Architects

Name:

James Davidson

Designation :

Architect

Date of Birth:

Year Only

Exact DOB:

08/02/1925

Year of Birth :

1848

Circa Year of Birth :

Date of Birth Before (Year):

Date of Birth After (Year):

DOB (1st 'Or' Year):

DOB (2nd 'Or' Year):

Orig Date of Death

1923/04

Date of Death:

Date Not Known

Exact DOD:

08/02/1925

Year of Death:

Circa Year of Death:

Date of Death Before (Year):

Date of Death After (Year):

DOD (1st 'Or' Year):

DOD (2nd 'Or' Year):

Town of Birth :

Bio Notes :

James Davidson was born in Airdrie in 1848, the son of a weaver. He was educated at Airdrie Academy and initially trained as a joiner. In his teens he moved to Glasgow to attend the classes in the Athenaeum in Ingram Street, and while acting as foreman joiner on Flowerhill Parish Church in 1875 he impressed sufficiently to be made master or works for other Baird Trust church building projects. This enabled him to be articled to Hugh Hough MacLure from 1875 until 1882 when he commenced practice on his own account in Coatbridge, immediately becoming architect to Coatbridge School Board and, as a prominent local Freemason, achieving the position of master of St John's Lodge within a very few years. He was elected a councillor in Coatbridge in 1889, became a Baillie, and by 1911 was Provost.

In 1898 Davidson took Thomas Martin into partnership. Martin (born 1868) had been articled to Davidson in 1883 and had remained thereafter as junior and latterly senior assistant, studying at Gartsherrie Science School and Glasgow School of Art. The Davidson & Martin partnership was dissolved in 1903, both continuing to practise on their own account.

Davidson was elected FRIBA on 3 December 1906, his proposers being James Milne Monro, Alexander Cullen and David Barclay. He was a very competent free Renaissance designer and a specialist in the design and construction of theatres.

Davidson died in April 1923. The practice was continued by his son Alexander, born 1879, who was articled to him and studied at Coatbridge Technical School 1894-99 and at Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College 1899-1902. He became his father's partner in 1908 and was elected LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, his proposers being his father, David Bateman Hutton and James Campbell Reid. He died in 1976.

Bio Notes continued...

Additional Notes

The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:

Private Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From Char	Date From Type	Date To Char	Date To Type	Notes
Greenhill House Coatbridge Lanarkshire Scotland	Private

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Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From	Date From Type	Date To	Date To Type	Notes
Academy Street Coatbridge Lanarkshire Scotland	Business

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The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this person (click on an item to view details):

Employers2 classic

Name	Name Link	Date From	Date To	Position
James Davidson & Son	200749	1908/08	1923/04	Partner
Hugh Hough (or Heugh, or Heuch) MacLure	200706	In year 1875	In year 1882	Apprentice
Davidson & Martin	202650	In year 1898	In year 1903	Partner

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The following individuals were employed or trained by this person (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2 classic

Name	Name Link	Date From	Date To	Position
Thomas Martin	200911	1893 or 1894	In year 1898	Senior Assistant
Alexander Davidson	200715	1894/08	c. 1898	Apprentice
Thomas Martin	200911	In year 1883	In year 1888	Apprentice
Thomas Martin	200911	In year 1888	1893 or 1894	Junior Assistant
Alexander Davidson	200715	In year 1903	1908/08	Assistant
Gilbert Telfer Scott	203393	In year 1905	In year 1908	Assistant
Hugh Stewart Robertson	204557	c. 1936		Apprentice

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The following individuals proposed this person for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

Proposer	Proposer Link	Date Proposed	Notes
David Barclay	200064	1906/12/03	for Fellowship
James Milne Monro	200122	1906/12/03	for Fellowship
Alexander Cullen	200389	1906/12/03	for Fellowship

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This person proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

Person	Date Proposed	Notes
Gilbert Telfer Scott	1910/12/19	for Licentiateship
William Brown	1911/03/20	for Licentiateship
Alexander Davidson	1911/07/20	for Licentiateship
Alexander McGregor Mitchell (junior)	1911/07/20	for Licentiateship
William Brown	1920 or 1921	for Fellowship

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This person was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2 classic

Building Name	Date Started	Town, District or Village	City or County	Country	Notes
Langloan Free Church	In year 1887	Coatbridge	Lanarkshire	Scotland
Wellwynd West Parish Church	In year 1888	Airdrie	Lanarkshire	Scotland	Alterations and additions
Drapery Buildings for Coatbridge Co-Operative Society	In year 1888	Coatbridge	Lanarkshire	Scotland
Broomknoll Free Church (and hall)	In year 1888	Airdrie	Lanarkshire	Scotland
Bothwell Free Church	After 1888	Bothwell	Lanarkshire	Scotland	Additions - may not have been involved
Memorial Hall	After 1888	Coatbridge	Lanarkshire	Scotland	May not have been involved
The Cross Mansions	After 1888	Bellshill	Lanarkshire	Scotland	May not have been involved
Coatbridge Technical College	In year 1889	Coatbridge	Lanarkshire	Scotland
Baillieston Public School	In year 1889	Baillieston	Glasgow	Scotland
St Thomas Wesleyan Church Halls	In year 1890	Coatbridge?	Lanarkshire	Scotland
Gartsherrie Institute and Baths	In year 1890	Coatbridge	Lanarkshire	Scotland
Calderbank Primary School	In year 1892	Calderbank	Lanarkshire	Scotland	For Old Monkland School Board
Gartsherrie Parish Church	In year 1892	Coatbridge	Lanarkshire	Scotland	Alterations
Gartsherrie Parish Church Halls	In year 1892	Coatbridge	Lanarkshire	Scotland
Coatdyke Public School	In year 1893	Coatbridge	Lanarkshire	Scotland

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The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

Author	Title	Date	Publisher	Part	Notes
Who's Who in Architecture		1914
Peden, Allan	The Monklands: an illustrated architectural guide	1992	RIAS		p43
Stothers, Thomas	Stothers's Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Xmas and New Year Annual 1911-1912	1912	Hamilton	1911-1912	pp326-327

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The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical Name	Publisher	Date Circ	Edition	Notes
Builder		1923/05/04	*

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The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive Name	Source	Source Cat No	Building Id	Item Name	Notes
RIBA Nomination Papers	RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum	100005			F v17 p100 no1146 (microfilm reel 12)
RIBA Photographs Collection	RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum	100036

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Basic Biographic Details

Addresses

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

Employment and Training

Employers2 classic

Employees or Pupils

Employees or Pupils2 classic

RIBA Proposers

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

RIBA Proposals

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

Buildings and Designs

Buildings and Designs2 classic

References

Bibliographic References

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Periodical References

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Archive References

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