Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Fulton Ford | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 31 October 1889 | Died: | 19 April 1961 | Bio Notes: | James Fulton Ford was born on 31 October 1889, the son of William Ford, police sergeant and his wife Barbara Fulton. He was educated at Leith Public School and from 29 September 1903 until 19 July 1905 at George Watson's College and seems to have also spent some time at George Heriot's School, as he is listed on George Heriot's Roll of Honour in 1921. He served his articles with Thomas Duncan Rhind from 1906, attending classes at Edinburgh College of Art and taking study tours of Scotland in his spare time. On completing his apprenticeship in 1911 he remained as draughtsman, and had been promoted to chief draughtsman by the time he commenced war service with the 9th Royal Scots in 1914. (Ford enrolled as a member of the Royal Scots Club in Edinburgh in 1933-34 but whether he remained a member is yet not known).
At the end of the war in 1919 he spent a short period as draughtsman in the office of David McArthy of Edinburgh before obtaining the appointment of chief draughtsman with James Davidson Cairns in 1920. Cairns took Ford into partnership in June 1928, their office being at 63 George Street, Edinburgh. From 1938 Arthur Bain Morrison entered the partnership, the practice title remaining unchanged. Ford was admitted LRIBA on 15 February 1944, his proposers being Cairns, Thomas Forbes Maclennan and John Ross McKay. He was also an Associate of the Edinburgh Architectural Association.
When fellow Edinburgh architect Charles Edward Tweedie Junior died on 11 February 1947, J D Cairns & Ford temporarily took over his business whilst his two sons completed their architectural training. Cairns died on 25 November that year. Ford died at the Eastern General Hospital, Edinburgh, on 19 April 1961, survived by his wife Isabella Cowie Mortimer and at least one daughter. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 63, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1919 | After 1947(?) | |  | 88, Grange Loan, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1933 | 1961 | |  | 48, Melville Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1950 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
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ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | Courtesy of Neill Gilhooley | Information sent to Dictionary | | Sent November 2015. |  | H M Register House | Death Register | | |  | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Information courtesy of Neil Brown |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L no5558 (combined box 87) |
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