Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Alexander Kidd
Designation:  
Born: 1879
Died: 20 April 1929
Bio Notes: William Alexander Kidd was born in Greenock in 1879, the son of William Kidd, ironmonger and his wife Margaret Colquhoun Barr. He joined the practice of James Salmon & Son in 1898 as an apprentice and studied at Glasgow School of art from that year until 1902, also attending classes at the Glasgow & West of Scotland Technical College. He became chief draughtsman in the Salmon practice sometime before 1911, by which date the firm had become Salmon Son & Gillespie. In that year he was admitted LRIBA, his proposers being James Salmon Junior and John Gaff Gillespie (both partners of the firm), and Harry Edward Clifford.

He remained with Gillespie after the latter took charge of the practice following the death of William Forrest Salmon. Gillespie took him into partnership in 1918.

When Gillespie died on 7 May 1926, leaving estate of £1,950 4s 11d to his wife Agnes, Kidd was his executor. Kidd continued the practice under the same name and a year later took into partnership Jack Antonio Coia, who had joined the firm in 1915 before working in several London offices, and had only recently returned to Glasgow.

Kidd died at 21 Fox Street, Greenock on 20 April 1929. He was unmarried. Coia continued the practice alone under the same name of Gillespie Kidd & Coia. The entire archive of the Salmon practice was sent for pulping when Coia was interned in 1940.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness   
Item 2 of 2Milton Lodge/21, Fox Street, Greenock, Renfrewshire, ScotlandPrivateBefore 18981929 

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 7James Salmon & Son1898November 1903Apprentice 
Item 2 of 7Salmon, Son & GillespieNovember 1903Before 1911Draughtsman(?) 
Item 3 of 7Salmon, Son & GillespieBefore 1911June 1913Chief Draughtsman 
Item 4 of 7John Gaff GillespieJune 19131918Chief Draughtsman 
Item 5 of 7John Gaff Gillespie19181926Partner 
Item 6 of 7Gillespie & Kidd19261927Partner 
Item 7 of 7Gillespie Kidd & Coia19271928Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Henry Edward Clifford20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3John Gaff Gillespie20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 3James Salmon (junior)20 July 1911for Licentiateship

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 111901Deaf and Dumb InstituteLangside GlasgowScotlandAlterations to Earn Cottage and Boys' Home - as assistant to Salmon & Son
Item 2 of 111901Lloyd Morris Memorial ChurchOatlands GlasgowScotlandAs assistant with Salmon & Son
Item 3 of 111902Whitehill Street SchoolDennistoun GlasgowScotlandThree storey classroom extension - as assistant to Salmon & Son
Item 4 of 11After 1902Lanfine Cottage Home for Consumptives, BroomhillKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotlandBuilt to revised plans - as assistant to Salmon Son & Gillespie
Item 5 of 111904WalfordPrestonpans East LothianScotlandAs assistant to Salmon, Son & Gillespie - additions
Item 6 of 111905CottageKilmacolm/Kilmalcolm RenfrewshireScotlandAs assistant to Salmon, Son & Gillespie
Item 7 of 111905North LodgeEdzell AngusScotlandAs assistant to Salmon Son & Gillespie
Item 8 of 111906Cartsburn Public SchoolGreenock RenfrewshireScotlandAs assistant to Salmon, Son & Gillespie
Item 9 of 111909Cove Farm Garden SuburbGourock RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 10 of 111910Offices, 36 Oswald Street and Ann Street  GlasgowScotlandAlterations - as assistant to Salmon Son & Gillespie
Item 11 of 111926F & J Smith Furniture Warehouse  GlasgowScotlandExtension (on Union Street) and insertion of restaurant; also ballroom

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Post Office Directories     

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Additional research by Iain Paterson
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v18 no 1384