Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Straton Ferrier | Designation: | | Born: | 1883 | Died: | 10 February 1958 | Bio Notes: | James Straton Ferrier was born in 1883, son of the watercolourist George Straton Ferrier and his wife Catherine Grubb. He was educated at Melville College and was articled to Robert Rowand Anderson in October 1899, remained with him after the partnership of Anderson, Simon & Crawford was dissolved in 1902, and attending the Edinburgh School of Applied Art and Heriot-Watt College. He remained with Anderson as draughtsman for one year, then moved to London as assistant to Dunn & Watson for two-and-a-half years, returning to the office after a year of travel and study c.1908. He passed the qualifying exam in June 1909 and was admitted ARIBA on 29 November of the same year, his home address then being his parents' house at 41 Heriot Row, Edinburgh. His proposers were William Dunn, Robert Rowand Anderson, and Robert Watson.
He emigrated to Canada soon afterwards, leaving any remaining business with Alexander Hunter Crawford to whom he had been articled, and settled in Calgary where he was appointed honorary secretary to the Caledonian Games Society in 1913-14. During the First World War he served as a lieutenant on the HQ Staff Machine Gun Corps and 10th Corps. During leave in 1915 he married Helen Marshall Blackwood, daughter of Edinburgh silk mercer William Blackwood, with whom he later had one son and one daughter. He returned to military service after his wedding and was wounded at Delville in 1916 but appears to have recovered in time to re-enter the Corps before the end of hostilities in 1919. It is unclear if he returned to Canada after 1919 but he may well have done so as his name does not appear in Post Office directories until 1939 when he was at St John's Road, Corstorphine.
He was a notable rifle shot, winning both the Bronze Cross at Bisley and the Silver Cross at the Scottish Twenty Club in 1935. He was also a keen angler and golfer.
He died on 10 February 1958 at the City Hospital in Edinburgh. His wife had predeceased him but he was survived by his won, James Michael Straton Ferrier. His usual address was 2 Lochrin Buildings. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 2, Lochrin Buildings, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | | 1958 | | | 41, Heriot Row, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1909 * | 1912 or 1913 | | | 34, Queen Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1911 | | | | 10, Randolph Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1912 | | | | Calgary, Canada | Private | 1912 or c. 1913 | | | | Prato/89, St John's Road, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business(?) | 1938 * | After 1950 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | (Sir) Robert Rowand Anderson | 29 November 1909 | for Associateship | | William Dunn | 29 November 1909 | for Associateship | | Robert Watson | 29 November 1909 | for Associateship |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Post Office Directories | | | | | | | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | Scottish Biographies | 1938 | | | E J Thurston (pub.) | |
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 v18 p120 |
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