Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Taylor
Designation:  
Born: 3 June 1890
Died: 9 January 1977
Bio Notes: James Taylor was born on 3 June 1890, the son of Charles Taylor, boot and shoe manufacturer, and his wife Jane Drummond Schawbe. He was articled to William Craig Boyd in Glasgow from August 1904 until 1910, studying at Glasgow School of Art (1907 to 1910 and 1911 to 1913), Glasgow School of Architecture and the Royal Technical College. Thereafter, in the years leading up to the First World War, he was a draughtsman with John Melvin & Son in Alloa and with structural engineers A & J Main in Glasgow. In 1917 and 1918 he worked as a draughtsman for Glasgow reinforced-concrete consultants F A MacDonald & Partners, and in the following year he set up practice on his own account at 166 Buchanan Street, moving to 220 West Regent Street in May 1928. He gained a reputation in the 1930s for bold modernist designs which reflected his engineering background. He was admitted LRIBA in early 1931, proposed by John Watson, John Keppie and George Arthur Boswell, and had been elected FRIBA by the end of the same year, again with Watson's support but his other proposers this time being Andrew Balfour and David Salmond. Despite this he refused to become a registered architect. Like several other architects with large fee accounts still outstanding at the beginning of the Second World War, he found himself threatened with virtually no return for his work in the previous two years because of the increase in the top rate of income tax to 19s 6d in the pound. Imprisonment for tax evasion after the Second World War brought his previously successful practice to a close.

Taylor died aged 86 on 9 January 1977 at Clydeview Eventide Home, Helensburgh which was his usual address. His wife Lalla Fitch had predeceased him. A daughter who lived in Helensburgh survived him.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 6242, Crown Street, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1907After 1913 
Item 2 of 6166, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1919May 1928 
Item 3 of 6220, West Regent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessMay 1928After 1939 
Item 4 of 6Rolyat/90, Kilmarnock Road, Giffnock, Renfrewshire, ScotlandPrivate1930 * Corner with Kilmarnock Road
Item 5 of 6Rolyat/7, Mulberry Road, Newlands, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1931 * Corner with Mulberry Road
Item 6 of 6196, West Regent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1948 * Builder 5 March 1948 p293

* 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 5MacTaggart and Mickel Ltd  Architect 
Item 2 of 5William Craig BoydAugust 19041910Apprentice 
Item 3 of 5John Melvin & Son1910Before 1914Draughtsman 
Item 4 of 5A & J MainAfter 19101915Draughtsman 
Item 5 of 5F A MacDonald & Partners19171918Draughtsman 

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 11James MaitlandApril 19271931Assistant 
Item 2 of 11Alexander McAnally (sometimes misspelt McNally or Macannally)1928March 1932Assistant 
Item 3 of 11James Johnston19291930Architect 
Item 4 of 11John Steel1930s AssistantFor fifteen months
Item 5 of 11James Maitland19311941Chief Assistant 
Item 6 of 11Margaret (Margot) Florence Muirhead1936(?)After 1937Assistant 
Item 7 of 11James Harry Routledge19581960Assistant 
Item 8 of 11Martin Dunleavyc. 1960c. 1964Apprentice 
Item 9 of 11David Gourlay LowrieEarly 1960s Architect 
Item 10 of 11Robert RamsayEarly 1960s Architect 
Item 11 of 11Czselaw-Jerzy KarpinskiEarly 1960s Architect 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6Andrew BalfourLate 1931for Fellowship
Item 2 of 6George Arthur BoswellEarly 1931for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 6John KeppieEarly 1931for Licentiateship
Item 4 of 6David SalmondLate 1931for Fellowship
Item 5 of 6John WatsonEarly 1931for Licentiateship
Item 6 of 6John WatsonLate 1931for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 14James Baird20 July 1943For Associateship
Item 2 of 14Donald John Cameron10 January 1956For Fellowship
Item 3 of 14Duncan Chisholm Cameron8 January 1934for Licentiateship
Item 4 of 14Alexander Adair Gowans14 November 1944for Associateship
Item 5 of 14William Geoffrey Jarvis2 February 1954For Associateship
Item 6 of 14James Kirkwood14 December 1948for Associateship
Item 7 of 14Alexander McAnally (sometimes misspelt McNally or Macannally)15 June 1943for Licentiateship
Item 8 of 14Alexander McAnally (sometimes misspelt McNally or Macannally)20 December 1950for Fellowship
Item 9 of 14Margaret (Margot) Florence Muirhead8 March 1937for Associateship
Item 10 of 14Robert Barr Rankin6 January 1953For Associateship
Item 11 of 14James Harry Routledge7 February 1961For Associateship
Item 12 of 14Leslie William Rushbrook14 November 1944for Licentiateship
Item 13 of 14John Steel16 April 1940For Associateship
Item 14 of 14William John Brockie Wright18 April 1944for Fellowship

