1939 | School and halls, Walsh Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1939 | Young Men's Christian Association buildings | North Merchiston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Addition of games rooms, kitchen, canteen and caretaker's house |  | 1940 | Church of Scotland, Suite of Halls, Crewe Toll | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Post Office Directories | | | | | |  | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |  | Scottish Biographies | 1938 | | | E J Thurston (pub.) | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | RIBA Journal | September 1957 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | Obituary p474 (by J R Mackay) |  | Scotsman | 27 February 1957 | | | Obituary |  | Scotsman | 4 March 1957 | | | Obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v15 p110 (microfilm reel 18); F no 1981 (microfilm reel 16) |
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