Architects

Name:

Morton John Heddell Cowie

Designation :

Architect

Date of Birth:

Exact Date

Exact DOB:

14/10/1905

Year of Birth :

Circa Year of Birth :

Date of Birth Before (Year):

Date of Birth After (Year):

DOB (1st 'Or' Year):

DOB (2nd 'Or' Year):

Date of Death:

Exact Date

Exact DOD:

14/10/1971

Year of Death:

Circa Year of Death:

Date of Death Before (Year):

Date of Death After (Year):

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Bio Notes :

Morton John Heddell Cowie was born on 14 October 1905, the son of Isaac john Cowie, company director, and his wife, Annie Ness Chapman. He was articled to Sir Robert Lorimer in November 1921, studying under John Begg at the School of Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art from the following year. On completion of his apprenticeship in November 1925 he became a junior draughtsman in Lorimer's office, leaving the following year to complete his diploma with four years of full-time study whilst working with Leslie Grahame-Thomson during vacations. He was awarded the diploma in 1930 and in the same year passed the RIBA qualifying exam in Edinburgh. He became ARIBA early the following year, his proposers being Begg, Charles Denny Carus-Wilson and William Davidson; at that time he was still employed in Grahame-Thomson's office, and was living in his parents' home, 'Durrisdeer', 30 St John's Road, Corstorphine, from where he began a small business shortly afterwards. He joined the practice of Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid in the early 1930s and from 1935 to 1940 was involved in a part-time partnership with David Gardiner Hardie (born 1896) based at 11 Melville Street, Leith. From 1939 Cowie and Hardie carried out the design and construction of air raid shelters across Edinburgh, Hardie patenting his own shelter design in the following year. Cowie's involvement in this sphere lead to Leadbetter, Fairley and Reid also providing plans, section and elevations for air raid shelters across the capital such.

Fairley retired in 1938 and died on 18 May 1942 at Mount Pleasant, Inverugie, Peterhead; Reid in 1947. Cowie, who had returned to the practice after service in the war, moved office in the summer of 1948 to 53 Manor Place where he continued a successful independent practice under his own name. In 1950 Cowie is recorded as being a Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. He took Douglas William Seaton into partnership in 1961, the firm becoming Morton J H Cowie and Seaton. Cowie retired in 1970 and Seaton continued the practice under the same name until his own retirement in 1997.

Cowie died at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh on 14 October 1971, survived by his wife Kathleen Nicholls. His home was in Northamptonshire.

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
Durrisdeer/30 St John's Road Corstorphine Edinburgh Scotland	Private
2 Memorial Green Roade Northamptonshire Scotland	Private

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Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From	Date From Type	Date To	Date To Type	Notes
11 Melville Street Leith Edinburgh Scotland	Business	1935		1940		Practice closed for the war.
53 Manor Place Edinburgh Scotland	Business	1950		After 1970

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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	Notes
(Sir) Robert Stodart Lorimer	200052	1921/11	1925/11	Apprentice
(Sir) Robert Stodart Lorimer	200052	1925/11	1926/09	Junior Draughtsman
Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid	201273	After 1930	c. 1935	Assistant
Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid	201273	After 1945	In year 1948
Leslie Grahame Thomson (or Leslie Grahame-Thomson; later Leslie Grahame MacDougall)	200832	In year 1926	After 1930	Assistant	During holidays
Cowie & Hardie	200836	In year 1935	In year 1940	Partner
Morton J H Cowie & Seaton	404237	In year 1961	In year 1970	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	Notes
David Peter Ross	406604	1956/07	1956/10	Assistant

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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
John Begg	200375	Early 1930s	for Associateship
William Davidson	200692	Early 1930s	for Associateship
Charles Denny Carus-Wilson	202706	Early 1930s	for Associateship

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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
Cammo House	c. 1923		Midlothian	Scotland	Sketch plans in Cowie & Seaton collection; unclear whether for alterations (in which case probably by Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid) or simply study sketches by Cowie
Castle Fraser	c. 1923		Aberdeenshire	Scotland	Sketch plans in Cowie & Seaton collection; unclear whether for alterations (in which case probably by Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid) or simply study sketches by Cowie
Scott House, Boarding House for Edinburgh Academy	1930s		Edinburgh	Scotland	Grandstand, and alterations to attic storey (begun in connection with Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid)
Edinburgh Academy Rugby Ground grandstand	In year 1930		Edinburgh	Scotland	Presumably involved, continuing the project after the cessation of the Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid practice
J & G Cox's Glue Works	After 1930	Gorgie	Edinburgh	Scotland	Took over job in later years
Millburn Tower, South Lodge	c. 1934	Gogar	Midlothian	Scotland	Unclear whether involved in alterations (with John Begg)
Frosts, 67-81 Shandwick Place	In year 1937		Edinburgh	Scotland	Extension
17 Magdala Crescent	In year 1938		Edinburgh	Scotland	Alterations and subdivision
Air raid shelters	In year 1939		Edinburgh	Scotland
Rothesay Place, conversion of three houses into flats	After 1940		Edinburgh	Scotland
2 Ainslie Place	c. 1941		Edinburgh	Scotland	Internal alterations - service lift, kitchen and bathroom
21 Moray Place	c. 1945		Edinburgh	Scotland	Alterations - begun before Cowie joined the Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid practice, and continued by him after its cessation
The Limes	In year 1946		Edinburgh	Scotland	Additions
Viewforth	In year 1946	Bo'ness / Borrowstouness	West Lothian	Scotland	Additions and alterations - in collaboration with Dick Peddie, McKay & Jamieson?
Ivy Cottage, Gorgie Mills	In year 1947	Gorgie	Edinburgh	Scotland	Additions

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The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

Author	Title	Date	Publisher	Notes
RIBA	The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940	1939	London: Royal Institute of British Architects
Bailey, Rebecca M	Scottish architects' papers: a source book	1996	Edinburgh: The Rutland Press	p229
RIBA	The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951	1950	London: Royal Institute of British Architects
RIBA	RIBA Directory 1970	1970

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The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive Name	Source	Source Cat No	Notes
RIBA Nomination Papers	RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum	100005	A no4609 (combined box 24)
Cowie and Seaton Collection	National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS	200081	Many plans and drawings.
Death Register	H M Register House	100027

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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

Buildings and Designs

Buildings and Designs2 classic

References

Bibliographic References

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Archive References

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