Basic Biographical Details Name: | Shearer & Annand | Designation: | | Born: | 1952 | Died: | 1994 | Bio Notes: | James Grant Shearer was born at Morton Lodge, Dunfermline on 6 April 1881, the eldest son of James Shearer, variously described as a linen manufacturer and damask pattern designer, and his first wife Agnes Donaldson Smith. The Shearer family originated from Craigellachie, Banffshire, Shearer's grandfather, also James, moving south and settling in Dunfermline sometime before 1854. Shearer was educated at Dunfermline High School and apprenticed to Thomas Hislop Ure in September 1897. Through the recommendation of Francis H Newbery, Director of Glasgow School of Art and art consultant to the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust he secured a place as assistant in the office of John Burnet & Son in Glasgow in November 1901, becoming a senior assistant in the following year. While there he studied at Glasgow School of Art. He remained in the Glasgow office until March 1906 when he left, partly for health reasons, partly to widen his experience. It is not clear what he did immediately thereafter as he did not commence practice at 1 Bonnar Street Dunfermline until February 1907.
Shearer's practice was immediately successful, gaining commissions for a shop and bakery at Lochore, a warehouse for Dick's Co-operative Institution and an office and warehouse for R E Walter Reid & Co. In 1908 he took on his younger brother Thomas Smith Shearer as an apprentice and subsequently assistant. By 1912 he was sufficiently prosperous to undertake a study tour in Germany and in 1913 he was commissioned by the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust to build a large extension to James Campbell Walker's library in Dunfermline, a former colleague in Burnet's office, Herbert Lewis Honeyman, being recruited to help detail it.
In 1914 Shearer married Jessie (known as 'Jen' or 'Jennie') Gorrie, the daughter of a Dunfermline solicitor Donald Gorrie who had been a client of Ure's and built a house at Crossford. In the same year he prepared the 'Report on Local Housing Conditions with Preliminary Sketch Plans and Suggestions in Support of a Scheme of Municipal Building' commissioned by Dunfermline Town Council at the suggestion of Andrew Carnegie but in August 1916 Shearer was called up for military service, initially with the Royal Highland Regiment at Norwich but from 1917 with the Royal Engineers, and the scheme fell into abeyance.
Shearer recommenced practice at Bonnar Street after his release in February 1919 but moved to Queen Anne Street c.1920. He was formally appointed consultant architect to the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust and the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust in 1922, the former commissioning the Carnegie Birthplace Memorial in 1925, Carnegie himself having died in 1919. It led to a visit to the United States to visit Mr Carnegie and the several Carnegie institutions in Pennsylvania in February to March 1925. The appointment did not however, prove exclusive as Jamieson & Arnott were commissioned to design the Louise Carnegie Memorial Gates and the rival Dunfermline architect John Fraser the Tea Room and Music Pavilion in Pittencrieff Park in 1927-28.
In 1931 Shearer's practice moved to 11 Maygate; on his father's death in that year he also moved house from Crossford to Morton Lodge. In 1935 he designed the Fire Station at Dunfermline which showed that he had kept abreast of developments in the practice of Burnet Tait & Lorne, although most of his work was to remain of a traditional character. The Town Council appointed him town-planning consultant in 1938, Clackmannan following with a similar appointment in 1944. He was also Consulting Architect to the Scottish Youth Hostels Association from 1940 until at least 1943.
Shearer was active in professional life. He was an active Fellow of the RIAS from 1922 and was a member of its Council, serving on its Education Committee and being its representative on the ARCUK Board of Architectural Education and on the RIBA Board of Education in 1943-4. 1943 was also the year of his election as ARSA, and it was not until this year that he sought membership of the RIBA. Somewhat surprisingly he was not immediately admitted as a fellow, becoming licentiate on 16 November 1943 his proposers being Charles Geddes Soutar, John Ross McKay and the Scottish Office architect John Wilson. In June of the following year he successfully applied for Fellowship, his proposers being Alfred Hugh Mottram, Joseph Weekes, the Dunbartonshire County Architect and an old colleague from Burnet's office, Alexander Wright. In 1946 he was invited to join the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board's panel of architectural advisers, leading to major work at Shin in Sutherland, Conon in Ross and Cromarty and Affric-Beauly in Inverness-shire, all of rugged masonry construction but stylistically with echoes of Burnet's work in the early 1920s and of the Dutch architect Willem Marinus Dudok: Shearer visited Dudok at Hilversum early in 1952 representing the Royal Scottish Academy which had elected him full Academician in 1948.
