Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Stewart Johnston | Designation: | | Born: | 22 April 1901 | Died: | 1 April 1992 | Bio Notes: | James Stewart Johnston was born on 22 April 1901, the elder son of architect Joseph Marr Johnston and his wife Mary Eleanor Arder Wood. Like his father he was educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh. He commenced his training in his father's office in 1918 but moved two years later to undertake a full five-year apprenticeship with Henry & Maclennan, studying at Edinburgh College of Art under John Begg and at Heriot-Watt College. He returned to his father's firm in January 1926 as an assistant, and during his time in that post made biennial trips abroad which took him to France, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland.
He was taken into partnership by his father in 1930 and was admitted as a student member of the Edinburgh Architectural Association in 1932. He was admitted LRIBA on 14 May 1934, his proposers being Thomas Forbes Maclennan, George Washington Browne and the then secretary of the RIAS. When his father died three months later, he was left as sole partner. He was admitted FRIBA on 9 October 1939, proposed by Maclennan, John Ross McKay and Leslie Grahame-Thomson. He continued to practise alone until 1947 when he took his younger brother Frank W Johnston (born 1906) into partnership, the firm name becoming J & F Johnston.
Described as a 'kindly man with great charm', Johnston was versatile in his professional life, enabling him 'to ride out the peaks and troughs of the constantly changing economy throughout his career'. He also led a busy public life which included responsibilities in the Merchant Company, as Moderator of the High Constabulary of the Port of Leith, and as a choir member of Cramond Church. He was a highly skilled golfer and a keen traveller, and followed his father into freemasonry, being a fellow founding member of the Watsonian Masonic Lodge.
He died in Edinburgh at a nursing home in Cluny Drive on 1 April 1992, survived by his son Kenneth and two granddaughters. His wife Margaret Bain Swan had predeceased him. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 47, Charlotte Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | January 1926 | After 1950 | | | Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1932 * | | | | 54, East Claremont Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | Before 1934 | Before 1939 | | | 3, Lauderdale Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1939 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Frank Wood Johnston | 1934 | 1947 | Assistant(?) | | | George Thomson | 1936 | 1937 | Assistant | |
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA Proposals
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | 1926 | Leith Hospital | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | New outpatients' department and new nurses' home - supervised, as assistant to Joseph Marr Johnston | | After 1926 | Dalmahoy Golf Clubhouse | Dalmahoy | | Midlothian | Scotland | Reconstruction and extensions | | After 1926 | Links Primary School | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | After 1926(?) | St Cuthbert's Poorhouse | Craigleith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconditioning of original buildings | | c. 1926(?) | Capitol Cinema | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1927 | Gogarburn Home for Mental Defectives | | | Midlothian | Scotland | Competition design - not successful | | 1928 | George Watson's College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Competition design - not selected, but awarded 100-guinea premium | | 1929 | Wardie School | Trinity | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Initially as assistant | | c. 1929 | Lochend Road School | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additions | | 1930 | St Ninian's RC School | Restalrig | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Working for the Edinburgh Education Authority | | 1933 | Ainslie Park High School | Pilton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1933 | Wilson Memorial Church and Halls | Portobello | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1934 | Blackhall UF Church and hall | Blackhall | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | c. 1934 | Leith Hospital | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction; new paying patients' and eye wards; additional nurses' home and maids' home - as Honorary Architect to Leith Hospital | | 1935 | Carrickvale Secondary School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1936 | Premises of British Ropes Ltd | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Rebuilding after fire | | 1936 | Printing works for the Newspaper Publishing Co | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1936 | Trinity Bowling Club, Lomond Park | Trinity | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | After 1937 | Stenhouse School | Stenhouse | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Begun at this date and probably deferred until after Second World War | | 1938 | Berwickshire High School | Langtongate, Duns | | Berwickshire | Scotland | | | Late 1930s | South House Primary School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1940s | Golden Wonder Crisps Factory | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1940s | Lamont's Engineering Works | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1947 | Ainslie Park High School | Pilton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additions to create further accommodation | | After 1947 | Property of R G Ritchie | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations? | | 