Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Murray Jack
Designation:  
Born: 10 October 1921
Died: 21 June 1999
Bio Notes: William Murray Jack (who is described as William Jack junior in his RIBA Nomination Paper) was born in Cellardyke on 10 October 1921, the son of William Jack, market gardener and his wife Jessie Anderson Murray. He was educated at the Waid Academy, Anstruther. He studied at Dundee School of Art for five years, completing the full-time course in 1945. He spent the summer of 1944 and 1945 in the office of Dick Peddie, McKay & Jamieson in Edinburgh. He was admitted ARIBA in 1946, his proposers being Andrew David Haxton, Patrick Hill Thoms and William Salmond. For a period of time in the late 1940s he lectured at the School of Architecture in Dundee. In 1953-54 he worked for the Public Works Department in Nigeria.

After his return to Scotland he worked for the Scottish Development Department working on listing buildings of architectural merit. Some time later he joined the firm of John Colville Cunningham who was nearing retirement. He continued his historic buildings work on a fee paid basis which continued until within a few months of his death. His work was mainly conservation and much was for private clients but he became best known as architect for Hew Lorimer's pioneering revolving fund, the Little Houses Scheme and for several Fife preservation trusts. He eventually became a partner of Cunningham Jack Fisher & Purdom along with Peter Fisher and Kenneth Purdom.

Jack took an active role in the work of the National Trust for Scotland, the East Neuk Preservation Society and advised on the restoration of Pluscarden Priory in Morayshire. He retired in 1991 frok the practice, by then the Jack Fisher Partnership but remained as a consultant, in which role he also worked for Historic Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland.

He was a FRIAS at the time of his death on 21 June 1999 at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, survived by his wife Avril King Daly their son, Peter, and their daughter Katie.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 560, South Street, St Andrews, Fife, ScotlandPrivate 1999 
Item 2 of 5East Shore, Cellardyke, Anstruther, Fife, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)1950 *  
Item 3 of 5Building Development, Public Works Department, Lagos, NigeriaBusiness1954 *  
Item 4 of 522, Market Street, St Andrews, Fife, ScotlandPrivate1970 *  
Item 5 of 57, Alexandra Place, St Andrews, Fife, ScotlandBusinessBefore 19791994Address of the Jack Fisher PArtnership

* 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 5Dick Peddie, McKay & JamiesonJuly 1944August 1944Assistant 
Item 2 of 5Dick Peddie, McKay & JamiesonAugust 1945September 1945Assistant 
Item 3 of 5Cunningham & Jack1960s Partner 
Item 4 of 5Cunningham Jack Fisher Purdom1960s1980sPartner 
Item 5 of 5Jack Fisher Partnership1990s Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Andrew David Haxton15 January 1946For Associateship
Item 2 of 3William Salmond15 January 1946For Associateship
Item 3 of 3Patrick Hill Thoms15 January 1946For Associateship

