Basic Biographical Details

Name: M Purdon Smith & Partners
Designation:  
Born: Before 1934
Died:  
Bio Notes: Matthew Purdon Smith was born in 1893 or 1894, the son of James Duncan Smith, farmer, and his wife Janet Russell Purdon. He commenced practice at Lockerbie in 1922 but moved to Dumfries in 1926. His business consisted mainly of relatively small domestic commercial and estate farm building projects, but he had a few major clients, notably the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, the Caledonian Bus Company and the Edinburgh and Dumfriesshire Dairy Company.

In 1946 Purdon Smith took over the once much larger Dumfries practice of Barbour & Bowie but continued to practice in his own name from the same address at 33 Castle Street. In the post-war years he carried out housing schemes at Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Lockerbie.

In 1953 Purdon Smith took John Sutherland and James Ferguson into partnership, but he died aged 61 on 11 July 1955. He was survived by his wife Mary Grace Macmillan. His surviving partners in business then moved next door to 31 Castle Street, the title now being M Purdon Smith & Partners. Ferguson withdrew from the partnership in 1957, and when William Dickie was taken into partnership, the practice became Sutherland & Dickie. In 1963 Ian Smith and John Copland were also taken into partnership, the practice title changing to Sutherland Dickie & Partners. Smith left in 1973 and was replaced in 1975 by Adam Skinner, the practice title then becoming Sutherland Dickie & Copland.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 195, Irish Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1934After 1936 

Employment and Training

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2Robert McKinlay (or MacKinlay)19341936  
Item 2 of 2John ('Jack') Airey MacMinnDecember 1935March 1937Assistant 

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 31955Police StationStranraer WigtownshireScotland 
Item 2 of 31956St Teresa's RC ChurchDumfries DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 3 of 31960Fire StationStranraer WigtownshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Bailey, Rebecca M1996Scottish architects' papers: a source book Edinburgh: The Rutland Press