Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Glendinning
Designation:  
Born: 24 October 1902
Died: 20 April 1952
Bio Notes: John Glendinning was born on 24 October 1902, the son of Alexander Glendinning, oil company clerk, and his wife, Margaret Davidson Forrest. He was educated at Kelty in Fife, and from 1920 to 1924 served his articles in the office of John Fraser of Dunfermline while attending Fife Mining evening classes. From 1925 to 1928 he attended courses in building construction and materials at Heriot Watt College, took further classes at Edinburgh College of Art, and worked as junior draughtsman to Charles E Tweedie & Sons. This was followed by four years as assistant in the Department of Agriculture for Scotland (1929-33) and then a period as acting architect to the builders Anderson & Walker of Corstorphine (1933-6). Between 1936 and 1939 he worked as temporary assistant in the works department of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary under Thomas Turnbull, and meanwhile in 1937 he was appointed assistant architect and clerk of works to the Kinlochleven Village Improvement Society, Argyll. After leaving this post in 1939 he spent four months as assistant to Adam Arnott of Tranent.

Before the end of that year, he entered the civil service as a draughtsman in the Scottish Home Department under Robert Reid Mill. (They were later centralised under the chief architect of the Department of Health for Scotland). Glendinning was involved with the design of extensive additions to prisons, borstals etc. He was elected LRIBA on 7 May 1946 with the support of the RIBA Council rather than specific proposers. By that time he had been taken on as a permanent staff member at the Scottish Home Department. In 1950 he was still employed in the Department of Health, York Buildings, Edinburgh.

He died on 20 April 1952 aged forty-nine at Beechmount, Corstorphine. He never married.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 511, Osborne Terrace, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate 1952 
Item 2 of 5Fife, ScotlandPrivate1902Before 1937 
Item 3 of 5Fort William, Inverness-shire, ScotlandBusiness1937  
Item 4 of 5Kinlochleven, Argyll, ScotlandBusiness19371939As assistant architect and clerk of works for Kinlochleven Village Improvement Society
Item 5 of 580, St Stephen Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1946 *  

* 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 9John Fraser19201924Apprentice 
Item 2 of 9Charles E Tweedie & Son19251928Junior Draughtsman 
Item 3 of 9Department of Agriculture for Scotland (later Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland)19291933Assistant 
Item 4 of 9Anderson & Walker19331936ArchitectActing Architect
Item 5 of 9Thomas W Turnbull19361939AssistantTemporary assistant
Item 6 of 9Robert Reid MillAfter 1937 DraughtsmanIn the Scottish Home Department
Item 7 of 9Adam Arnott19391939Assistantfor four months
Item 8 of 9Scottish Home and Health Department1939Before 1946Assistantworking under Robert Reid Mill
Item 9 of 9Scottish Home and Health Department1946 * Architectworking under Robert Reid Mill

* earliest date known from documented sources.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA JournalSeptember 1952 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsObituary p427

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L no5891 (combined box 106)