In the 1920s Shearer had run his office very economically with only one or at the most two assistants, but in the 1930s there were none until Peter Macdonald joined him from John Fraser's office in 1934. Printing from tracings was equally economical, still being done by an outdated ammonia-based light-sensitive process. But in 1949 he recruited George Annand, born 1915 and formerly of Burnet Son & Dick's office. He was taken into partnership in 1952. James Armstrong joined the practice as an apprentice in 1944, followed by Shearer's son James David Shearer and Edward D Armitage in 1946, Marcus Johnston joining only slightly later.
Shearer was belatedly appointed OBE in 1959 and continued to be the lead designer in the practice right up to the time of his death at Morton Lodge on 20 December 1962. He was then being cared for by his sister Nan, his wife having died in c.1930. He was buried with her at Warriston Cemetery. Annand died less than two years later in 1964 and Armstrong left for Edinburgh in 1967. The practice was continued by Shearer's son James who had previously worked for his father-in-law in Sheffield and subsequently in the London County Council/GLC Architect's Department but he too died prematurely of a cerebral haemorrhage in 1974. The practice was then continued by Marcus Johnston with Graham Withers from 1974. In 1990 it moved to 50 Bruce Street Dumfermline and they amalgamated with the practice of Mercer Blaikie which had been established about 1979 to become Blaikie Johnston Withers until its closure in 1994.
To the end of his life Shearer remained a very Edwardian-looking figure very slim and clad in a brown suit, old-fashioned high-laced boots and a broad brimmed felt hat, probably acquired for his trip to the USA in 1925. He was a very heavy smoker and spoke with a slight burr; he had a dry and sometimes pawky sense of humour which extended to verse. He was musical and played the cello. Despite the modernism of the Dunfermline Fire Station the office was deliberately kept shabby and was to remain so even after his death. In Shearer's later years the practice acquired a dyeline printer and even had a car, a yellow Austin which Shearer never learned to drive himself. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 11, Maygate, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland | Private/business | 1950 * | After 1980 | | | Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland | Business | 1952 | | | | 167, Brook Street, Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland | Business | 1980 * | | Branch office |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 | | | St Margaret's Parish Church | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1930 | Sligachan Hotel | | Isle of Skye | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Additions | | 1940 | Garage, Abbey Park Place | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | 1943 | Cove Castle | Cove | | Argyll | Scotland | Alterations | | c. 1944 | Carbisdale Castle | Culrain, Kincardine | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Alterations | | 1945 | Elsick House Youth Hostel | Strathpeffer | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | Alterations | | 1945 | Sligachan Hotel | | Isle of Skye | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Alterations including new light fittings | | 1947 | Affric Hydrio-Electric Scheme, Loch Beinn A' Mheadhoin To Fasnakyle Tunnel | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1947 | Gruidie Bridge | Conon | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1947 | Lochluichart Power Station | Lochluichart | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | c. 1947 | Railway Cottages | Lochluichart (Loch Luichart) | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1948 | Loch Mullardoch To Loch Beinn A' Mheadhoin Tunnel | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | c. 1948 | Logie House | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | 1949 | Fasnakyle Power Station, Transformer Station | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1949 | Model Village | Cannich | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1949 | Villa, Garvock Hill | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | 1950s | Glascarnoch Power Station | | | | Scotland | | | 1950s | Pittencrieff Park, signage, offices and stores, lighting, Goulden drinking fountain, double bridge | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1950 | Bridge Over Allt Blar Na Gamhna | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1950 | Bridge Over Allt Innes An Draighinn | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1950 | Bridge Over Allt Na Creige Leithe | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1950 | Bridge Over Am Cam Allt | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1950 | Housing, Cannock Colliery | Beauly | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | As James Shearer & Annand | | 1950 | Lochgelly reservoir, access building and chlorination plant | Lochgelly | | Fife | Scotland | Survey of access building | | c. 1950 | Garage for the Fife Motor Company Ltd | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1951 | Bunanuisg Generating Station | Bowmore | Islay | Argyll | Scotland | Additions | | c. 1951 | Lower Glendevon Reservoir and Dam | Glendevon | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1951 | Pittencrieff Park, Rabbit House | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1952 | Brucefield | Clackmannan | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Further work (continued by practice after Shearer's death) | | 1952 | Brucefield Mains | Clackmannan | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1952 | Carnegie Birthplace Memorial Museum | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations (and later) | | 1952 | Conon Valley Hydro Electric Scheme, Achanalt Power Station and Dam and fish pass | Lochluichart (Loch Luichart) | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1952 | Glen Affric Hydro Electric Scheme, Fasnakyle Power Station | Fasnakyle | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1952 | Miners' Welfare Society | Ballingry, Lochore & Crosshill | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1952 | Scottish Central Library | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Major alterations | | 1952 | Stand for Dunfermline Athletic Football Club | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1952 | Loch Meig, Dam | Torr Achilty | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | c. 1952 | The Cochranes | Alva | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | 1953 | Loch Shin Bridge | Loch Shin | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1953 | St Margaret's Hall | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Further work? (Plans dated) | | 1953 | Strath Canaird Power Station | Loch Broom | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | c. 1953 | Housing Schemes | Markinch (Glenrothes?) | | Fife | Scotland | Involved at later stages? | | 1954 | Council Housing and Garages | Cowdenbeath | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1954 | General Accident Fire & Life Corporation office | Lochgelly | | Fife | Scotland | Survey and site plan | | 1954 | Glenbrittle House | | Skye | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1954 | Tower House | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1954 | Loch Luichart Dam | Loch Luichart | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1955 | Conon Valley Hydro Electric Scheme, Torr Achilty Power Station and Dam | | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1955 | Great Glen Hydro Electric Scheme, Loch Quoich Dam and Intake Gatehouse Towers | Kinlochhourn | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1955 | Hydro cottages | Loch Luichart (Lochluichart) | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1955 | Parish Church | Anstruther Wester | | Fife | Scotland | Survey plans by M J Bett - perhps while working with Shearer & Annand | | 1955 | Premises for J McLelland | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations? | | 1955 | Raasay Lodge | Oban | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1955 | Water Tower | Ladybank | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | c. 1955 | Conon Valley Hydro Electric Scheme, Loch Vaich Dam | Contin | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | c. 1955 | Loch Vaich To Loch Glascarnoch Tunnel | Contin | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | c. 1955 | Property, The Scores | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Block plan - unidentified property | | 1956 | Elgin Cottage | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | 1957 | Cassley Power Station | Loch Shin | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1957 | Duchally Weir And Power Station | Loch Shin | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1957 | Model Village | Cannich | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1957 | Scottish Hydro-electric dam and power station | Lairg | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1957 | St Columba's Parish Church | Burntisland | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | 1957 | Viewfield House | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | c. 1957 | Hydro Houses | Inveran | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1958 | Barum House | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1958 | David Marshall Lodge and Indicator | Aberfoyle | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1958 | Hydro-electric generating Station at Culligran | | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1958 | Little Loch Shin Dam | Little Loch Shin | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1958 | Loch Chliostair Power Station | | Harris | Western Isles | Scotland | | | 1958 | Premises of James D Bruce | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | 1958 | Shin Hydro Electric Scheme, Lairg Power Station and Dam | Invershin | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1958 | UP Church and hall | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | c. 1958 | Glenfarg Reservoir, Chlorination planthouse | | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1959 | Aigas Hydro-electric Power Station and Dam | Beauly | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | NMRS drawings | | 1959 | Bank of Scotland Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations to offices for Penney & MacGeorge | | 1959 | Craigton Farm, Powmill | Muckhart | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1959 | Garage for the Fife Motor Company | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1959 | Inverawe Power Station | Inverawe | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1959 | Kilmorack Hydro-Electric Power Station (Combined Dam and Power House) | | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Drawings in NMRS | | 1959 | Loch Beannacharan, Deanie Power Station | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1959 | Lochgelly reservoir, access building and chlorination plant | Lochgelly | | Fife | Scotland | Chlorination building | | 1959 | Office fo Duncan Logan, builder | Muir of Ord | | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1959 | Villa, Garvock Hill | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1959 | Cruachan Power Station and Visitor Centre | Lochawe | | Argyll | Scotland | Visitor Centre | | c. 1959 | Gap sites | Dollar | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Scheme with layouts for gap sites | | c. 1959 | Holly Tree lodge | Pool of Muckhart | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | c. 1959 | Loch Beannacharan Dam | Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | c. 1959 | Loch Beannacharan To Culligran Tunnel | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | Late 1950s | Houses at Contin | Contin | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1960s | Housing for Kinross Town Council | Kinross | | Kinross-shire | Scotland | | | 1960s | Offices for NSHEB | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1960s | Wightman's Factory (later Wilson & Wightman?) | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | 