Basic Biographical Details Name: | Cecil Scott Burgess | Designation: | | Born: | 4 October 1870 | Died: | 12 November 1971 | Bio Notes: | Cecil Scott Burgess was born in Bombay of Scottish parents on 4 October 1870. The family returned to Scotland in 1874 and Burgess was educated at the Royal High School where his name was registered as Macmillan. He was articled to George Washington Browne from 1886 to 1891 and served as draughtsman thereafter, remaining with Washington Browne after he had been joined in partnership by John More Dick Peddie in 1895 as Peddie & Washington Browne. He passed the qualifying exam in that year and was admitted ARIBA on 2 March 1896, his proposers being John Slater, William Douglas Caröe and Benjamin Ingelow, and it was around that time that he left to become assistant to Robert Alexander Briggs of London, subsequently working for John Joseph Talbot of Liverpool, and Walter Henry Brierley of York, and spending his holidays on study tours in Europe, chiefly Italy.
He emigrated to Canada in 1903, commencing practice on his own account in Montreal whilst continuing to assist others including Philip Turner. Whilst in Montreal Burgess helped to establish the Pen & Pencil Club, a club with the aim of recording the old architecture of Montreal and Quebec, an informal imitation of Rowand Anderson's National Art Survey of Scottish architecture, He lectured at McGill University during the time when Percy Erskine Nobbs was chair of architecture there, and collaborated with Nobbs in the design of various buildings for the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where Burgess was appointed Professor of Architecture in 1913. He served with the Canadian forces as private, sergeant, lieutenant and captain from 1915 to 1919 but returned to his professorship at the end of the war and retained the position until 1940.
Burgess carried out major works for the Government of Alberta and was a member of the Town Planning Commission of the City of Edmonton from 1929 onwards, also acting as chairman of the committee on Public Recreation and Civic Art. He served as president of the Alberta Association of Architects and was a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He was admitted FRIBA in late 1933 under bye-law 3(d), omitting the need for proposers although he cited Nobbs, Ramsay Traquair and Philip Turner as potential supporters.
He died in Edmonton, Alberta on 12 November 1971.
A collection of Burgess's sketches and watercolours, including of 1895 of the castles of Udny, Tilquhillie, Tolquhon, Caerlaverock and Hallyards, is held by the University of Alberta. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Montreal, Canada | Business | 1903 | 1913 | | | University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Business | 1913 | 1940 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | William Douglas Caröe | 2 March 1896 | for Associateship | | Benjamin Ingelow | 2 March 1896 | for Associateship | | John Slater | 2 March 1896 | for Associateship |
RIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Robert McDowall Symonds | 10 April 1956 | For Licentiateship |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | University of Alberta | | www.ualberta.ca/ARCHIVES | | | Go to 'Search digitized items from private fonds' and put in Cecil Scott Birgess as search item. |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Architecture Canada | 17 January 1972 | v49 | | p3 - obituary | | Building | 21 January 1972 | v222 | | p80 - 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 | | Information from Holly Kinnear | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v13 p101 (microfiche 62/D2); F no3147 (microfilm reel 36) |
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