Basic Biographical Details

Name: Elspeth Grizel Gifford (Mrs Hugentobler; Mrs Baker Baker)
Designation:  
Born: 26 March 1918
Died: 22 October 2007
Bio Notes: Elspeth Grizel Gifford was born on 26 March 1918 and studied at the Edinburgh College of Art from October 1938. In 1941 she won the Andrew GrantScholarship of £80 for two years, which would enable her to complete her course. In the same year she secured a travelling scholarship in April, with which she studied bomb damage in Manchester, and a National Buildings Record scholarship in July/August. She passed the final exam on 17 June 1943, and that September obtained a further travelling scholarship which allowed her to study housing in Leeds, Liverpool, Coventry and London.

On 6 March 1944 she commenced a course in town planning at the ECA. She was admitted ARIBA on 27 June that year, her proposers being Alex Allan Foote, Frank Charles Mears and Leslie Grahame Thomson.

She married twice, her surname changing to Hugentobler in 1945 and to Baker Baker in November 1963 when she wed Brigadier Henry Conyers Baker Baker, DSO, MBE (born 1912) of Sedbury Hall, Gilling West, near Richmond, North Yorkshire.

In 1963 she resigned from the RIBA, but her membership was reinstated at her request in 1970. She finally withdrew from the RIBA in 1975. She died at Hexham, Northumberland on 22 October 2007; her second husband had predeceased her in late December 1992 or early 1993. She was survived by two sons, from her first marriage, Adrian and Robin, grandchildren Laura, Philip, Simon, Thomas, Jonathan, Patrick and Justin, and great-grandchildren Jack, Ella, Alfie and Martha. Her funeral service was held at at St Agatha's Church, Gilling West, North Yorkshire on Friday 2 November.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 318, Chalmers Crescent, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivateEarly 1944 *  
Item 2 of 3Auchendoon, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, ScotlandPrivateMid 1944 *  
Item 3 of 3Sedbury Hall, Richmond, Yorkshire, EnglandPrivate1963 *  

* 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 1National Buildings Record (NBR)July 1941August 1941 summer scholarship during studies

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Alexander Allan Foote27 June 1944for Associateship
Item 2 of 3(Sir) Frank Charles Mears27 June 1944for Associateship
Item 3 of 3Leslie Grahame Thomson (or Leslie Grahame-Thomson; later Leslie Grahame MacDougall)27 June 1944for Associateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1www.thepeerage.com2005www.thepeerage.com: A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe Website: compiled by Darryl Lundy, New Zealand 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Yorkshire Post5 January 1993  report of Brigadier Baker Baker's death

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 A no8368 (combined box 208)