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 AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Fife, Scotland | Business | | | | | Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | | | |
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 | | c. 1880 | Housing | Aberhill | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1880 | Housing | Methilhill | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1880 | Housing | Coaltown of Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1889 | St Adrian's Parish Church | West Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1895 | The Manse | West Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | Partially responsible for design - perhaps modifying Lorimer's design in course of execution | | 1896 | Coaltown of Wemyss School | Coaltown of Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1896 | West Wemyss School | West Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | 'Buildings of Scotland' attribution | | Before 1898 | Wemyss and Torrie Estates | | | Fife | Scotland | General estate works - villas, farmhouses, steadings, cottages, hall, tenements | | Late 1800s | Bowhouse | Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | | | Late 1800s | Branxton Farmhouse and steading | Boreland | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations to farmhouse | | Late 1800s | Numbers 1, 2 & 3 Cottages, Wemyss Castle Policies | | | Fife | Scotland | | | Late 1800s | West Wemyss Miners' Welfare Institute | West Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | Nos 5, 6 Coxstool | | 1900 | Wemyss Public Hall | East Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | Also bellcote of 1911? | | 1901 | Church of Scotland (possibly St Michael's) | Buckhaven | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1902 | Housing for workers from the Wemyss Coal Company | Denbeath | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1903 | St Agatha's RC Chapel School | Crossroads (Buckhaven?) | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1909 | Randolph Wemyss Memorial Hospital | Denbeath/Methil | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1911 | Gothenburg Public House | Coaltown of Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | | | Before 1917 | Swanbrae Hotel | Methil | | Fife | Scotland | | | Before 1917 | Wemyss Castle, service entrance gates and terrace of cottages | Coaltown of Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | | | Before 1917 | Wemyss Castle, west gate lodge and gates | East Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | | | Early 1900s | Housing for workers at the Bowman & Co Denbeath Colliery | Denbeath | | Fife | Scotland | Re-working of earlier housing | | Early 1900s | The Carshed Shop | East Wemyss | | Fife | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Bailey, Rebecca M | 1996 | Scottish architects' papers: a source book | | Edinburgh: The Rutland Press | p139 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Personal information from Stewart Tod |
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