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 38 Housing, Carolside Park  Glasgow  
Item 2 of 38After 1919DunmorliePollokshields GlasgowScotlandExtension and alterations
Item 3 of 38After 1919Garage for Ayr Motor CompanyAyr AyrshireScotland 
Item 4 of 38After 1919Garage for Messrs Armour & MelvinNewlands GlasgowScotland 
Item 5 of 38After 1919Govan Combination Poorhouse and AsylumGovan GlasgowScotlandNurses' home, alterations to houses, new office and dayrooms
Item 6 of 38After 1919Govan District AsylumGovan GlasgowScotlandEight houses, enteric carriers pavilion and solarium
Item 7 of 38After 1919HousesNewlands GlasgowScotland 
Item 8 of 38After 1919Mental Defective InstitutionGovan GlasgowScotland 
Item 9 of 38After 1919Offices for Lambhill Ironworks LtdLambhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 10 of 38After 1919Offices for Messrs Armstrong, Siddeley, Motors Ltd  GlasgowScotland 
Item 11 of 38After 1919SchoolRuchill GlasgowScotland 
Item 12 of 38After 1919Scottish Clerks Association offices  GlasgowScotland 
Item 13 of 38After 1919Showroom for Messrs Armour & Melvin  GlasgowScotland 
Item 14 of 38After 1919Sighthill UF Church HallSighthill GlasgowScotland 
Item 15 of 38After 1919TowerwoodPatterton RenfrewshireScotlandLodges, garage, tennis court, curling rink, rock garden, and alterations to mansion house
Item 16 of 381925King's Park house types  GlasgowScotland 
Item 17 of 381925Single storey and mansard attic experimental house typesLanglands GlasgowScotland 
Item 18 of 381927Houses, Carntyne Housing DevelopmentCarntyne GlasgowScotland 
Item 19 of 381929Aikenhead Estate, house types  GlasgowScotland 
Item 20 of 381929Southhampton Drive, housetypesKelvinside GlasgowScotland 
Item 21 of 381930British Silk Dyeing Company model factoryBalloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 22 of 381931Housing development, Broom Estate, Areas A and BWhitecraigs GlasgowScotlandCubist and period houses.
Item 23 of 381934'Colour Home' housetype in Central Station  GlasgowScotland 
Item 24 of 381934'Colour Home' housetype, Carolside Park  GlasgowScotland 
Item 25 of 381935Broom Estate housing developmentNewton Mearns RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 26 of 381935Crook InnTweedsmuir PeeblesshireScotlandRemodelling
Item 27 of 38Late 1935'Super Colour Villa' house type     
Item 28 of 381936Convalescent Home for the Ancient Order of ForestersStirling StirlingScotlandExtensions
Item 29 of 381936Dalziel Iron Works Head OfficesMotherwell LanarkshireScotland 
Item 30 of 381936Homeopathic HospitalKirklee GlasgowScotlandDesign only
Item 31 of 38After 1936Marine HotelOban ArgyllScotlandRenovation of interior
Item 32 of 381939Super Cinema, Paisley Road  GlasgowScotland 
Item 33 of 381939Thornwood Public House  GlasgowScotland 
Item 34 of 381944First Aid Post, Blochairn Road  GlasgowScotland 
Item 35 of 381948Glasgow Cabinet Works  GlasgowScotlandAlterations
Item 36 of 381948McGreggor & Co Ltd, Pitt Street     
Item 37 of 381954Premises of William L Thomson & Son Ltd, Union Street  GlasgowScotland 
Item 38 of 381955Hillhead Primary SchoolHillhead, Kirkintilloch DunbartonshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3RCAHMS1999Homebuilders: Mactaggart & Mickel and the Scottish housebuilding industry RCAHMSp 32, 41, 43-4, 52, 56, 69, 86, 89-92
Image of mid-1920s design for houses at Kings Park p44
Image showing 'unit' showhouse at Glasgow's Central Station promoting the Carolside Park development (1934) p68
Image showing 'Colour Home' showhouse at Glasgow's Central Station promoting the Carolside Park development (1934) p69
Elevation detail and plan of deatched villa proposed for Broom Estate (1936) p90
Three alternative elevations for proposed bungalows for the Broom Estate (1937) p91
Item 2 of 3RIBA1930The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 3RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder4 June 1954  p1007

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 studentship dates from research by Iain Paterson
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L no3845 (box 17); F no2971 (box 15)