Basic Biographical Details

Name: Alexander Tod
Designation:  
Born:  
Died: c. 1917
Bio Notes: Alexander Tod was a Fife-born carpenter who settled in Edinburgh and is known to have worked on Pilkington's Barclay Church. He rose to the position of an inspector of works and in 1865-67 was responsible for the building of the Normand Road UP Church in Dysart designed by James Brown of Glasgow. His expeditious handling of that contract came to the notice of Mrs Millicent Wemyss of Wemyss Castle who appointed him master of works to the Wemyss and Torrie estates which had extensive colliery and harbour interests as well as agricultural land. In 1894-95 Tod became acquainted with Robert Stodart Lorimer through the formation of a chapel in Wemyss Castle and more particularly through the building of the East Lodge and West Wemyss Manse which in some degree set the style of the harled Scots vernacular idiom adopted on the Wemyss estate thereafter.

Tod's practice was continued by his son Alexander Stewart Tod who was born on 25 December 1889 and joined his father in the master-of-works office on leaving school, his practical training with his father being supplemented by books and evening classes. In 1915 he was called up for military service, and while serving in the army his father died c.1917. The post of master of works was kept vacant for him and he returned to the Wemyss estate office on demobilisation in 1919.

About 1950 John Carroll, owner of the textile factory at East Wemyss invited Tod to carry out work on his premises. This was encouraged by the Wemyss family, but as a salaried estate employee he was at first reluctant to undertake it and passed the commission to the much older Archibald Welsh of Kirkcaldy who was architect to the Kirkcaldy and District (previously Pathhead and Sinclairtown) Co-operative Societies. Welsh then invited him to become a partner, the practice then becoming Welsh & Tod.

Alexander Stewart Tod died on 9 January 1964 and was succeeded as master of works of the Wemyss estate by his son Charles Robert, a surveyor, who had been articled to Archibald Welsh in 1946. Welsh only briefly survived Alexander Stewart Tod, the Welsh & Tod practice then becoming Stewart Tod & Sons, although Stewart Tod Junior remained an associate in David Carr's practice which he had joined in 1955. The architectural side of the Tod practice in Kirkcaldy was also looked after by his wife Vivienne until 1970 when Carr took Stewart Tod into full partnership and the practices merged.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Fife, ScotlandBusiness   
Item 2 of 2Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness   

Employment and Training

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 3George Charles CampbellJuly 1898c. 1903Apprentice 
Item 2 of 3George Charles CampbellAfter 1903(?)1905Senior Draughtsman 
Item 3 of 3George Charles Campbellc. 1903(?)Before 1905Junior Draughtsman 

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 23c. 1880HousingAberhill FifeScotland 
Item 2 of 23c. 1880HousingMethilhill FifeScotland 
Item 3 of 23c. 1880HousingCoaltown of Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 4 of 231889St Adrian's Parish ChurchWest Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 5 of 23c. 1895The ManseWest Wemyss FifeScotlandPartially responsible for design - perhaps modifying Lorimer's design in course of execution
Item 6 of 231896Coaltown of Wemyss SchoolCoaltown of Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 7 of 231896West Wemyss SchoolWest Wemyss FifeScotland'Buildings of Scotland' attribution
Item 8 of 23Before 1898Wemyss and Torrie Estates  FifeScotlandGeneral estate works - villas, farmhouses, steadings, cottages, hall, tenements
Item 9 of 23Late 1800sBowhouseWemyss FifeScotland 
Item 10 of 23Late 1800sBranxton Farmhouse and steadingBoreland FifeScotlandAlterations to farmhouse
Item 11 of 23Late 1800sNumbers 1, 2 & 3 Cottages, Wemyss Castle Policies  FifeScotland 
Item 12 of 23Late 1800sWest Wemyss Miners' Welfare InstituteWest Wemyss FifeScotlandNos 5, 6 Coxstool
Item 13 of 231900Wemyss Public HallEast Wemyss FifeScotlandAlso bellcote of 1911?
Item 14 of 231901Church of Scotland (possibly St Michael's)Buckhaven FifeScotland 
Item 15 of 231902Housing for workers from the Wemyss Coal CompanyDenbeath FifeScotland 
Item 16 of 231903St Agatha's RC Chapel SchoolCrossroads (Buckhaven?) FifeScotland 
Item 17 of 231909Randolph Wemyss Memorial HospitalDenbeath/Methil FifeScotland 
Item 18 of 231911Gothenburg Public HouseCoaltown of Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 19 of 23Before 1917Swanbrae HotelMethil FifeScotland 
Item 20 of 23Before 1917Wemyss Castle, service entrance gates and terrace of cottagesCoaltown of Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 21 of 23Before 1917Wemyss Castle, west gate lodge and gatesEast Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 22 of 23Early 1900sHousing for workers at the Bowman & Co Denbeath CollieryDenbeath FifeScotlandRe-working of earlier housing
Item 23 of 23Early 1900sThe Carshed ShopEast Wemyss FifeScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Bailey, Rebecca M1996Scottish architects' papers: a source book Edinburgh: The Rutland Pressp139

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Personal information from Stewart Tod