Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Shanks
Designation:  
Born: 1866
Died: 1 March 1944
Bio Notes: John Shanks was born in 1866 and apprenticed to a joiner. From 1892 he attended the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College where he won several awards, and where Charles Gourlay encouraged him to change career to architect. He commenced practice at Kirkintilloch in 1898 and acted as master of works at the building of Walker & Ramsay's Town Hall there in 1904-06, as well as for additions to an unidentified school at Kirkintilloch, to Lenzie Academy, and to various domestic buildings. He was admitted LRIBA on 4 July 1911, his proposers being James Black Fulton, Gourlay and James Lochhead, an impressive line-up perhaps mustered by Gourlay to make up for the absence of any formal architectural apprenticeship.

He had posts with Dumbarton County Council and Dunbartonshire Education Committee until his retirement. Outwith his professional life as an architect he held numerous offices such as President of the Lenzie and Kirkintilloch Liberal Association, and vice-chairman of the Savings Bank of Kirkintilloch. From 1924 to 1927 he was Provost of Kirkintilloch.

He died on1 March 1944.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 245, Cowgate Street, Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandBusinessBefore 19091939 or 1940(?) 
Item 2 of 2Strathtyre, Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate1910 *  

* 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 1Walker & Ramsay  Clerk of Works 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3James Black Fulton4 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3Charles Gourlay4 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 3James Lochhead4 July 1911for Licentiateship

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 171896TenementsKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 2 of 17After 1898Broomhill HouseKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotlandAdditions
Item 3 of 17After 1898Co-Operative Society business premisesKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 4 of 17After 1898Lenzie AcademyLenzie Dunbartonshire/LanarkshireScotlandActed as master of works for additions
Item 5 of 17After 1898Liberal Club premisesKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 6 of 17After 1898Masonic TempleKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 7 of 17After 1898Steam laundryLenzie DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 8 of 17After 1898Steam laundry, BroomhillKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 9 of 17After 1898Summer residenceBuchlyvie StirlingshireScotland 
Item 10 of 17After 1898Townhead SchoolKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotlandAddition
Item 11 of 171904Kirkintilloch Town Hall and Municipal BuildingsKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotlandActed as master of works for erection of Walker & Ramsay's winning design
Item 12 of 171905TenementsKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 13 of 17After 1906Waverley Park Home for Feeble-Minded ChildrenKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotlandAdditions
Item 14 of 171907Lennox Joint Infectious Diseases HospitalMilton of Campsie StirlingshireScotlandDay-room and isolation ward
Item 15 of 171909Lanfine Cottage Home for Consumptives, BroomhillKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland18-bed addition
Item 16 of 17Before 1910Broomhill Hospital, Nurses' HomeKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 17 of 171925Peel Park, War Memorial GatewayKirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2RIBA1930The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
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 1Scotsman2 March 1944  Obituary p3

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 v1 no97 (microfilm reel 29)