Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Crombie | Designation: | | Born: | 21 August 1845 | Died: | 1909 | Bio Notes: | James Crombie and Alan Burgess Crombie were born on 21 August 1845, the twin sons of architect Alexander Crombie of Dumfries. Both were articled to their father in 1860. Alan subsequently sought experience in London with Henry Astley Darbishire from 1864 to 1866, returning to assist his father in the latter year before being taken into partnership in 1870. James had a rather more adventurous career than his brother, seeking experience in the offices of Ewan Christian, Christopher Obee Ellison and Cubitt and Co's in London and Gambrill & Richardson in New York, returning c.1876 to become his brother's partner.
Alexander Crombie died in 1880. His sons' partnership was dissolved by 1881 when James became the partner of Patrick James Byrne of Windsor, with an office address at Lyons Inn Chambers, 303 Strand, London, and a home address at Rutland Lodge, Dulwich. Alan Burgess was elected FRIBA on 20 March that year, his proposers being John Honeyman, Darbishire, and John Baird. James must have passed the RIBA's qualifying exam as he was elected ARIBA on 9 January 1882, his proposers being Christian, Professor Robert Kerr and John Thomas Wimperis. He continued to practise from London, competing against his brother for the Ewart Library in 1900. He died in 1909.
Alan predeceased his brother on 29 November 1904. The practice was taken over by his twenty-two-year-old son Wilfrid Fitzalan Crombie (born 30 January 1882), who had been articled to his father for two years from September 1896, leaving to attend eight months of day classes at Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College before being placed with Honeyman and Keppie (from 1901 Honeyman and Mackintosh) from 1899 to 1903, when he had returned to his father's practice.
Despite this interesting architectural lineage the work of the younger Crombies is notably interesting only in the decade following Alan and James's return from London and New York, notably at the Gothic board schools of the 1870s and the huge Victorian palazzo façade of Rosefield Mills which was presumably the inspiration for William Leiper's still finer Templeton Factory façade at Glasgow Green a few years later. Alan's later work is neo-Jacobean as at Maxwelltown Courthouse and neo-baroque as at the Ewart Library. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 3, Queen Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland | Private/business(?) | 1863 * | | | | Lyons Inn Chambers/ 303, The Strand, London, England | Business | c. 1881 | | | | Rutland Lodge, Dulwich, London, England | Private | c. 1881 | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers* earliest date known from documented sources.
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Ewan Christian | 9 January 1882 | for Associateship | | Robert Kerr | 9 January 1882 | for Associateship | | John Thomas Wimperis | 9 January 1882 | for Associateship |
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 | | 1876 | Schools | Dumfries and neighbourhood | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1876 | St Michael's School | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1878 | Kirkpatrick-Fleming Manse | Kirkpatrick-Fleming | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1878 | St Mary's Church | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Alterations | | 1878 | Villas in Lovers Walk and Newall Terrace | Dumfries | | Dunfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1880 | Gretna Manse | Gretna Green | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1900 | Ewart Free Library | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Placed third by the assessor, but his brother obtained the commission | | Before 1909(?) | Kirkconnel School | Kirkconnel | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Designed extension? (NB: Crombie died in 1909, and extension was executed in 1912-14; unclear whether he designed the extension before his death or whether this is a misattribution) |
ReferencesPeriodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Dumfries and Galloway Standard | 27 August 1845 | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v8 p85 (microfiche 31/F4) |
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