Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Watson (junior) | Designation: | | Born: | 6 April 1903 | Died: | 8 June 1977 | Bio Notes: | John Watson Junior was born on 6 April 1903, the son of John Watson, senior partner in the firm Watson & Salmond, and his wife Elizabeth Cumming. In 1920 he was articled to Burnet Son & Dick where he worked on the Zoology Building at the University of Glasgow, and where Sir John Burnet, a friend of his father, took a personal interest in his development. While at Burnet's Watson Junior studied at the Glasgow School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Technical College. There he won several medals and bursaries, including a minor scholarship which enabled him to spend four weeks in France in 1924-25, and the John Keppie Travelling Scholarship which funded a year's study in Italy, France and Spain in 1925-26. In 1926 he settled in London as a senior draughtsman to Niven & Wigglesworth, but because of the dissolution of that partnership he moved in the following year to the office of Sir John William Simpson, and in 1929 to that of Emanuel Vincent Harris. Whilst with Harris, he travelled again to Italy, and to Sicily and the south of France, for seven weeks in 1930; and served as editor of the RIAS Quarterly in 1931 and 1932.
He enjoyed his London years and it was with some regret that he returned to Glasgow in 1933 with a view to taking up the partnership being vacated by Salmond, who was fairly well-off and planning to retire. Watson Junior became a partner in 1934. After the death of his father in 1936 and of the third partner James Henry Gray in 1938, Watson Junior became sole partner at the age of thirty-five, having been effectively in full charge of the practice since 1936; and at about that time he took over the practice of Alexander Nisbet Paterson on his retirement.
Watson Junior was a convinced classicist of the late Burnet-Vincent Harris school throughout his career. He was admitted ARIBA sometime before 1939 and was elected FRIBA on 16 November 1943, his proposers being William James Smith, John Stewart, A N Paterson and Andrew Graham Henderson. At that time his office was at 111 Union Street, Glasgow and he was living at Old Mains, Cadzow Avenue, Giffnock, a fine mid-18th-century country house which he had, with characteristic determination, rescued from demolition when its grounds became an exclusive housing estate. He was an important collector of Glasgow School paintings and architectural books throughout his life, and he and his much taller English wife Beryl were most generous hosts. Their later years were clouded by the death of their architect son who died while still a student.
Watson Junior retired c.1970 as a result of pneumonia which left him with a damaged heart. He and his wife then gave up their house at Giffnock and moved to a large flat at Netherlee. He died at the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow on 8 June 1977 and was survived by his wife, Beryl Edith Creswick. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 7, Church Road, Giffnock, Renfrewshire, Scotland | Private | 1926 * | | | | 111, Union Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1939 | After 1950 | | | 24, Doughty Street, London, England | Business | Before 1939 * | 1939 | | | Old Mains, Cadzow Avenue, Giffnock, Renfrewshire, Scotland | Private | c. 1940 | c. 1971 | | | 19, Beechlands Avenue, Netherlee, Renfrewshire, Scotland | Private | c. 1971 | 1977 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA Proposals
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 | | 1922 | Royal Hospital for Sick Children | Yorkhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | As apprentice to Burnet, Son & Dick, working on drawings for additions to nurses' home; administration building largely designed in Glasgow office | | 1922 | University of Glasgow, Zoology Building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | As apprentice to Burnet Son & Dick | | 1923 | R W Forsyth Ltd Department Store | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | As assistant to John James Burnet - west extension over site of George Washington Browne's Redfern building (see separate entry) and new building at 3 St Andrew Square with bridge over mews lane | | 1934 | Biscuit Factory of Gray, Dunn & Co, Kinning Park | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | South block | | 1934 | Church | Parkhead | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1934 | Glasgow Academy | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extensive additions, including 18 classrooms, large library, gymnasium, ancillary and administrative accommodation, monumental entrance gateway with two janitors' houses - steel-framed | | 1934 | Victoria Infirmary, nurses' home | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension | | 1935 | National Bank of Scotland, St Enoch Square | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Reconstruction and new banking hall | | 1935 | Scottish Ice Rink | Crossmyloof | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1935 | Victoria Infirmary | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Paying patients annexe and nurses home both extended | | 1935 | Victoria Infirmary, private annexe | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension | | 1935 | Victoria Infirmary, X-ray department and private wing | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1936 | 3, 4 and 5 Claremont Terrace | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations to no 3 for Woodland Nursing Home | | 1936 | British Linen Bank, Orchardhill Church branch | Giffnock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Reconstruction and additions | | 1936 | House for Miss Somerville | Helensburgh | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | | | 1938 | British Linen Bank | Dunoon | | Argyll | Scotland | Reconstruction | | 1938 | British Linen Bank, Wishaw | Wishaw | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Reconstruction and additions | | 1938 | Glasgow Academy | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Reconstruction of main building, dormers on main elevation, new east façade, lodges and claire voyee railing on Holland Street | | 1938 | Victoria Infirmary | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Scheme for future extension | | 1939 | British Linen Bank | Lesmahagow | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1939 | Centre Street Grain Mills | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Survey and alterations | | 1939 | Hairmyres Emergency Hospital | East Kilbride | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1939 | Maukinhill Filter Station | Greenock | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | | 1939 | Millport Emergency Hospital | Millport | Great Cumbrae | Bute | Scotland | | | 1939 | National Bank of Scotland, Dalmarnock Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1939 | The Garrison | Millport | Great Cumbrae | Bute | Scotland | Conversion to St Andrews Emergency Hospital | | 1939 | Victoria Infirmary | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Adaptation of ground floor of north west pavilion for outpatients department. Other additions? | | 1939 | Victoria Infirmary, kitchens | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Reconstruction and additions | | 1940 | Philipshill Auxiliary Hospital | Thorntonhall | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Extension | | 1940 | Victoria Infirmary, boiler house | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1944 | Grogarry Lodge | | South Uist | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Additions | | 1944 | Property, Hamilton Road | Cambuslang | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1944 | The Devon Bar | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations | | 1945 | Premises, Torrisdale Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1947 | Bank of England, St Vincent Place | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Proposed alterations and additions | | 1947 | Victoria Infirmary | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Outpatient and casualty block - design (executed 1966) | | 1948 | Bakery for R A Peacock and Son | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1957 | Cardross Crematorium and Cardross | Cardross | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | | | 1958 | Store For A Guiness & Sons | Finnieston | | Glasgow | | Survey | | 1960s | British Linen Bank | Ayr | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1960s | British Linen Bank | Prestwick | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1960s | British Linen Bank | Motherwell | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1960s | Brodick Castle | Brodick | Arran | Bute | Scotland | Restoration | | 1960s | Cairds Yard Factory | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1960s | Caledonian Insurance Building | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations? additions? | | 1960s | Caledonian Insurance Company Offices | | | London | England | | | 1960s | Carntyne Industrial Estate | Carntyne | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Cooperage for Teachers (Distillers) Ltd | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Craigbank Senior Secondary School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Factory for Gray Dunn | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Govan District Asylum | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | Treatment block; laboratory block, mortuary, units for intensive case and paraplegics, twin theatre unit. (Some or all of these - the RIBA Directory is vague.) | | 1960s | Holmwood House | Cathcart | | Glasgow | Scotland | Restoration | | 1960s | Industrial Estate | Kilwinning | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1960s | Offices for Arthur Guiness | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Offices for P & W MacLellan | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Premises of John G Kincaid & Co Ltd (Engineers), East Hamilton Street | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | New works? extension to old works? | | 1960s | Residential Spastics School | Little Corseford, Johnstone | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1960s | Royal Bank of Scotland | Rutherglen | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1960s | Royal Bank of Scotland | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1960s | Royal Bank of Scotland | Dumfries | | Dumfreisshire | Scotland | | | 1960s | St Margaret Mary's RC Senior Secondary School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Thornliebank Industrial Estate | Thornliebank | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Victoria Infirmary | Langside | | Glasgow | Scotland | Treatment block; laboratory block, mortuary, units for intensive case and paraplegics, twin theatre unit. Also coronary unit and ward upgrading. | | Before 1964(?) | Dollar Academy, Playfair block | Dollar | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Restoration | | 1968 | Dumfries House | Cumnock (near) | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Restoration. Dining room (proposed reduction in size, not carried out, coffering in Venetian window alcove which was executed) |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Murray, Ian (parts written by John Watson Junior) | | The Victoria Infirmary of Glasgow 1890-1938 | | | p88 | | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | Watson, John | | Recollections | | Unpublished manuscript in DMW archive | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 22 May 1959 | | | mentioned in 'Notes of the Week' p912 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A no4034 (box 5); F no3983 (box 31) |
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