Basic Biographical Details Name: | Hugh Smith | Designation: | | Born: | 21 July 1899 | Died: | 24 December 1967 | Bio Notes: | Hugh Smith was born on 21 July 1899. He served with the British Expeditionary Force in France during the First World War before commencing his apprenticeship on 4 May 1920, serving five years with Thomas Graham Abercrombie (from 1923 Abercrombie & Maitland) and attending Paisley Technical College and School of Art as well as taking private tuition in design. On completing his apprenticeship in June 1925 he joined the Air Ministry Works & Buildings Department, where he was engaged on the design of officers' quarters, barracks and technical buildings as well as Croydon Airport. In July the following year he transferred to H M Office of Works, Edinburgh, where he was principally concerned with the maintenance of public buildings including Register House, the Law Courts, and various post offices and labour and telephone exchanges. At the beginning of 1929 he moved to London to join the architectural staff of the Miners Welfare Committee, working as chief assistant to the chief architect of the north-eastern division, John Austin Dempster, on pithead baths and other buildings. He was admitted LRIBA in early 1932, apparently without proposers, and in November 1936 was appointed Dempster's deputy, with full responsibility for the Committee's work in Ayrshire, Cumberland, Lanarkshire and the Lothians.
He was elected FRIBA on 1 May 1951, his proposers being Dempster, Robert Cawkwell, and John Henry Forshaw, who was in charge of the general direction of the Miners' Welfare Committee's building programme throughout the United Kingdom. At that time he was based in Doncaster working as deputy to John Austin Dempster, Divisional Architect, National Coal Board and living at 129 Bawtry Road Bessacarr. On Dempster's retirement he was appointed Divisional Architect, retiring in 1963.
He died on 24th December 1967. His son, Hugh Philip Smith, was Borough Architect of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 189, Peartree Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England | Private | 1931 * | | | | 129, Bawtry Road, Bessacarr, Doncaster, Yorkshire, England | Private | 1951 * | After 1960 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
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 | | 1927 | Parliament House, Supreme Courts of Scotland | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Unspecified maintenance work - as assistant in H M Office of Works | | 1927 or 1928 | Register House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Unspecified maintenance work - as assistant in H M Office of Works | | After 1929 | Arniston Colliery, pithead baths | | | Midlothian | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Brora Colliery, pithead baths | Inverness | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Castle Park Bandstand | Whitehaven | | Cumberland | England | | | After 1929 | Comrie Colliery, pithead baths | | | Fife | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Douglas Castle colliery, pithead baths | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Haigh Colliery, pithead baths | Whitehaven | | Cumberland | England | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Houldsworth Colliery, pithead baths | Patna | | Ayrshire | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Kells Community Centre | Whitehaven | | Cumberland | England | | | After 1929 | Mauchline Colliery, pithead baths | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Overtown Colliery, pithead baths | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Pennyvenie Colliery, pithead baths | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Further work (?) - As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Wester Auchengeich Colliery, pithead baths | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Whitehill Colliery, pithead baths | | | Midlothian | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | After 1929 | Windygates Institute | Windygates | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1932 | Kames Colliery, Pithead Baths | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect under John Austin Dempster, on the staff of the Miners' Welfare Committee | | 1933 | Auchencruive/Auchincruive Colliery, Pithead Baths 4 and 5 | Annbank | | Ayrshire | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect under John Austin Dempster, on the staff of the Miners' Welfare Committee | | 1933 | Cardowan Colliery, Pithead Baths | Cardowan | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | As chief assistant to John Austin Dempster, on the staff of the Miners' Welfare Committee | | 1934 | Polkemmet Colliery, pithead baths | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | As chief assistant and latterly deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee | | 1938 | Fleets Colliery, pithead baths | | | East Lothian | Scotland | As chief assistant or deputy chief architect for the Miners' Welfare Committee |
ReferencesArchive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Courtesy of Hugh Smith | Information sent via 'Contact Us' on website | | Sent May 2011 | | England and Wales | Births, marriages and deaths | | | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L no4105 (box 21); F no4623 (combined box 25) |
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