1948 | Inchview Primary School | Pilton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1948 | Premises, Anderson Place | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Named as sole architect | | Late 1940s | Factory for Messrs Donald Grant & Son | Sighthill | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Late 1940s | Factory for Messrs P Nimmo & Sons | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Late 1940s | Factory for Messrs Paper Shavings Ltd | Granton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Late 1940s | Factory for Messrs Petrie (Aerated Waters Ltd) | Bathgate | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | Late 1940s | Factory for Scottish Prefaced Papers Ltd | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extensions proposed | | Late 1940s | Flour mill for David Gaudie & Son | Portobello | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Late 1940s | Leith Nautical College | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Addition of radar station | | Late 1940s | Roadhouse | Haddington | | East Lothian | Scotland | | | Late 1940s | Scottish Croast (Creast?) Lines Ltd | | | | Scotland | Proposed offices and factory | | 1951 | Premises, Niddrie Road | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1957 | Maritime House | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 20 June 1958 | Bonded Warehouse for The Drambuie Liqueur Co | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | architect in charge per Builder p1154 | | 1960s | Golden Wonder Crisps Factory | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extensions to factory | | 1960 | Goldbergs department store | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | c. 1960 | 12 York Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Rear addition. | | 1961 | Golden Wonder crisps factory | Broxburn | | West Lothian | Scotland | New Build | | Before 1962 | Gracemount School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1963 | Telectra House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1964 | Roxburghe Hotel | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction - total cost £250,000 | | 1966 | Ardler Primary School | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1966 | Car showroom and repair shop for James Ross & Sons | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1966 | Engineering works for Brown Brothers & Co Ltd | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction after fire damage of light engineering factory, including office block, drawing offices and workshops. | | 1966 | Housing, Bonnyrigg | Bonnyrigg | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1966 | Housing, Spencerfield | Inverkeithing | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1966 | Housing, Stoneyburn | Stoneyburn | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1966 | Industrial Estate | Broxburn | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | c. 1966 | College of Commerce | Sighthill | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1967 | Ainslie Park High School | Pilton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Boys' Vocational Unit | | 1967 | Bottling plant for Arthur Bell & Son, East Mains | Broxburn | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1967 | Finance House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1968 | Comprehensive School | South Queensferry | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | c. 1968 | Factory, Golden Wonder crisp manufacturer | | | | Holland | New storage facility | | c. 1968 | New office block for insurance company | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1969 | Stevenson College | Sighthill | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1970s | Airport base for Danair | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1970s | Bank of Scotland, New Pitsligo branch | New Pitsligo | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Renovation | | 1970s | Devanha Gardens Nursing Home | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Extension | | 1970s | Engineering, research, training unit, dormitories, squash courts for Comex | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1970s | Harlaw House | Inverurie | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Restoration | | 1970s | Headquarters for Wharton Williams Diving | Dyce | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | | | 1970s | Heavy Goods Vehicle depot | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1970s | Offices and warehousing for Farquhar Builders | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1970s | Standard Life offices | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1970s | Timberland shop | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Alterations | | 1970s | Timberland shop | Elgin | | Morayshire | Scotland | Alterations | | 1970s | Underwater instrumentation base | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1970s | Westings Hotel | Lerwick (near) | Mainland | Shetland | Scotland | Alterations and extension | | 1975 | Leith Nautical College and halls of residence | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Bailey, Rebecca M | 1996 | Scottish architects' papers: a source book | | Edinburgh: The Rutland Press | | | Post Office Directories | | | | | | | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIAS Newsletter | May 1992 | v3, no7 | | Obituary | | Scotsman | 11 April 1992 | | | Obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | H M Register House | Death Register | | | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L no4394 (combined box 11); F no3721 (box 27) |
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