Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Leslie Findlay
Designation:  
Born: 30 April 1868
Died: 19 September 1952
Bio Notes: James Leslie Findlay was born on 30 April 1868, the younger son of John Ritchie Findlay, proprietor of the Scotsman. Findlay was educated at Harrow and apprenticed to his father's architect A G Sydney Mitchell. As he never sought membership to the RIBA precise dates are lacking, but he designed Dean Path Buildings for his father in 1885 at the early age of 17, presumably while still in Mitchell's office. In 1894 he was taken into partnership by James Bow Dunn. The partnership was probably formed for the purpose of building the Scotsman's new buildings (begun 1898) but had got off to an even earlier start with an important competition win for the Adam Smith Memorial and Beveridge Halls and Library in Kirkcaldy in 1894.

Although the partnership prospered principally from commissions from Findlay's father, by 1901 Dunn was advising Robert Lorimer against taking a partner, taking the view that 'a small business that you look after yourself with a few fellows is the best.' By that date Dunn was already undertaking commissions in his own name only. The partnership was closed in 1903 although Dunn and Findlay continued to share offices until 1906.

Findlay maintained an Edinburgh office at 34 Queen Street until 1915 but designed little thereafter apart from his own house, Muirtown in Strathspey, being more interested in fishing, woodworking and the Volunteers. During the First World War he was Lieutenant Colonel commanding trhe First Lowland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery serving with the 51st Highland Division in France. After he was invalidated out of the army he did not resume his architectural career. He died on 19 September 1952, survived by his wife Kathleen Marguerite Richardson of County Antrim, two sons and two daughters.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 694, George Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness18941896 
Item 2 of 635, Frederick Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness18961903 
Item 3 of 642, Frederick Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness19031906 
Item 4 of 614, Coates Gardens, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivatec. 19041906 
Item 5 of 634, Queen Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness19061915 
Item 6 of 610, Eton Terrace, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivatec. 1907c. 1919Was his office as well from 1915-1919

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 2Arthur George Sydney MitchellAfter 1883Before 1894Apprentice 
Item 2 of 2Dunn & Findlay18941905Partner 