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 521960Tenement, 143 South StreetSt Andrews FifeScotlandRestoration and reconstruction
Item 2 of 521962University of St Andrews, Buchanan Arts BuildingSt Andrews FifeScotlandMainly responsible - redesign of building to make it fit into townscape
Item 3 of 521963St Leonard's School, Science Block and Gymnasium BlockSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 4 of 521964St Andrews Univeristy, Botanic GardensSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 5 of 521966Local Authority HousingCrail FifeScotland 
Item 6 of 521966Local Authority housing developmentSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 7 of 52196769 South StreetSt Andrews FifeScotlandReconstruction with glass-walled staircase against N wall
Item 8 of 521967Golf PavilionSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 9 of 521967Pittenweem PrioryPittenweem FifeScotlandRehabilitation.
Item 10 of 521967Pluscarden PrioryPluscarden, Elgin MorayshireScotlandJob architect. 'Buildings of Scotland' states he was appointed in 1972 byt Nic Allen gives dates as here.
Item 11 of 521968Buckie HouseAnstruther Wester FifeScotlandRestoration
Item 12 of 521968Clydesdale BankSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 13 of 521968Pitfour Castle  PerthshireScotlandRestoration of Castle, including removal of overlaid Adam entrance front.
Item 14 of 521968Scottish Fisheries MuseumAnstruther FifeScotlandRestoration of St Ayles - partner in charge
Item 15 of 521968Tenement, South StreetSt Andrews FifeScotlandRestoration
Item 16 of 521968West Shore redevelopmentSt Monans/St Monance FifeScotlandRestoration including housing renewal
Item 17 of 521969Bishop BridgeCeres FifeScotlandRestoration
Item 18 of 521969Building, Pilmour LinksSt Andrews FifeScotlandExtensions
Item 19 of 521969Double Villa, Pilmour LinksSt Andrews FifeScotlandExtensions
Item 20 of 521969Fife Folk MuseumCeres FifeScotlandPossibly job architect for restoration
Item 21 of 521969Royal HotelSt Andrews FifeScotlandExtensions
Item 22 of 521969University of St Andrews, Student residences St Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 23 of 521969Wester Lang LandsSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 24 of 52Late 1960sCustom HouseCrail FifeScotlandRestoration
Item 25 of 521970sBalcarres HouseColinsburgh FifeScotlandRepairs
Item 26 of 521970sGallery HouseMontrose AngusScotlandRenovation
Item 27 of 521970s(?)Howick HallAlnwick NorthumberlandEnglandRestoration- mainly responsible
Item 28 of 521970sNewpark Preparatory School for BoysSt Andrews FifeScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 29 of 521970sSt David'sDysart FifeScotlandRestoration - may have been partner in charge
Item 30 of 52197024 South StreetSt Andrews FifeScotlandRestoration - after rescue from a road-widening scheme
Item 31 of 521970Scottish Fisheries MuseumAnstruther FifeScotlandCreation of museum from existing buildings round courtyard
Item 32 of 52197140-42 South StreetSt Andrews FifeScotlandRestoration
Item 33 of 521971Balgonie Castle  FifeScotlandRestoration
Item 34 of 521971David Russell HallSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 35 of 521971Elizabeth PlaceAnstruther Wester FifeScotlandRestoration
Item 36 of 521972Inverquharity Castle  AngusScotlandRestoration of tower house, including reinstatment of E wing
Item 37 of 521973BalnamoonBrechin, near AngusScotlandAs job architect
Item 38 of 521974Infill Building adjacent to University LibrarySt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 39 of 52c. 1975Replica of Royal and Ancient Clubhouse   JapanIn association with Tom Weiskopf, golf course designer
Item 40 of 52197740-42 South StreetSt Andrews FifeScotlandFurther restoration
Item 41 of 521977James Melville ManseAnstruther Easter FifeScotlandRestoration
Item 42 of 521978Rusco CastleGatehouse-of-Fleet KirkcudbrightshireScotlandRestoration. Job architect.
Item 43 of 52Before 1981Double villa, Doubledykes RoadSt Andrews FifeScotlandAlterations and addsitions
Item 44 of 52Before 1981Local Authority HousingAnstruther FifeScotland 
Item 45 of 52Before 1981RuffletsSt Andrews FifeScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 46 of 521982Pluscarden PrioryPluscarden, Elgin MorayshireScotlandReconstruction of east end of the south claustral range
Item 47 of 521983Drum CastleDrum AberdeenshireScotlandRepairs and restoration
Item 48 of 52After 1983Holy Trinity Parish ChurchSt Andrews FifeScotlandRepair and re-roofing
Item 49 of 521984The MaltingsSt Monans/St Monance FifeScotlandRehabilitation as flats
Item 50 of 521984West Shore redevelopmentSt Monans/St Monance FifeScotlandFurther restoration
Item 51 of 521985House of DunDun AngusScotlandRemoval of replacement entrance front and restoration to original appearance - mainly responsible. Internal alterations.
Item 52 of 521990sPluscarden PrioryPluscarden, Elgin MorayshireScotlandFurther restoration work

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Pride, Glen L1999The Kingdom of Fife2nd EditionThe Rutland Pressp128
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 1RIAS NewsletterOctober 1999v10, no8 Death note

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 3National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSNMRS Architects Index Undated obituary - no source recorded
Item 2 of 3RIAS, Rutland SquareRecords of membership  
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no8585 (Combined Box 213)