1960 | House for Mr McLelland, Gallowridge Hill | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1960 | Lockups, Pittencrieff Street | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1960 | Lynburn House | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1960 | 4 Transy Place | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1960 | Balanton, Forestry Commission offices | Aberfoyle | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | c. 1960 | Commercial developments | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1960 | Kilmorack Hydro houses | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | c. 1960 | Water Filter house (?) | Strathmiglo | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1961 | Abbot House | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Restoration | | 1961 | High School | Plockton | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Conflict of information - drawings by Shearer and Annand suggest they were responsible but Gifford gives Ross & Cromarty County Architects | | 1961 | Hillend Cemetery and Waiting Room | Inverkeithing | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1961 | Hotel | Hill of Beath | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | 1961 | Loch Beannacharan, Lochanside | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1961 | Loch Nant Dam | | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1961 | Loch Nant, Main Intake Gatehouse | Loch Awe | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1961 | Offices, Carnegie United Kingdom Trust | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1961 | Service Reservoir, Inlet Chamber House | Saline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1962 | 1 Park Avenue | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Draft deed plans | | 1962 | House for Mrs Birrel | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1962 | Nant Power Station | Loch Awe | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1963 | River Farrar, Bridge | Glen Affric | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1963 | Villa, Westgarth Avenue | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations | | 1964 | Ballingry Parish Church | Ballingry | | Fife | Scotland | Extension | | 1964 | Fisher's Close | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Restoration | | 1966 | Reid's Hall | Lochgelly | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | Early 1960s | Area offices for the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board | Elgin | | Morayshire | Scotland | | | Early 1960s | Area offices for the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board | Elgin | | Morayshire | Scotland | | | Early 1960s | Foyers Power Station | Foyers | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Acted as consultant architects | | Early 1960s | Housing Estate for council | Cowdenbeath | | Fife | Scotland | Upgrade of Pre-War Council houses. Also perhaps new houses as well? | | Early 1960s | Wardie Community Centre | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Late 1960s | Glenfiddich Distillery | Dufftown | | Banffshire | Scotland | Reception area | | Late 1960s | Housing | Loch Awe | | Argyll | Scotland | | | Late 1960s | Housing for North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Housing Society | Cannich | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | Late 1960s or early 1970s | Hill of Beath Community Centre | Cowdenbeath | | Fife | Scotland | Conflict of information - RIBA Directory gives Shearer & Annand | | Late 1960s or early 1970s | Housing for Cowdenbeath Town Council | Cowdenbeath | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1970s | Branch library | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1970s | Dam, water treatment works and housing | | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1970s | Housing and community Local Authority housing | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1970s | Housing and community Local Authority housing (for the disabled) | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1970s | Laboratories for the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board | Pitlochry | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1970s | Sheltered housing | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1970 | Commercial development | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1970 | Kinross Central Redevelopment | Kinross | | Kinross-shire | Scotland | | | 1972 | Halfway Hotel | Kingseat | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | After 1975 | Community Centre | Dalgety Bay | | Fife | Scotland | | | After 1975 | Community Centre | Crosshill | | Fife | Scotland | | | After 1975 | Community Centre | Lochore | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1976 | St John's Church | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1979 | Dunfermline Building Society | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1979 | Reid's Hall | Lochgelly | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | Early 1970s(?) | Area Office for NSHEB | Cruachan | | Argyll | Scotland | | | Early 1970s(?) | Area offices for NSHEB | Elgin | | Morayshire | Scotland | | | Early 1970s | Houses at Contin | Contin | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Housing Society houses | | 1980s | Abbey Church Hall | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Restoration work | | 1980 | Dalgety Parish Church | Dalgety | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1982 | Seath Hall, Sheltered Housing | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations | | c. 1982 | Dunfermline Abbey | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Restoration | | 1991 | Seath Hall, Sheltered Housing | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p7 | | Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p14 | | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | RIBA | 1980 | Directory of Practices 1980 | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 28 April 1950 | | | p570 |
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