Basic Biographical Details

Name: Alec Nisbet
Designation:  
Born: 26 December 1890
Died: 1946
Bio Notes: Alec Nisbet was born on 26 December 1890 and was articled to Peter Robert McLaren of Edinburgh from 8 October 1906 until 1911. He studied at Edinburgh College of Art and Heriot-Watt College from 1909 to 1914, and was awarded the Scottish National Art Survey Scholarship, which occupied him from May to November of the latter year.

After serving in the First World War, he passed the Special War Exam in April 1919 and joined the office of Brierley & Rutherford in York. Walter Henry Brierley was one of his proposers for his admittance as ARIBA on 1 March 1920, the others being John Watson (presumably of Edinburgh) and Francis William Deas. Shortly thereafter he appears to have joined Adams & Watkin of Stoke-on-Trent, spending two years there as chief assistant, and appears to have assisted in a London office thereafter, working on Streatham Public Baths and Wandsworth Town Hall extensions. In 1929 he became chief assistant to Walter John Tapper, also of London.

He was elected FRIBA on 20 June 1938, his proposers being Frank Charles Mears and his former employers Ernest Tellwright Watkin and John Brittain Adams. By that time he had moved to Oxford where he was presumably working for the Town Council, his business address being Oxford Town Hall and his home address 11 Wentworth Road, Summertown, Oxford. He remained in Oxford, though had moved to a different address by the later 1940s. He is no longer listed in the Directory for 1960.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 5Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1890After 1914 
Item 2 of 537, Avenue Terrace, York, Yorkshire, EnglandPrivate1920 *  
Item 3 of 511, Wentworth Road, Summertown, Oxford, Oxfordshire, EnglandPrivate1938 *  
Item 4 of 5Town Hall, Oxford, Oxfordshire, EnglandBusiness1938 *  
Item 5 of 5329, Banbury Road, Oxford, EnglandPrivateLate 1940sBefore 1950 

* 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 4Peter Robert McLaren8 October 19061911Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4Brierley & Rutherford1919 or 19201920Assistant 
Item 3 of 4Adams & Watkin19201921Chief Assistant 
Item 4 of 4(Sir) Walter John Tapper19291935Chief Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6John Brittain Adams20 June 1938for Fellowship
Item 2 of 6Walter Henry Brierley1 March 1920for Associateship
Item 3 of 6Francis William Deas1 March 1920for Associateship
Item 4 of 6(Sir) Frank Charles Mears20 June 1938for Fellowship
Item 5 of 6Ernest Tellwright Watkin20 June 1938for Fellowship
Item 6 of 6John Watson1 March 1920for Associateship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1George Clark Robb16 April 1940for Associateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3RIBA1948The RIBA Kalendar 1948-1949 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 2 of 3RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 3RIBA1961Kalendar 1960-61   

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 A v25 no2899 (microfilm reel 23); F no3468 (box 24)