Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Home Kerr Hislop | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 14 April 1897 | Died: | 23 July 1955 | Bio Notes: | James Home Kerr Hislop was born on 14 April 1897 at 11 Pitt Street, Edinburgh, the son Robert Gilgour Hislop, electrical engineer and his wife Jean C Kerr. He began serving his articles with Charles Stewart Still Johnston in 1913 but the practice closed in 1915 and he transferred to the office of Messrs Leadbetter Fairley & Reid. From 1914-15 he attended evening classes in geometry, practical mathematics and woodwork at one of the Edinburgh Board Schools and the following session attended classes in practical mathematics and building construction. His training was interrupted in 1916 when he was called up for war service. He served with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Royal Warwicks. He was wounded in France on 4 May 1917 but returned to active service with the 1st Battalion Royal Warwicks on 15 April 1918 where he remained until demobilisation in April 1919. Thereafter he returned to complete his apprenticeship with Leadbetter Fairley & Reid. In 1922 he moved to Dumfries as an assistant to Barbour & Bowie and remained there until 1923 when he moved to Heiton & McKay in Perth. In 1925 he was an assistant with Bradshaw Gass & Hope in Bolton but returned to Edinburgh and was a temporary assistant with Leadbetter Fairley & Reid from 1927-29.
On 25 March 1929 he commenced work in the Edinburgh office of H M Office of Works though he was a member of the Glasgow Institute of Architects the following year. He remained with the Office of Works for the rest of his career.
He worked on a wide variety of public buildings, mansion houses, housing schemes, factories and general business premises in the private sector and with the Office of Works was part of the team which worked on the Sheriff Court House, Edinburgh. Later he worked on telephone exchanges and wartime structures.
He married Margaret Watson Williams Stewart on 21 September 1942 and they had four children. The eldest son, Robert, also became an architect and after 15 years with Robert Matthew Johnson-Marshall & Partners, took a post with Historic Scotland where he remained until his retirement.
Hislop was a member of the Glasgow Institute of Architects although he gives an Edinburgh address in the RIBA Kalendar of that year. By 1939-40 he had moved to the Edinburgh Architectural Association and gave his address as 9 Osborne Terrace.
He died on 23 July 1955, survived by his widow who died in 2002.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 66, Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | | | |  | 29, Ballgreen Road, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | | | |  | 11, Pitt Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | | | | Address of his parents and place of birth. |  | 5, Fettes Row, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1930 * | | |  | 9, Osborne Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1939 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | RIBA | 1930 | The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |  | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | Information courtesy of Robert Hislop | Information via website | | Sent January 2009. |
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