Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Innes Thomson
Designation:  
Born: 1910
Died: 30 September 1990
Bio Notes: William Innes Thomson was born in 1910, the son of the architect William Nicholas Thomson who practised in Leith. The latter had taken James Dorward into partnership in 1915, the firm then becoming William N Thomson & Co. William Innes commenced the diploma course at the School of Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art and Heriot-Watt College in 1928, studying under John Begg and Frank Charles Mears. He was awarded an exemption from the RIBA intermediate exam in 1931 and spent the following year gaining experience in an unspecified office. He continued his studies thereafter and obtained his diploma in 1934, receiving an exemption from the final exam. He was admitted ARIBA on 14 January 1935, his proposers being Begg, Frank Charles Mears and James Inch Morrison. His nomination papers state that between 1928 and 1934 he had made visits to traditional buildings throughout Britain and had studied contemporary work in London. At the time of his admittance he had been awarded a post-graduate scholarship in Town Planning and was still at the School of Architecture.

In the mid-1930s he worked as an assistant with W Scott Morton & Co probably for practical experience in bar fitting which was the staple business of the Thomson practice. In 1938 the elder Thomson retired at the age of seventy, his interest in the practice passing to his son. The younger Thomson's return appears to have unsettled Samuel Edwin Duncan, who had remained with the firm since completing his apprenticeship there shortly after the First World War and had been made a partner in 1935: he withdrew from the partnership in the following year.

Thomson was on the staff of the Edinburgh College of Art during the late 1930s and/or 1940s.

James Dorward retired c.1944 and in 1950 William Innes Thomson, then sole partner, moved the practice to Cambridge House, 13 Castle Terrace where he was joined in 1961 by his son Nicholas Innes Thomson who became a partner in 1968.

William Nicholas Thomson died in 1951; William Innes Thomson on 20 September 1990.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3Sunnycroft, Barnton, Midlothian, ScotlandPrivate1935 *  
Item 2 of 3Hope Chambers/52, Leith Walk, Leith, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1935After 1943 
Item 3 of 3Sea Yetts, Glebe Road, Cramond, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1939After 1944 

* 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 2Scott Morton & Co (later Scott Morton & Tynecastle Co Ltd; finally Scott Morton Ltd)c. 1935c. 1938Assistant 
Item 2 of 2W N Thomson & Co1938After 1975Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3John Begg14 January 1935for Associateship
Item 2 of 3(Sir) Frank Charles Mears14 January 1935for Associateship
Item 3 of 3James Inch Morrison14 January 1935for Associateship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 13Joseph Duncan Beaumont18 January 1944for Associateship
Item 2 of 13Hamish Eadie Burden16 May 1944for Associateship
Item 3 of 13David Plaistow Crease8 December 1953For Associateship
Item 4 of 13James Dorward20 July 1943for Licentiateship
Item 5 of 13Alan Douglas13 April 1943for Associateship
Item 6 of 13George Flett (junior)12 February 1946For Associateship
Item 7 of 13Thomas Stanley Aitchison Kennedy9 October 1956For Licentiateship
Item 8 of 13Rolf Koren7 July 1948for Associateship
Item 9 of 13Robert Walker Rennie Mackenzie14 January 1947For Associateship
Item 10 of 13John Edgar McCulloch12 March 1946For Assoiateship
Item 11 of 13Henry Alexander Patton10 December 1946For Associateship
Item 12 of 13Thomas ('Tom') Riddell Spaven14 December 1948For Associateship
Item 13 of 13Reuben Johnson Oluwole Wright7 March 1950For 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 151936Lindores  EdinburghScotland 
Item 2 of 151936White HouseCraigmillar EdinburghScotland 
Item 3 of 15c. 1936DalchonzieBarnton EdinburghScotland 
Item 4 of 151938Seafield CrematoriumLeith EdinburghScotland 
Item 5 of 151947Murray's Craigmillar Park Brewery and CottagesCraigmillar EdinburghScotlandReconstruction and extension,
Item 6 of 151947Public House, Easthouses, for William Murray & Co LtdDalkeith MidlothianScotland 
Item 7 of 151947Public House, Holytown, for William Murray & Co LtdHolytown LanarkshireScotland 
Item 8 of 151947Public House, Newtongrange, for William Murray & Co LimitedNewtongrange MidlothianScotland 
Item 9 of 151949Murray's Craigmillar Park Brewery and CottagesCraigmillar EdinburghScotlandadditions and extensions
Item 10 of 151951Murray's Craigmillar Park Brewery and CottagesCraigmillar EdinburghScotlandextension of tun room
Item 11 of 151953The Doocot  EdinburghScotland 
Item 12 of 15Before 1975Automobile Association offices   Scotland 
Item 13 of 15Before 1975Queene Anne Whisky PlantNewbridge West LothianScotland 
Item 14 of 15Before 1975Ravelston Court  EdinburghScotland 
Item 15 of 15Before 1975Sports PavilionDuddingston EdinburghScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Bailey, Rebecca M1996Scottish architects' papers: a source book Edinburgh: The Rutland Press 
Item 2 of 2RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIAS NewsletterJanuary 1991v2, no5 Death note

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no5626 (box 9); F no3888
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers Rolf Koren, F no5463 (combined box 80) - information on W I Thomson's position on staff at ECA