Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Aynsworth Lindsay
Designation:  
Born: 1863
Died:  
Bio Notes: James Aynsworth Lindsay was born in 1863 and commenced his professional training at the beginning of 1880 by seeking 'business experience' in an Edinburgh lawyer's office. His architectural training began on 6 June 1881 when he was articled to Hippolyte Jean Blanc (who was then in partnership with James Gordon), with whom he remained as an assistant until 1888, studying at Heriot-Watt College and taking art classes at Edinburgh University under Professor Baldwin Brown. He spent his holidays travelling in Scotland, London and Oxfordshire, and visited Haddon Hall in Derbyshire and the abbeys of Yorkshire, but did not venture abroad.

In 1888 he moved to the office of Charles Stewart Still Johnston as senior assistant. Whilst there he worked in association with David Bveridge Burnie, who shared Johnston's premises from 1892 and collaborated with Johnston on the winning competition design for West Fife Infectious Diseases Hospital. Burnie appears to have suffered a mental breakdown in aboiut 1893 (he was admiited to Murray's Asylum in Perth where he died in 1909), and the following year Lindsay left Johnston's office to complete Burnie's works in progress and wind up his business.

After two years in independent practice, Lindsay reverted to assisting in other firms, spending the ensuing years working for short intervals in various practices. In 1896 he became an assistant with Leadbetter & Fairley, and later that year he moved to the office of Dunn & Findlay, where he remained until 1900. The following year he joined the Edinburgh City Architect's Office as senior assistant, his work being supervised by the depute James Anderson Williamson under the city architect Robert Morham. On leaving that office in 1906 he spent a further two years with Leadbetter & Fairley followed by one year back in Blanc's office, and finally returned once more to Leadbetter & Fairley in late 1908 or early 1909, perhaps in the hope of a partnership. However, in 1909 when arrangements were made for Robert Stirling Reid to become a partner, Lindsay left to recommence practice on his own account. He was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, proposed by James Bow Bunn and the Edinburgh Architectural Association. At that time he was living and working at 70 Comiston Road. By 1914 he was at 86 Leamington Terrace, again both house and office. No work is as yet known.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 270, Comiston Road, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/business1911 *  
Item 2 of 286, Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/business1914 *  

* 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 9Blanc & Gordon18811886Apprentice 
Item 2 of 9Blanc & Gordon18861888Assistant 
Item 3 of 9Charles Stewart Still Johnston18881893Assistant 
Item 4 of 9Leadbetter & Fairley18961896Assistant 
Item 5 of 9Dunn & Findlay18961900Senior Assistant 
Item 6 of 9Edinburgh City Architect's Department (Edinburgh Corporation)19011906Senior Assistant 
Item 7 of 9Leadbetter & Fairley19061908Senior Assistant 
Item 8 of 9Hippolyte Jean Blanc1908Late 1908Assistant 
Item 9 of 9Leadbetter & FairleyLate 1908 or early 19091909Senior Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1James Bow Dunn20 July 1911for Licentiateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2British Architectural Library, RIBA2001Directory of British Architects 1834-1914   
Item 2 of 2Who's Who in Architecture1914    

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 L v19 no1415