Basic Biographical Details Name: | Thomas Frame & Son | Designation: | | Born: | Before 1863 | Died: | After 1970 | Bio Notes: | Thomas Frame was born in Culross c.1813. He became a joiner there, but was working in Dunfermline in the later 1830s before returning to Culross where he was for some two or three years a magistrate. In the summer of 1853 he transferred his business to Alloa, taking over the premises of Archibald Melvin in Mar Place, and in 1856 was responsible for the woodwork of J J M and W H Hay's Free Church in Bank Street. From 1864 he was a commissioner for the burgh and for a time its valuator.
Thomas Frame's son Adam was born in Dunfermline c.1837 and apprenticed to his father as a joiner. He was however 'bent on attaining a higher position in the building line which he did by becoming a complete architect' under his father's supervision, the firm becoming Thomas Frame & Son, architects, land surveyors and measurers. It is not clear when the transition took place but in 1863 they were considered as architects for the building of their church, West UP in Alloa. Peddie and Kinnear were appointed, but the Frames were appointed to supervise its building. Some of the firm's classical work has a Thomsonesque character; there is no record of Frame working in Glasgow but his brother Thomas was a merchant there.
Thomas died at Kellie Place, Alloa on 21 October 1875 and was buried at Greenside Cemetery.
Adam Frame took an active part in public life being a Burgh Commissioner (presumably a Police Commissioner) for Alloa in 1886-91 and a Baillie from 1889 to 1891. He was also a founder member and council member of the Alloa Society for Natural Science and Archaeology, and session clerk of West UP Church. In his later years Frame suffered from a weak heart from which he died 23 January 1901. The practice was continued by Thomas Frame Junior, but he died in 1903 at the early age of twenty-five. Harry Allan Newman took over the firm in 1903.
In 1929 the practice was acquired by George Twigg. Born in 1873 in Dumbarton, he had been articled to J M Crawford there. After a short period in an unspecified office in Edinburgh as junior assistant he had joined Thomas Frame & Son around 1900 as assistant. Between 1929 and 1945 George Twigg was responsible for a number of housing schemes for Clackmannan County Council and other local authorities though his obituarist does not specify if he held the post of County Architect. He also undertook 'a varied programme' of industrial and domestic work. He was a Fellow of the Stirling Society of Architects, the Stirling chapter of the RIAS, and served on its Council c.1940. He is described as 'of a quiet and unassuming disposition'.
Twigg was sole partner until 1945 when he was joined by his son, Lawrence Henry Twigg, who had been born on 17 September 1916. The younger Twigg had served his apprenticeship in the office of David W Glass of Stirling, and taken continuation classes at Stirling in 1934-5 followed by a diploma course at Glasgow School of Art from 1935 until June 1940. He had passed the professional practice exam the following month and been admitted ARIBA on 12 November the same year, his proposers being Thomas Harold Hughes, Edwin Sinclair Bell and Alastair Marshall McMichael. By that time he had been working for ICI Ltd at their explosives factory in Dumfries.
The elder Twigg died on 18 November 1953, survived by his wife Sarah Hilton. The younger Twigg continued the firm for the rest of his life. He died of a coronary thrombosis on 2 August 1970, survived by his wife Ethel Bede Wright. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Mar Place, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland | Private/business | 1853 | | | | 43, Mill Street, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland | Business | 1903 | After 1911 | Edinburgh Gazette | | 20, Victoria Street, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland | Business | 1964 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 | | | Bo'ness Distillery, Buildings for James Calder and Co | Bo'ness / Borrowstouness | | West Lothian | Scotland | Date unknown | | | Co-operative Society Buildings, Ward Street | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Date unknown | | | Distillers Company, Buildings at Cambus | Cambus | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Date unknown | | | Distillers Company, Buildings at Carsebridge | Carsebridge | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Date unknown | | | Distillers Company, Buildings at Glenochil | Glenochil | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Date unknown | | | Middleton Kerse | | | | Scotland | Additions for McNab - date unknown | | | St Mungo's RC School | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Date unknown | | c. 1860 | Beechwood | Tillicoultry | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | In partnership | | 1862 | Co-operative Society Buildings, High Street | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | In partnership | | c. 1865 | Alloa Corn Exchange | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | In partnership | | 1872 | Birkendale | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | In partnership | | 1873 | Burgh Chambers | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1873 | Savings bank | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Extension | | 1874 | Naemoor | Muckhart | | Clackmannanshire? | Scotland | Also later additions | | 1874 | Tenement for J and J Dawson, Mill Street | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | In partnership | | c. 1874 | British Linen Bank | Strathbungo | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | c. 1874 | Houses, 29-31 Grange Road | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Attributed to partnership | | 1875 | Halbeath School and Schoolmaster's House | Halbeath | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1875 | Primary School, Saline | Saline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1875 | Tenement, 5-11 Coalgate | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1875 | Townhill Primary School | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1876 | Duty-free warehouse and store for Bruce & Glen | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1877 | St Patrick's RC Church | Lochgelly | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1879 | St James the Great Episcopal Church | Dollar | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1881 | St Andrews Parish Church | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1882 | Post Office | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1883 | Grangemouth Town Hall | Grangemouth | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Came second in competition | | 1886 | Glendevon Parish Church | Glendevon | | Perthshire | Scotland | Re-seating and repairs | | 1887 | Co-operative Society Buildings, Primrose Street | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1887 | Primary School, Fishcross | Fishcross | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1887 | Sauchie School | Sauchie | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1888 | Clackmannan Town Hall | Clackmannan | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1888 | UP Church, Alva | Alva | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Porch and alterations | | 1889 | Manse, Walker Terrace | Tillicoultry | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1891 | UP Mission Hall | Menstrie | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1891 | West UP Church Hall | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1895 | Co-operative Society Buildings, Drysdale Street | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1897 | Clackmannan Public School | Clackmannan | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1904 | Public School | Tullibody | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1905 | Fairfield School | Sauchie | | Stirlingshire? | Scotland | | | 1914 | Corn Exchange | Cupar | | Fife | Scotland | Strengthening of spire | | 1924 | Clackmannan Public School | Clackmannan | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Additions | | 1930s | Housing, Main Street | Menstrie | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1935 | Housing, Sorley's Brae | Dollar | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Archibald, J | 1911 | Alloa Sixty Years Age | | | pp165-166 | | Measurers\' Companion | 1911 | The Scottish Architects' and Measurers' Companion | | | | | Municipal Annual | 1964 | Scottish Municipal Annual | 1964-1965 | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Alloa Advertiser | 25 June 1853 | | | | | Alloa Advertiser | 23 October 1875 | | | | | Alloa Advertiser | January 1901 | | | Check date | | Alloa Journal | 23 October 1875 | | | | | Alloa Journal | January 1901 | | | Obituary of Adam Frame | | Edinburgh Gazette | 7 August 1903 | | | p825 - Thomas Frame & Son, Architects, Surveyors, and Valuators, 43 Mill Street, Alloa, acquired from the late Thomas Frame's Executrix, by Harry Allan Newman, Architect, Surveyor, and Valuator, Alloa |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Research by Adam Swan |
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