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 93 15 Eglinton Crescent  EdinburghScotlandAlterations? No date. May be Dunn alone or later
Item 2 of 93 Custom House InnLinlithgow West LothianScotlandPossibly by Dunn & Findlay
Item 3 of 93 Hospital design   Scotland 
Item 4 of 93 Stables at Thornybauk  EdinburghScotlandDate unknown
Item 5 of 931893252-284 Bonnington Road  EdinburghScotland 
Item 6 of 931893Greyfriars Bar  EdinburghScotlandPub-front designed - in collaboration with James Bow Dunn prior to partnership
Item 7 of 931894Adam Smith Memorial and Beveridge Halls and LibraryKirkcaldy FifeScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 8 of 931894Chisholm Trust Tenements  EdinburghScotland 
Item 9 of 931894Mansion, 59-61 Inverleith PlaceInverleith EdinburghScotland 
Item 10 of 931894SlaughterhouseInnerleithen PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 11 of 93189514 Picardy Place  EdinburghScotlandGround floor frontage
Item 12 of 93189521 Charlotte Square  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 13 of 931895Bellevue HotelDunbar East LothianScotland 
Item 14 of 931895Building at 24-25 Home Street, including National Bank of ScotlandLochrin EdinburghScotlandShops and shop fronts
Item 15 of 931895Dean Path Buildings  EdinburghScotland 
Item 16 of 931895Hawthornbank BuildingsDean Village EdinburghScotland 
Item 17 of 931895North British Railway Hotel  EdinburghScotlandCompetition design
Item 18 of 931895Unidentified House at PerthPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 19 of 931895Union Club  EdinburghScotlandInternal alterations
Item 20 of 93After 1895Fleming Cottage HospitalAberlour BanffshireScotland 
Item 21 of 931896Bungalow for Henry EleyMilnathort Kinross-shireScotland 
Item 22 of 931896Dalmahoy House and lodgesRatho EdinburghScotlandNorth lodge
Item 23 of 931896Deaconess Hospital  EdinburghScotlandExtensions?
Item 24 of 931896Double villa, Marmion Road and Clifford RoadNorth Berwick East LothianScotland 
Item 25 of 931896Eskbank HouseMusselburgh MidlothianScotland 
Item 26 of 931896Gardener's CottageWalkerburn PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 27 of 931896Plewlands EstatePlewlands Estate EdinburghScotlandFeuing plan, houses, villas, etc
Item 28 of 93189741 Drumsheugh Gardens  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 29 of 931897Conservative Club  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 30 of 931897Gordon Parish ChurchGordon BerwickshireScotland 
Item 31 of 931897GyleburnLockerbie DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 32 of 931897Menstrie Church hallsMenstrie ClackmannanshireScotland 
Item 33 of 931897Menstrie Parish ChurchMenstrie ClackmannanshireScotlandAlterations
Item 34 of 931897Perth Co-operative Society TenementsPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 35 of 931897Tenement Block with shopsTollcross EdinburghScotland 
Item 36 of 931897Tenements and ShopsGullane East LothianScotland 
Item 37 of 931897Tenements with shopsTollcross EdinburghScotland 
Item 38 of 931897Tenements, corner of Friar Street and Abbot StreetPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 39 of 931897Tenements, Gilmore Place  EdinburghScotland 
Item 40 of 931897Villa at GullaneGullane East LothianScotland 
Item 41 of 931897Villa at GullaneGullane East LothianScotland 
Item 42 of 931898Double Villa, MusselburghMusselburgh MidlothianScotland 
Item 43 of 931898Harmeny House and LodgeBalerno MidlothianScotland 
Item 44 of 931898House for A C D VertGullane East LothianScotland 
Item 45 of 931898Muir Hall of Residence  EdinburghScotlandConverted from houses
Item 46 of 931898Villas, Murrayfield GardensMurrayfield EdinburghScotland 
Item 47 of 931898Wesleyan Methodist Mission Halls  EdinburghScotland 
Item 48 of 931899105-109 Nicolson Street  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 49 of 93189911-13 Douglas Crescent  EdinburghScotlandAttic storey added
Item 50 of 93189912-14 Princes Street  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 51 of 93189922, 24, 26, 30 Inverleith PlaceInverleith EdinburghScotlandArchitects commissioned by Sutherland & Sons
Item 52 of 931899Craighouse Terrace  EdinburghScotland 
Item 53 of 931899Methodist Central Hall  EdinburghScotland 
Item 54 of 931899QuarryknoweJoppa EdinburghScotland 
Item 55 of 931899Rentons, 10-15 Princes Street  EdinburghScotlandProposed alterations
Item 56 of 931899Scotsman Buildings  EdinburghScotland 
Item 57 of 931899Scotsman Buildings extension  EdinburghScotland 
Item 58 of 931899St Mungo's Parish Church Hall  EdinburghScotland 
Item 59 of 93Late 1800sFishertonAberlour BanffshireScotlandEstate office wing
Item 60 of 931900Houses, Abinger GardensCorstorphine EdinburghScotland 
Item 61 of 931900Royal Riding AcademyLeith EdinburghScotland 
Item 62 of 931900Terraced Villas and shopsMorningside EdinburghScotland'Continuous villas'.
Item 63 of 931900Villas, East End, GullaneGullane East LothianScotland 
Item 64 of 931900Currie Memorial Public hallLilliesleaf RoxburghshireScotland?
Item 65 of 93190134 Buckingham Terrace  EdinburghScotlandInterior work
Item 66 of 931901Building on South side of High StreetElgin MorayshireScotland 
Item 67 of 931901Dean Parish Church  EdinburghScotland 
Item 68 of 931901Hill of BurnsCreetown KirkcudbrightshireScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 69 of 931901Upholsterer's at Silvermills  EdinburghScotland 
Item 70 of 931901Victoria Chambers  EdinburghScotland 
Item 71 of 931901Villa for Messrs D Sutherland and Sons  EdinburghScotland 
Item 72 of 931902House at BarntonBarnton EdinburghScotland 
Item 73 of 931902House for J Michael Brown  EdinburghScotland 
Item 74 of 931902NorthfieldColinton EdinburghScotland 
Item 75 of 931902Offices and shop premises, 14-16 Frederick Street  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 76 of 931902Queen's Club  EdinburghScotland 
Item 77 of 931902Tenement, 198-206 Bruntsfield Place  EdinburghScotland 
Item 78 of 931902Tenement, 208-226 Bruntsfield Place and 2-10 Merchiston Place  EdinburghScotland 
Item 79 of 931902Tenements, Spottiswoode Street and Spottiswoode Road  EdinburghScotland 
Item 80 of 931902Villa for J M BrownLundin Links FifeScotland 
Item 81 of 93190318 Alva Street  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 82 of 93190320 Hermitage Drive  EdinburghScotland 
Item 83 of 93190324 Ainslie Place  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 84 of 931903BellendenInnerleithen PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 85 of 931903Bisset's HotelGullane East LothianScotlandExtension
Item 86 of 931903Castle MenziesAberfeldy PerthshireScotlandAlterations
Item 87 of 931903Deaconess Hospital  EdinburghScotlandExtensions
Item 88 of 931903Houses and Villas, Plewlands TerracePlewlands Estate EdinburghScotlandUncertain if involved
Item 89 of 931903Life Association of Scotland, Head Office and Bedford Hotel  EdinburghScotlandPlans - alterations to Bedford Hotel
Item 90 of 931903Tenement block, South Street and Canal StreetPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 91 of 93190453, 55, 57, 59 Home Street  EdinburghScotlandAlterations to shop front
Item 92 of 931904BarnhillPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 93 of 931913Kinermony HouseAberlour (near) BanffshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Braidwood, Niall C1988Dunn and Findlay and The Scotsman Building RIBA Dissertation 1988 
Item 2 of 2Post Office Directories     

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Scotsman20 September 1952   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Conservation recorded in letter to R S Dods.