Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Lamont Coghill
Designation:  
Born: 11 April 1912
Died: 28 February 2008
Bio Notes: John Lamont Coghill was born on 11 April 1912 in Tongue, Sutherland, where his maternal grandfather was minister, the son of Sinclair Coghill, cashier and his wife Lamont 'Tottie' Lundie. He was brought up in Dunrobin after his father became cashier to the Dunrobin estates and attended primary and secondary schools in Golspie. He articled to Horne & Murray of Golspie from 1930 to 1933. Thereafter he studied at the Aberdeen School of Architecture, receiving his diploma in 1936. In the latter year he acted as President of the Student Representative Council and was a delegate at the NASA conference in Newcastle. He then embarked on a post-diploma, during which he was admitted ARIBA on 8 March 1937, his proposers being R Leslie Rollo, Alexander George Robertson Mackenzie and John Gibb Marr. His nomination papers state that he had travelled in Scotland and England as far as Cambridge in 1934, and had worked in the office of Horne & Murray during the academic holidays in 1935 and in that of Jenkins & Marr during those of 1936.

Coghill served with the Royal Engineers in India during the Second World War and reached the rank of captain. On his return (and at least by 1950) he took a post in the Burgh Engineer's Department in Kirkcaldy, but would take up the post of Depute Chief Architect for Glenrothes Development Corporation shortly afterwards, in 1953. By 1972 he was Chief Architect. He retired in August 1977. He wrote to the RIAS in 1996 informing them that he had retired 'many years ago'.

In the 1960s at Glenrothes, Coghill, by then in his fifties, met and married Adelaide McGregor, the daughter of his secretary. The couple had two children.

Outwith his professional life Coghill had wide interests. He played football at school and was in the Boys Brigade. He was a keen golfer all his life and was a member of Ladybank and former captain of Glenrothes Golf Club. He was also a founder member of Glenrothes Art Club and a former toastmaster.

After his wife died of cancer in 1998, Coghill moved to Bedford to realise his long held ambition of serving the Panacea Society, a religious organisation which believed in latter day prophets and the second coming of Christ. He had first been attracted to the society whilst a student and later became the treasurer, a post he held until his death on 28 February 2008. He was survived by his son, daughter and gandchildren.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 6Dunrobin, Golspie, Sutherland, ScotlandPrivate1937 *  
Item 2 of 6Burgh Engineer's Department, East Fergus Place, Kirkcaldy, Fife, ScotlandBusiness1950 *  
Item 3 of 6Hope Cottage/116, Woodside Way, Glenrothes, Fife, ScotlandPrivate19551960 
Item 4 of 61, Balbirnie Road, Glenrothes, Fife, ScotlandPrivate1965 *  
Item 5 of 6Glenrothes, Fife, ScotlandBusiness19721977 
Item 6 of 63, Alburne Park, Glenrothes, Fife, ScotlandPrivateEarly 1970s *1996 

* 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 6Horne & Murray19301933Apprentice 
Item 2 of 6Horne & Murray19351935AssistantDuring academic holidays only
Item 3 of 6Jenkins & Marr19361936AssistantDuring academic holidays only
Item 4 of 6Kirkcaldy Burgh Engineer's Department1950 * Architect 
Item 5 of 6Glenrothes Development Corporation (or Glenrothes New Town Development Corporation)1953 Depute Chief Architect 
Item 6 of 6Glenrothes Development Corporation (or Glenrothes New Town Development Corporation)19721977Chief Architect 

* earliest date known from documented sources.


RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Alexander George Robertson Mackenzie8 March 1937for Associateship
Item 2 of 3John Gibb Marr8 March 1937for Associateship
Item 3 of 3Robert Leslie Rollo8 March 1937for Associateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A1996A History of Scottish Architecture  p570
Item 2 of 2RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Builder6 February 1953  p256
Item 2 of 3Glasgow Herald31 March 2008  Obituary
Item 3 of 3Scotsman7 March 2008  Obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no6314 (combined box 132)
Item 2 of 2School of Architecture, Garthdee, Aberdeen, RGIT: former pupils, 1937-1970Galletly, James