Basic Biographical Details

Name: Joseph Weekes
Designation:  
Born: 4 August 1880
Died: 10 December 1949
Bio Notes: Joseph ('Joe') Weekes was born in Edinburgh (although the south of England is given in the death register) on 4 August 1880, the son of Joseph Weekes, school attendance officer and his wife Margaret Mason. He was brought up in Scotland and articled to William Constable of Lyle & Constable, Edinburgh from August 1895 to August 1900, studying at Heriot-Watt College and spending time sketching and measuring old buildings including Holyrood Palace, Royston Castle, Pinkie House in Musselburgh, and Glasgow Cathedral. In December 1900 he became junior assistant to J R & E E Pearson, also of Edinburgh. A year later he moved to Dunfermline as assistant to John Houston, but he returned to the Pearsons in May 1902 and remained there until January 1906, during which period he assisted in teaching building construction at Heriot-Watt College. Thereafter he was in several offices for periods of little over a year, working for Charles Stewart Still Johnston in Edinburgh from 1906 to 1907, James Mitchell of Perth from 1907 to 1908, and W D Telfer, Burgh Surveyor of Buckhaven, Methil & Innerleven, as Assistant Burgh Surveyor from 1908 until 1910. In the latter year Weekes taught evening classes in building construction for Dysart School Board, and at the end of that year he left Telfer's office to take up an appointment as Burgh Surveyor and Master of Works in Newport, Fife. He was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, proposed by William Fleming Wilkie and the Dundee Institute of Architects, which he had recently joined. In 1915 he was appointed to the post of Burgh Surveyor of Irvine.

Weekes served in the armed forces in France during the First World War, at the end of which, in 1919, he was appointed Housing Architect with Dumbarton County Council and in 1930 the post of County Architect of Dunbartonshire. Despite his unpromising training with third-rate practices, Weekes had a distinguished career as a local government architect working in both Scots vernacular and Art Deco, and was admitted FRIBA on 14 June 1926, his proposers being George Donaldson Macniven, Charles Geddes Soutar and James Lochhead. By that time he had carried out housing schemes for Dumbarton County Council to the tune of £307,000. In Andrew Graham Henderson's words he was 'an official who defied the restrictions of officialdom' and achieved a variety in house design carefully considered in relation to the site when the Department of Health sought standard house types. The individuality of his work brought a Saltire award, a place on the Scottish Housing Committee and ultimately an OBE.

After his retirement in 1946 Weekes was appointed part-time investigator of historic buildings for the Department of Health on the recommendation of Ian Lindsay as chief investigator. He had come near to completing the first survey of historic buildings in Glasgow when he died on 10 December 1949, the task being taken over, on his recommendation, by his friend Alfred George Lochhead. He was married twice, first to Margaret Kerr and then to Jean Irvine or Parker.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 6135, Balornock Road, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate 1949 
Item 2 of 6Blyth Hall Buildings, Newport, Fife, ScotlandBusiness1911 *  
Item 3 of 6Station House, West Newport, Fife, ScotlandPrivate1911 *  
Item 4 of 688, College Street, Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandBusinessc. 1920(?)After 1926As County Architect of Dumbarton
Item 5 of 6224, Corkenhill Road, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1926 *  
Item 6 of 618, Park Circus, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1933After 1943 

* 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 9Lyle & Constable14 August 189514 August 1900Apprentice 
Item 2 of 9J R & E E PearsonDecember 1900December 1901Junior Assistant 
Item 3 of 9John HoustonDecember 1901May 1902Assistant 
Item 4 of 9J R & E E PearsonMay 1902January 1906Assistant 
Item 5 of 9Charles Stewart Still JohnstonJanuary 1906February 1907Assistant 
Item 6 of 9James MarshallFebruary 1907June 1908Assistant 
Item 7 of 9William D TelferJune 1908December 1910Assistant 
Item 8 of 9Newport Burgh Surveyor's DepartmentDecember 1910 Chief ArchitectBurgh Surveyor and Architect
Item 9 of 9Dumbarton County Architect's Office19301947Chief ArchitectWas County Architect

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2Arthur Forbes Cargill1925Before 1928Assistant 
Item 2 of 2Arthur Forbes CargillAfter 19251928First Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 4James Lochhead14 June 1926for Fellowship
Item 2 of 4George Donaldson Macniven14 June 1926for Fellowship
Item 3 of 4Charles Geddes Soutar14 June 1926for Fellowship
Item 4 of 4William Fleming Wilkie20 July 1911for Licentiateship - as President of the Dundee Institute of Architects

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 21Herbert Mayer Barker22 April 1942for Fellowship
Item 2 of 21James Milne Munro Billing6 March 1939for Associateship
Item 3 of 21John Bolton14 October 1947For Licentiateship
Item 4 of 21John Chambers Busby8 March 1949For Licentiateship
Item 5 of 21Arthur Forbes Cargill17 October 1944for Licentiateship
Item 6 of 21Robert McMillan Clive13 February 1945for Licentiateship
Item 7 of 21Ronald Thompson Cunningham10 December 1946For Associateship
Item 8 of 21Alexander Dunlop16 May 1944for Licentiateship
Item 9 of 21Alexander Adair Gowans14 November 1944for Associateship
Item 10 of 21James Deas Jack20 July 1943for Licentiateship
Item 11 of 21Thomas Jack13 January 1945for Licentiateship
Item 12 of 21James George McKenzie20 May 1941for Associateship
Item 13 of 21Robert Reid MillLate 1931for Licentiateship
Item 14 of 21Walter Neil Wilson Ramsay6 May 1947For Associateship
Item 15 of 21Andrew Renton15 October 1940for Associateship
Item 16 of 21William Hamilton Sanders6 March 1939for Associateship
Item 17 of 21Francis Clunie Scott16 November 1943for Licentiateship
Item 18 of 21James Grant ShearerJune 1944for Fellowship
Item 19 of 21Robert Sutherland7 May 1946For Associateship
Item 20 of 21Walter Underwood11 March 1947for Fellowship
Item 21 of 21William John Brockie Wright18 April 1944for Fellowship

