Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Henry Gray | Designation: | | Born: | 23 July 1885 | Died: | 17 August 1938 | Bio Notes: | James Henry Gray was born at 23 St Andrews Drive, Pollokshelds, Glasgow in 23 July 1885, the son of James Henry Gray, biscuit manufacturer, and his wife mary Harris White. The family was of old Quaker stoc. James junior was educated at Bootham School, York, where he excelled on the football field. In 1903 he was articled to Fred Rowntree, also a member of the Society of Friends, who had been based in London since the dissolution of his partnership with Malcolm Stark in 1899. In 1906 he moved to Glasgow as assistant to Alexander Nisbet Paterson of Campbell Douglas & Paterson, enabling him to study at the Glasgow School of Architecture. He returned to London in 1909, joining Niven & Wigglesworth as assistant. He passed the qualifying exam in 1910 and was admitted ARIBA on 27 February 1911, his proposers being Herbert Hardy Wigglesworth, David Barclay Niven and Rowntree. From 1912 to 1914 he worked as assistant with Watson & Salmond in Glasgow, and was taken into partnership in the latter year, the firm having won the competition for the extension of Glasgow City Chambers.
During the First World War Gray went with the Friends Ambulance Unit to France and Italy. He subsequently joined the Royal Artillery (Trench Mortar Battery) in which he reached the rank of Captain. In March 1918 he was taken prisoner and held in Germany but released in 1919. For some years after his return to Scotland he suffered from his experiences as a prisoner of war.
It was for the accomplished French Renaissance design of the extension to the City Chambers that in 1927 the firm - now Watson, Salmond & Gray - was awarded the first RIBA Scottish Architecture medal for the best city building completed within the preceding five years. Much of the work of the practice was in Glasgow but further afield they won commissions for factories and other works in the Midlands and the south west of Scotland. On his return he was taken into partnership in the firm of Watson & Salmond.
In 1925 Henry Edward Clifford retired and his practice was merged with that of Watson Salmond & Gray, making them architects to the Victoria Infirmary. Salmond was fairly well off and retired early in 1933 to concentrate on his musical interests, and John Watson went into semi-retirement in or about the same year, partly to give more time to RIAS business: he was President when he died in the Victoria Infirmary, to which he was architect, on 24 August 1936. Two years previously Salmond's place as partner was taken by Watson's son, John Watson, Junior (born 1903).
In 1936 Gray became seriously ill and his health did not recover. He sought Fellowship of the RIBA and was admitted on 19 July 1937, proposed by Andrew Graham Henderson, Launcelot Hugh Ross and Norman Aitken Dick, but died just over a year later on 17 August 1938 at White Rock Villa, Strone, leaving moveable estate of £5830 12s 11d. His usual address at that date was 27 Herriot Street, Pollokshields. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Ravensworth, Cathcart, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1906 | 1920 | | | 10, Hammersmith Terrace, London, England | Private | 1911 * | | | | 242, West George Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1929 | After 1937 | | | 27, Herriet Street, Pollokshields, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1937 | 1938 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | William Ross | 7 March 1938 | for Fellowship |
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 | | 1914 | Glasgow Municipal Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Worked on scheme for extension (won in competition by previous practice title of Watson & Salmond). Begun but never completed | | 1914 | Tom-na-Monachan | Pitlochry | | Perthshire | Scotland | Interior work as assistant to Watson & Gray. | | 1919 | Davidson Memorial Cottage Hospital | Girvan | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1920 | 202 Bath Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations | | June 1920 | House for Herr Oswald | Milngavie | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | Chauffeur's cottage | | c. 1920 | Methodist Halls | Maryhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | HS attribution | | 1921 | Glasgow Municipal Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Scheme for enlargement of council chamber with giant Corinthian portico on George Square, to match Banqueting Hall on George Street and to complement Burnet's war memorial; canvas mock-up proposed by council which Watson declined to agree to; unexecuted | | 1922 | Castle Levan | Gourock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Survey and alterations | | 1922 | Cathkin House | Carmunnock | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Alterations including entrance door | | 1922 | Pollokshields Free Church | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1922 | Waverley Cinema | Shawlands Cross | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1923 | Eastern District Hospital, Nurses' Home | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension | | 1923 | Gracefield | Prestwick | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | October 1923 | Bungalow for Charles Gray | Bridge of Weir | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1925 | Cathcart Established Church and manse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Completion to Clifford's design | | 1925 | Philipshill Auxiliary Hospital | Thorntonhall | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1925 | Victoria Infirmary | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Completion of new ward pavilion designed by H E Clifford | | 1927 | 101-103 St Vincent Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | New shop front | | 1927 | Glenfeulan, chauffeur's cottage | Shandon | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | | | 1927 | House for Mrs Gray | Tayvallich | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1928 | Philipshill Auxiliary Hospital, nurses' home | Thorntonhall | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1928 | Scottish Ice Rink | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1929 | Glasgow Academy | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Science block | | 1929 | House at Whitecraigs | Whitecraigs | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1929 | Unspecified bank and offices | | | | Scotland | Competition design (presumably) | | 1930 | Victoria Infirmary | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Paying patients' annexe | | 1930 | Victoria Infirmary, private annexe | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1931 | Philipshill Auxiliary Hospital, John Innes Memorial Chapel | Thorntonhall | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1934 | Biscuit Factory of Gray, Dunn & Co, Kinning Park | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | South block | | 1934 | Church | Parkhead | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1934 | Victoria Infirmary, nurses' home | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension | | 1935 | National Bank of Scotland, St Enoch Square | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Reconstruction and new banking hall | | 1935 | Victoria Infirmary | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Paying patients annexe and nurses home both extended | | 1935 | Victoria Infirmary, private annexe | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension | | 1935 | Victoria Infirmary, X-ray department and private wing | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1936 | 3, 4 and 5 Claremont Terrace | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations to no 3 for Woodland Nursing Home | | 1936 | House for Miss Somerville | Helensburgh | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | | | Post Office Directories | | | | | | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1914 | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA Journal | 15 August 1938 | v45 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p943 - obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Additional information from Iain Paterson | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v19 no2138; F no3409 (box 22) |
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