Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Sinclair | Designation: | | Born: | 1869 | Died: | 21 August 1934 | Bio Notes: | George Sinclair was born in Wick in 1869, the son of William Stuart Sinclair, shipwright and Cecilia Spence, who had been in Glasgow at the time of the birth of their daughter Janet c. 1865 but had returned to their native Wick before the birth of a second daughter, Cecilia, c. 1867. George was articled to Bruce & Hay in Glasgow 1885, remaining for a year-and-a-half after completing his apprenticeship. He then joined Stark & Rowntree as assistant for two years. During that period he studied at Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow & West of Scotland Technical College. At the School of Art he attracted the attention of William James Anderson who took him into his own office as a draughtsman. He left to join John Campbell McKellar and while there he passed the qualifying exam in 1896. He was admitted ARIBA on 30 November 1896, his proposers being Campbell Douglas, Thomas Lennox Watson and C J MacLean. Shortly thereafter Sinclair commenced practice on his own account, and in 1902 he took into partnership a former colleague at McKellar's, John Ballantine (b. 1874), who had been articled to McKellar in 1889, remaining with him as an assistant until he joined Sinclair.
The practice was initially fairly successful, partly due to Sinclair's connections in Caithness and Sutherland, and by c.1904 Sinclair was prosperous enough to move to Kilmacolm. The practice entered a large number of competitions for libraries and public halls in which it tended to come 2nd or 3rd, its more important successes being Rutherglen Public Library and the St Vincent Masonic Halls. The bread and butter aspect of the practice was tenements, work which dried up abruptly with the Finance Act of 1909. In that year the partnership was dissolved, Sinclair having obtained an appointment with the Inland Revenue Valuation Department. Ballantine obtained a job as an assistant with George Arthur & Son and Sinclair continued the practice alone at 95 Bath Street. When the Inland Revenue work ended, sometime after 1914, Sinclair moved his practice to 1 Court Street, Haddington, Ballantine taking on the Bath Street office for his own practice. Whilst in Haddington, Sinclair secured some estate work and the commission for North Berwick municipal buildings.
Sinclair returned to Glasgow to re-open practice at 121 Bath Street sometime before 1929, resuming residency at his house in Kilmacolm. He died of acute intestinal obstruction at 15 Park Terrace, Glasgow on 21 August 1934. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 112, Crookston Road, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1890 | | | | 67, St James Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1893 | 1896 or 1897 | | | 97, Shields Road, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1896 or 1897 | 1904 or 1905 | | | 95, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1898 | After 1914 | | | Mossgiel, Kilmacolm/Kilmalcolm, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1904 or 1905 | 1907 or 1908 | | | Olrig, Kilmacolm/Kilmalcolm, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1907 or 1908 | After 1911 | | | 1, Court Street, Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland | Business | After 1914 | Before 1931 | | | 121, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1929 | 1934 | | | Olrig, Kilmacolm/Kilmalcolm, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1930 | 1934 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Campbell Douglas | 30 November 1896 | for Associateship | | C J MacLean | 30 November 1896 | for Associateship | | Thomas Lennox Watson | 30 November 1896 | for Associateship |
RIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Andrew Rennie Crawford | 20 July 1911 | for Licentiateship | | Gilbert Telfer Scott | 19 December 1910 | for Licentiateship |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Post Office Directories | | | | | |
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 | | Information on family and addresses from research by Iain Paterson | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v12 p121 (microfiche 63/B5) |
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