Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Lindsay Grant
Designation:  
Born: 1866
Died: 29 March 1938
Bio Notes: James Lindsay Grant was born in 1866 the son of the late Mr J Lindsay Grant of Edinburgh and grandson of the late Mr Grant of Balmullo, Fife. He was educated in Edinburgh and in 1885 was articled to George Morham who was an engineer and surveyor and brother of Robert Morham, City Architect. He did not, however, find the work there congenial and preferred to spend his time drawing. Morham generously encouraged this and allowed him to do what drawings were required in the office and to attend morning classes at the Trustees' Academy.

At the end of his articles he found a place as junior assistant in Hippolyte Blanc's office and remained there for eighteen months. He then transferred to the office of Robert Rowand Anderson as junior assistant, and attended classes at the Edinburgh School of Applied Art. Whilst there he was involved in the restoration of Dunblane Cathedral and the building of the McEwan Hall. He then moved to gain wider experience successively to the office of William Henry Thorp of Leeds and was involved in the design of Leeds Medical School; and to Manchester as assistant to Joseph Gibbons Sankey and later Charles Henry Heathcote, and was involved there with the commissions for several business and banking premises.

Grant commenced practice on his own account in 1900 and was premiated in various competitions, including Oldham Baths for which he submitted two designs in collaboration with Arthur Reginald Groome, where he was awarded second prize but won the commission; for Chadderton Carnegie Library where he was awarded first prize; for the public library at Taunton where he was awarded second prize; for the Congregational Schools at Staleybridge in collaboration with Edward Garlick where he was awarded second prize; and Montrose Library, where he was awarded first prize. Subsequently he secured the commissions for designing the transepts at St Luke's, Poulton, and the reconstruction and an extension to North Manchester Grammar School, as well as that for a Parish Hall in Northenden, Cheshire, where he resided.

Grant was appointed assistant lecturer at the School of Architecture, Manchester University in 1906. In 1907 he travelled in Italy, and in 1908 and 1912 he ventured to France.

He passed the qualifying exam in London in 1918 and was admitted ARIBA late that year, his proposers being Paul Ogden, Percy Worthington and James John Sydney Naylor. He continued to lecture at the School of Architecture for many years, and became head of the Municipal School of Art shortly after the First World War. Under his direction the school developed into a full-time school wth a five-year course. Grant was noted for his fine draughtsmanship and for his scholarly work on the history of architecture. He had a detailed knowledge of Etruscan architecture and decoration, his drawings and associated papers on these subjects being presented to the RIBA in 1937.

Grant was an active member of the Manchester Society of Architects and had been in retirement for some years before his death on 29 March 1938.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 4Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1866After 1905(?) 
Item 2 of 42, St Peter's Square, Manchester, EnglandBusiness1903  
Item 3 of 4School of Architecture, Victoria University, Manchester, EnglandBusiness1906After 1918 
Item 4 of 4Church Villa, Northenden, Cheshire, EnglandPrivate1918 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.


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 6George Morham1885c. 1889Apprentice 
Item 2 of 6Hippolyte Jean Blancc. 1889(?)1890(?)Apprentice 
Item 3 of 6(Sir) Robert Rowand Anderson18901896Assistant 
Item 4 of 6William Henry Thorp1896Before 1900Assistant 
Item 5 of 6Charles Heathcote & SonsAfter 1896Before 1900Assistant 
Item 6 of 6Joseph Gibbons SankeyAfter 1896Before 1900Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3James John Sydney NaylorLate 1918for Associateship
Item 2 of 3Paul OgdenLate 1918for Associateship
Item 3 of 3(Sir) Percy Scott WorthingtonLate 1918for Associateship

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 31890Dunblane CathedralDunblane PerthshireScotlandRestoration - as junior assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
Item 2 of 31890University of Edinburgh, Medical School and McEwan Hall  EdinburghScotlandMcEwan Hall - as junior assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
Item 3 of 31903Montrose Public LibraryMontrose AngusScotlandWon competition and secured job

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Mace, Angela1938'British Architectural Library: architecture in manuscript' RIBA Journal 12 September 1938p180

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Journal12 September 1938v45London: Royal Institute of British Architectsp993 - obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no2657 (microfilm reel 22)