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 49After 1908Fire StationBuckhaven and Methil FifeScotlandAs assistant to W D Telfer
Item 2 of 49After 1908Layout plan for 40 acres of model dwellingsBuckhaven and Methil FifeScotlandAs assistant to W D Telfer
Item 3 of 49After 1908Public abattoirsBuckhaven and Methil FifeScotlandAs assistant to W D Telfer
Item 4 of 491911Cameron HouseWindygates FifeScotlandPlans for conversion to hospital - as assistant to W D Telfer
Item 5 of 491911Recreation park layout and pavilionNewport FifeScotland 
Item 6 of 491913Blyth Memorial Hall (and municipal buildings)Newport FifeScotlandSouth extension and porch
Item 7 of 491915Cemetery and buildingsIrvine AyrshireScotland 
Item 8 of 491919Local authority housingAlexandria DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 9 of 491919Local authority housing schemeIrvine AyrshireScotlandPrepared designs and layout; scheme was completed by his successor under Irvine Local Authority and by two firms of architects
Item 10 of 491920Auxiliary County OfficesDumbarton? DunbartonshireScotlandAs Dumbarton County Architect
Item 11 of 491923Dumbarton County Buildings, court and prisonDumbarton DunbartonshireScotlandRedecoration and electrification - as Dumbarton County Architect
Item 12 of 491924Dumbarton County Buildings, court and prisonDumbarton DunbartonshireScotlandFurther alterations - as Dumbarton County Architect
Item 13 of 491924Police stations  DunbartonshireScotlandAs Dumbarton County Architect
Item 14 of 491924Public health clinics  DunbartonshireScotlandAs Dumbarton County Architect
Item 15 of 491924Public lavatories  DunbartonshireScotlandAs Dumbarton County Architect
Item 16 of 491924Smallpox Hospital  DunbartonshireScotlandAs Dumbarton County Architect
Item 17 of 491925Auchentorlie Estate, three lodge houses  DunbartonshireScotlandAs Dumbarton County Architect
Item 18 of 491929Local authority housing, Main StreetRenton DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 19 of 491931Dunbartonshire County Council OfficesDumbarton DunbartonshireScotlandCounty Architect
Item 20 of 491932Townhead ClinicKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 21 of 491933Auchentoshan Estate, Mid Gate Lodge  DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 22 of 491933Cove and Kilcreggan SchoolCove DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 23 of 491933Houses at Whyte CornerMilton|Bowling DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 24 of 491933Police StationKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotlandAs Dumbarton County Architect
Item 25 of 491934Local authority housing, Main StreetRenton DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 26 of 491934Local authority housing, Main StreetRenton DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 27 of 491934TenementsBonhill DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 28 of 491935Hartfield SchoolDumbarton DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 29 of 491935Local authority housing, Red RowRenton DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 30 of 491936Clydebank Higher Grade SchoolClydebank DunbartonshireScotlandAlterations/additions?
Item 31 of 491936School, West King Street and James StreetHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandAddition
Item 32 of 491937Cambusmoon Terrace (local authority housing)Gartocharn DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 33 of 491937Rosneath Police StationRosneath DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 34 of 491938Clinic, Mossend Place, East King StreetHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 35 of 491938Hawcraigs and Freelands Place housing estate (local authority housing)Old Kilpatrick DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 36 of 491938Local authority housing, BraehouseRhu/Row DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 37 of 491938Local authority housing, Clachan BridgeRosneath DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 38 of 491938Local authority housing, Kirkfield PlaceArrochar DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 39 of 491938Local authority housing, Station RoadGarelochhead DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 40 of 491938Police housesTwechar DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 41 of 49c. 1938Local authority housing, Ardconnel RoadRhu DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 42 of 491939Local authority housing, Macdonald CrescentTwechar DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 43 of 491939School at KilsythKilsyth StirlingshireScotland 
Item 44 of 491930s or 1940s(?)Janetta Public SchoolDumbarton DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 45 of 491940Fire StationAlexandria DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 46 of 49Before 1943Housing at CastlecaryHaggs StirlingshireScotland 
Item 47 of 491946Mollandhu Farm  DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 48 of 491947Artdenconnel Road HousingRhu DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 49 of 491947Clydebank High SchoolClydebank DunbartonshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Greer, Scott and Fulton, David1980Joseph Weekes, County Architect Joint dissertation, Mackintosh School of Architecture 
Item 2 of 2RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2RIBA JournalJanuary 1950v57London: Royal Institute of British Architectsp121 - obituary, mostly by A Graham Henderson
Item 2 of 2Scotsman12 December 1949  p3 Obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Personal information from Alfred G Lochhead.
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v21 no1668; F no2407 (box 6)