Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | John McLean (or Maclean) Crawford | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 1854 | Died: | 1950 | Bio Notes: | John McLean Crawford, who signed his name thus but was generally referred to by others as John Maclean Crawford, was born in 1854 in Parliamentary Road, Glasgow, the son of John Crawford, sculptor (who died aged 30 on 11 February 1861). Educated at Hamilton Academy, he was apprenticed in 1872 to John Burnet senior who had commissioned his father to do the figures of Hope on the Seaman's Chapel and figures on the Bank of Scotland at Carlton Place and Bridge Street (he also did the sculpture on McIntyre's corner at The Cross). Thereafter the younger Crawford spent some time in London with Sir George Gilbert Scott, Sir Arthur Blomfield and William Flockhart followed by a period in the office of Charles Lynam in Stoke-on-Trent. He returned to Scotland c.1885 to work briefly in the office of John Burnet & Son under John James Burnet, before commencing practice on his own account in 1886 in Dumbarton. A second office was opened in Glasgow in 1896. The practice specialised in the design of first-class passenger steamer interiors - of which Crawford had designed over thirty by 1906, at least some of these being for the prominent Dumbarton shipbuilding firm of William Denny & Bros - in addition to the usual repertoire of church, school, commercial and domestic buildings.
Crawford took his former apprentice Alexander Cochran Denny into partnership in the Dumbarton office in June 1900. Denny, presumably a member of the shipbuilding family, had spent brief periods working for Peter Macgregor Chalmers and Hippolyte Jean Blanc since leaving Crawford's office in March 1899. The partnership was dissolved in June 1903 when Crawford gave up the Dumbarton branch office, working thereafter in Glasgow whilst Denny continued the Dumbarton practice independently.
Crawford was a prominent member of the Glasgow Arts Club and was first architect president in 1903. He was admitted FRIBA on 11 June 1906, his proposers being John Keppie, Horatio Kelson Bromhead and C J MacLean. Crawford's architecture is generally somewhat disappointing given his London experience. He had retired by 1930 and died in 1950 | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 37, Church Street, Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland | Private | Before 1886 | After 1903 | |  | 103, Douglas Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1899 | After 1900 | |  | 113, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1904 | After 1910(?) | |  | Auchinlarich, Caldarvan, by Balloch, Dunbartonshire, Scotland | Private | 1906 * | | |  | 77, Wilson Street, Hillhead, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1914 | | |  | The Tower, Torrance, Stirlingshire, Scotland | Private | Before 1914 | After 1940 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or Pupils
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | Horatio Kelson Bromhead | 11 June 1906 | for Fellowship |  | John Keppie | 11 June 1906 | for Fellowship |  | C J MacLean | 11 June 1906 | for Fellowship |
RIBA ProposalsThis architect proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | Alexander Cochran Denny | 4 March 1907 | for Associateship |  | William Rankin | 24 June 1912 | for Licentiateship |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | p460 |  | Johnston, W T | 2003 | Artists of Scotland | | Officina Publications CDROM | |  | MacLeod, D | 1893 | Dumbarton Ancient and Modern | | | |  | Who's Who in Glasgow | 1909 | | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | Glasgow City Archives | Worsdall Collection | | |  | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Research by Iain Paterson |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | F v17 p61 no1127 (microfilm reel 12) |
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