Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Simpson Pirie | Designation: | | Born: | 27 September 1860 | Died: | 12 April 1943 | Bio Notes: | James Simpson Pirie was born in Turriff, Aberdeenshire on 27 September 1860. As a boy he moved to Edinburgh with his family. He attended George Watson's College and entered the practice of Blyth & Cunningham in Edinburgh in 1877 rising to the position of chief assistant in the early years of the 20th century. When the firm's senior partner Benjamin Hall Blyth junior died in 1917, the other partner, Benjamin Hall Blyth III, was in France, serving as a Colonel with the Royal Engineers, having enlisted on the outbreak of the First World War. Pirie was then made a partner, Benjamin Hall Blyth III returning to the partnership at the cease of hostilities.
The first 40 years of Pirie's professional life were spent almost entirely on railway and dock construction works, first for the Caledonian and afterwards for the North British Railway Companies in Scotland. There was very little construction work in hand between 1918 and 1927, but thereafter the firm became involved in the extensive new programme of reconstruction of the country's roads and bridges instigated by the Ministry of Transport and the Local Authorities. They also became consultants to many industrial concerns such as mills, factories and breweries.
In 1930 James Reed, who had graduated BSc at Edinburgh University and subsequently trained with Redpath Brown & Company and Balfour Beatty & Co before becoming chief assistant in the Blyth firm in 1927, was taken into partnership. Pirie retired in 1934 or 1935, having been with the practice for 57 years. He died on 12 April 1943. Blyth and Reed continued in partnership thereafter. Throughout the latter changes the practice title remained unchanged as Blyth & Blyth. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 135, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | Before 1917 | 1935 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Blyth & Blyth | 1917 | 1935 | Partner | | | Blyth & Blyth | Before 1917 | 1917 | Chief Assistant | |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Blyth & Blyth | 1948 | A history of the firm of Blyth & Blyth, chartered civil engineers, consulting structural engineers … 1848-1948 | | Edinburgh: C J Cousland | | | Royal Society of Edinburgh | 1943 | Royal Society of Edinburgh Yearbook, 1942-43 | | | Obituary of Pirie by B Hall Blyth. |
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