Basic Biographical Details | Name: | Gillespie & Kidd | | Designation: | | | Born: | 1926 | | Died: | 1927 | | Bio Notes: | John Gaff Gillespie (b. 1870) became senior partner of the firm of Salmon Son & Gillespie on the death of William Forrest Salmon on 7 October 1911. However, Forrest's will proved the catalyst for the dissolution of the partnership, the prosperity of which had probably also been affected by the Finance Act of 1909. It made no provision for Forrest's son James Salmon (Junior) to inherit his share of the practice, which instead remained part of his trust estate, his stepmother Agnes being entitled to a share of such profits as the firm had at that time. Since James Junior had spent all his income on foreign travel and motoring (as a letter to his brother Hugh of 18 August 1910 records) he could not afford to buy out either Gillespie or his stepmother. Gillespie bought out Agnes's trust estate interest in June 1913, retaining the office in Mercantile Chambers, the archive and the commission for Stirling Municipal Buildings which had been awarded to the firm by Leiper in 1908. James moved out to a rented flat at 48 Jane Street, Blythswood Square which was both home and office, apparently without even a secretary, and was allowed to revive the name of the firm as it had existed prior to 1903, James Salmon & Son, later abbreviated simply to James Salmon FRIBA.
William Alexander Kidd had been born in Greenock in 1879, the son of William Kidd, ironmonger and his wife Margaret Colquhoun Barr. He had joined the practice in 1898 as an apprentice and had studied at Glasgow School of art from that year until 1902, also attending classes at the Glasgow & West of Scotland Technical College. He had become chief draughtsman sometime before 1911, when he was admitted LRIBA, his proposers being James Salmon Junior, Gillespie and Harry Edward Clifford. Gillespie took him into partnership in 1918.
Gillespie died on 7 May 1926, leaving estate of £1,950 4s 11d to his wife Agnes. His executor was Kidd, who continued the practice as Gillespie & Kidd, but when he too died a year later the practice was inherited by Jack Antonio Coia, who had joined it in 1915 before working in several London offices, and had only recently returned to Glasgow. The entire archive of the Salmon practice was sent for pulping when Coia was interned in 1940. | Private and Business Addresses| The following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | Glasgow, Scotland | Business | | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and Designs| This 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 | F & J Smith Furniture Warehouse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension (on Union Street) and insertion of restaurant and ballroom (firm changed to Gillespie Kidd and Coia in course of construction) |
ReferencesBibliographic References| The following books contain references to this : | | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | O'Donnell, Raymond | 2003 | The life and work of James Salmon architect, 1873-1924 | | Edinburgh: The Rutland Press | | | Walker, David M | 1966 | Salmon, Son, Grandson and Gillespie | | Scottish Art Review, vol. X, no. 3, pp. 17-29 | | | Walker, David W | 1995 | The Salmon Collection | | Unpublished: copy in NMRS | DSA text is adapted from this source |
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