Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Ross
Designation:  
Born: 5 August 1889
Died: 11 February 1961
Bio Notes: William Ross was born on 5 August 1889, the son of John Ross, compositor, and his wife Christine McCray (?writing unclear). He was articled to Frank Burnet & Boston of Glasgow on 10 April 1905. He studied at the Glasgow School of Architecture from 1908 to 1912 and remained as junior assistant to Burnet & Boston after completing his apprenticeship, leaving in 1913 to join Watson & Salmond as assistant. He subsequently found further experience in the offices of civil engineer J Boyd Brodie and of the British Digestibles Corporation before moving to Stafford to work for Henry T Sandy and finally returning to Glasgow as assistant to Eric Alexander Sutherland. He left in 1920 to enter into partnership with Allan Pollock McKenzie Buchanan. He was admitted ARIBA om 3 December 1923, his proposers being John Watson, David Salmond and William B Whitie

The partnership of Ross & Buchanan was dissolved in May 1936, Ross practising alone thereafter. Ross was admitted FRIBA on 7 March 1938, his proposers being Eric Alexander Sutherland, William James Smith and James Henry Gray, a former colleague and latterly a partner in the Watson & Salmond practice. At that time Ross was working from an office at 189 Pitt Street, Glasgow and was living at 40 Lennox Avenue, Scotstoun.

Besides being an architect Ross would appear to have been a Chartered Surveyor, being FRICS in 1950. At that time Ross was living in Dunblane, Perthshire. It is likely that he was in partnership with Alexander James Cruickshank at this time as Ross & Cruickshank.

Ross died on 11 Fenruary 1961 at his home, Rhives, (location unclear, perhaps Golspie). He was survived by his wife Catherine Winton.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 666, Evelyn Street, Dennistoun, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1908c. 1910 
Item 2 of 611, Newlands Drive, Partick, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivatec. 1910After 1925 
Item 3 of 6137, West Regent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1924After 1929 
Item 4 of 640, Lennox Avenue, Scotstoun, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1929After 1939(?) 
Item 5 of 6189, Pitt Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1934After 1939(?) 
Item 6 of 65, Clarendon Place, Dunblane, Perthshire, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)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 9Frank Burnet & Boston10 April 1905c. 1910Apprentice 
Item 2 of 9Frank Burnet & Bostonc. 19101913Junior AssistantDescribed as 'draughtsman' in RIBA papers
Item 3 of 9Watson & Salmond19131914(?)Assistant 
Item 4 of 9J Boyd BrodieAfter 1913Before 1920Assistant 
Item 5 of 9Henry Thomas SandyAfter 1913Before 1920Assistant 
Item 6 of 9Eric Alexander SutherlandAfter 1913Before 1920AssistantDescribed as 'chief draughtsman' in ARIBA papers
Item 7 of 9Watson, Salmond & Gray1914(?)Before 1920(?)Assistant(?)It is unclear whether Ross remained with the practice after Gray had been taken into partnership
Item 8 of 9Ross & Buchanan1920May 1936Partner 
Item 9 of 9Ross & Cruickshank1950 * Partner 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 1Thomas Oswald White Gratton1936 * Assistant 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6James Henry Gray7 March 1938for Fellowship
Item 2 of 6David Salmond3 December 1923For Associateship
Item 3 of 6(Professor) William James Smith7 March 1938for Fellowship
Item 4 of 6Eric Alexander Sutherland7 March 1938for Fellowship
Item 5 of 6John Watson3 December 1923For Associateship
Item 6 of 6William Brown Whitie3 December 1923For Associateship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 10Thomas Johnston Beveridge6 March 1939for Fellowship
Item 2 of 10James Black9 October 1939for Associateship
Item 3 of 10Grace Dawson Clark (née Mitchell)1 May 1940For Associateship
Item 4 of 10(Miss) Janet Craig Stewart Gilfillan22 April 1941for Associateship
Item 5 of 10George Douglas Hamilton3 April 1939for Associateship
Item 6 of 10Ernest Ronald Harrison5 December 1938for Associateship
Item 7 of 10James Smith Kirkwood5 December 1938for Associateship
Item 8 of 10John Tweedie Reid9 January 1940For Associateship
Item 9 of 10George William Robertson7 March 1950For Fellowship
Item 10 of 10Alexander Strang11 December 1940for Associateship

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 141924Welfare InstituteCarmyle GlasgowScotland 
Item 2 of 141924Welfare InstituteBothwell LanarkshireScotland 
Item 3 of 141924Welfare InstituteFallin StirlingshireScotland 
Item 4 of 141927Burnbank UP ChurchHamilton LanarkshireScotlandAdditions, including halls
Item 5 of 141928Knightswood Road SchoolKnightswood GlasgowScotland 
Item 6 of 141933Craigend HouseRuchazie GlasgowScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 7 of 141934Houses for Balfron Building Co LtdBalfron StirlingshireScotland 
Item 8 of 141935Reconstruction of two tenementsBalfron StirlingshireScotlandUnclear whether completed by Ross or by Buchanan after dissolution of partnership
Item 9 of 141936Hall, stand, clubhouse and playing field for Ashfield Football & Athletic Club  GlasgowScotlandUnclear whether completed by Ross or by Buchanan after dissolution of partnership
Item 10 of 141936Thatched house for Miss Margaret K Brown, St MedansEast Kilbride LanarkshireScotland 
Item 11 of 14c. 1936(?)BroomlandsMilngavie DunbartonshireScotlandPresumably designed c.1936 or earlier; exhibited in 1937 in the name of Ross & Buchanan, the practice having been dissolved in 1936
Item 12 of 141938Glasgow Empire Exhibition, pavilion for Chance Bros & Co LtdBellahouston GlasgowScotland 
Item 13 of 141939New church and priest's houseNewbridge  WalesDesign exhibited - possibly unexecuted
Item 14 of 141939Premises for Toffalo Jackson & Co  GlasgowScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Post Office Directories     
Item 2 of 4RIBA1930The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 4RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 4 of 4RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 3H M Register HouseDeath Register  
Item 2 of 3Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Information on addresses from research by Iain Paterson
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers F no3447 (box 23); A no 3727 (microfilm reel 28)