Basic Biographical Details
| Name: | Thomas Ruddiman Wood |
| Designation: | |
| Born: | 13 March 1899 |
| Died: | 2 December 1988 |
| Bio Notes: | Thomas Ruddiman Wood was born on 18 March 1899, the son of Thomas Ruddiman Wood, wood carver, and his wife Ann Elizabeth Leonard. He trained with his father as an art craftsman woodcarver part-time before serving his articles with an as yet unidentified architect, though very probably A Marshall Mackenzie & Son. He attended classes at Aberdeen School of Art from 1919 to 1922. He continued his studies part-time as Henry Jarvis Scholar whilst working in the office of A Marshall Mackenzie & Son from the latter year, first in Aberdeen and then in London. He obtained his diploma from the Aberdeen School of Art in 1924, achieving first place, and the following year his post-diploma was endorsed and he passed the professional practice exam having been awarded an exemption from the RIBA final exam. He soon joined the practice of W & J R Milburn in Sunderland, and he was admitted ARIBA on 30 November 1925, his proposers being A Marshall Mackenzie and his employers Thomas Ridley Milburn and William Milburn. Over the following years Wood worked for the Birmingham Education Department and Surrey County Council as chief assistant. He served in Russia with the Royal Engineers during the Second World War, reaching the rank of Major, and after the war in 1945 was appointed Education Architect to Middlesbrough. He subsequently worked as Regional Architect for the Ministry of Health in Leeds and Newcastle, Regional Architect to the South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, and finally, from c.1961, Regional Architect to the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board. In his nomination paper for Fellowship to the RIBA he stated that he was involved with the planning of major hospital schemes. He was also author of various individual schemes as Regional Architect in his own department. Wood left the hospital service in 1964 and set up an independent general country practice in Milnathort, Kinross-shire undertaking planning, farm and residential work as well as extensive estate surveys and village surveys for redevelopment. He also assisted Perth Town Council with housing layouts and various house type plans. Although he does not specify the dates at which they were executed he states in the nomination paper that he executed a number of war memorials with his father (who died in 1961) all over Scotland. He was admitted FRIBA in 1968 at the age of sixty-nine, proposed by G K Larkin, Bernard Widdows and William A Gutteridge. In his private life, Wood enjoyed watercolour painting and bridge. He died on 2 December 1988 in Bridge of Earn Hospital, after six months of confinement. He was survived by his wife Dorothy Morrison, whom he had married fifty-six years earlier; two sons, Ian (who had emigrated to Australia) and Stewart; and a daughter, Jean (Mrs Gideon Scott). Prior to his final illness he had been living at Elphin House, 30 Burleigh Road, Milnathort. |
Private and Business Addresses
| The following private or business addresses are associated with this : | |||||
| Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | |
 | 2, Ravine Terrace, Roker, Sunderland, England | Private | 1925 * | ||
| Milnathort, Kinross-shire, Scotland | Business | 1964 | ||
| Elphin House/30, Burleigh Road, Milnathort, Kinross-shire, Scotland | Private | Before 1968 * | 1988 | |
* 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): | |||||
| Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | |
| A Marshall Mackenzie & Son | 1922 | 1925 | Apprentice | |
| W & T R Milburn | 1925 | Before 1939 | Assistant | |
| Birmingham Education Department | After 1925 | Before 1939 | Assistant | |
| Surrey County Council, Architect's Department | After 1925 | Before 1939 | Assistant | |
RIBA
RIBA Proposers
| The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | |||
| Name | Date proposed | Notes | |
| Alexander Marshall Mackenzie | 30 November 1925 | for Associateship |
| Thomas Ridley Milburn | 30 November 1925 | for Associateship |
| William Milburn | 30 November 1925 | for Associateship |
References
Archive References
| The following archives hold material relating to this : | ||||
| Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | |
| H M Register House | Death Register | ||
| RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | A no3884 (stored under F6314, combined box 132); F no6314 (combined box 132) | |
| School of Architecture, Garthdee, Aberdeen, RGIT: former pupils, 1937-1970 | Galletly, James | ||