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Basic Biographic Details

John Fairweather
Architect
Exact Date
Exact Date
13/01/1942
John Fairweather was born at 11 Franklin Terrace, Anderston, Glasgow on 5 February 1867, the son of John Fairweather, a farmer, draper and mercantile clerk in the wool trade who came from Alyth, and his wife Elizabeth Brown Fyfe who came from Leuchars. He attended the College of Science & Arts (Glasgow?) in 1881, and was articled to James Milne Monro from 16 January 1882 until 1887, remaining as chief assistant thereafter and studying at Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College. He passed the qualifying exam in March 1894 and was admitted ARIBA on 11 June that year, his proposers being William Forrest Salmon, Campbell Douglas and Thomas Lennox Watson. At that time he was still working for Monro and resided at 41 Buccleuch Street, and prior to that he had spent a total of five months on sketching tours throughout Scotland and in England, in particular in Yorkshire and London.

He commenced practice on his own account in 1895, initially at 11 Bothwell Street, and his early independent work consisted largely of plain tenements for J & T McNair, builders, in the east end of the city. He made his name with the East End Exhibition buildings in Duke Street, Dennistoun of 1903. By the time of his admittance as FRIBA in early 1916, for which his proposers were Monro, John Watson and William Gardner Rowan, he was practising from 136 Wellington Street and was living at 'Glengarry', Stepps, near Glasgow.

In 1922-23 Fairweather visited the USA on behalf of George Green to study theatre and cinema design in which he had specialised since becoming architect to Green in 1913. Whilst there he studied in particular the work of the Scottish-born cinema specialist Thomas Lamb.

Fairweather had married Evelyn Ronaldson in 1906 and their son William John Fairweather, born on 28 April 1907, joined his father as an apprentice in September 1925, commencing his studies at Glasgow School of Architecture two years later. He graduated BSc in October 1931, passed the Professional Practice exam in Edinburgh in December the same year and received his diploma in architecture in June 1932. This enabled him to be admitted ARIBA late that year, his proposers being his father, Thomas Harold Hughes and William James Smith. His nomination papers state that he had travelled to Holland in 1927, to Belgium in 1929 and to Belgium and Germany in 1930. He became his father's partner in 1936 or 1938 (sources vary), probably having continued as his assistant prior to that date.

John Fairweather was killed as a pedestrian whilst crossing Cumbernauld Road in Stepps, during the wartime blackout, on 13 January 1942 and was buried in Bedlay Cemetery, Moodiesburn. He was survived by his wife and his son, who was on active service in India at the time, having joined the armed forces in 1940. William returned to the office in 1945 and continued the practice under the same name of John Fairweather & Son until 1947, after which he appears to have used his name alone.

Addresses

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

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From CharDate From TypeDate To CharDate To TypeNotes
4 Scotia Street Glasgow ScotlandPrivate
41 Buccleuch Street Glasgow ScotlandPrivate
Merlewood Stepps Lanarkshire ScotlandPrivate
Glengarry/5 Whitehill Avenue Stepps Lanarkshire ScotlandPrivate

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
11 Bothwell Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness1895After 1900
136 Wellington Street Glasgow ScotlandBusinessBefore 1905After 1914
182 Trongate Glasgow ScotlandBusinessBefore 1920After 1936
29 Renfrew Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness1939

Employment and Training

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

Employers2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
John Fairweather & Son2044181936 or 1938In year 1942Partner
James Milne Monro200122In year 1882In year 1887Apprentice

Employees or Pupils

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

Employees or Pupils2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
Thomas Gilchrist Gilmour2013241902/031903/07Assistant
James Napier2018471905/12/05In year 1910Apprentice
William John Fairweather2011611925/091927/09Apprentice
William John Fairweather201161After 19271936 or 1938AssistantProbably assisted for at least some of this period, prior to partnership
Frank Flood MacDonald205165In year 1926In year 1929Assistant
Daniel MacKay (or McKay)206269In year 1929In year 1929Assistant
James Bunyan204312In year 1930In year 1931Senior Draughtsman
Alexander Budge Reid403626In year 1930In year 1935Apprentice
James Monteith McLean202147c. 1908In year 1914ApprenticeRemained as assistant until 1914
William Scott Munro206273c. 1930c. 1939

RIBA Proposers

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

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

ProposerProposer LinkDate ProposedNotes
Thomas Lennox Watson1000311894/06/11for Associateship
Campbell Douglas2007941894/06/11for Associateship
William Forrest Salmon2000301894/06/11for Associateship
James Milne Monro200122Early 1916sfor Fellowship
William Gardner Rowan202381Early 1916sfor Fellowship
John Watson203278Early 1916sfor Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

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

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

PersonDate ProposedNotes
Andrew Rennie Crawford1911/07/20for Licentiateship
John BarbourEarly 1911sfor Licentiateship
Charles James McNair1912/04/22for Licentiateship
James Napier1918/12/16for Associateship
John Glen DunnEarly 1920sfor Fellowship
James Murdoch Dalziel HendersonLate 1921sfor Associateship
Alexander Gardner1925/11/30for Fellowship
William John FairweatherLate 1932sfor Associateship
Thomas Barclay1940/08/13for Licentiateship
Alexander Budge Reid1941/06/17For Licentiateship
Frank Flood MacDonald1941/10/21for Licentiateship - sole proposer

Buildings and Designs

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 NameDate StartedTown, District or VillageIslandCity or CountyCountryNotes
WestertonIn year 1896MilngavieDunbartonshireScotlandAlterations and additions
Business premises and residenceIn year 1896LockerbieDumfriesshireScotland
VillaIn year 1897DumbreckGlasgowScotland
48-52 CowgateIn year 1900KirkintillochDunbartonshireScotland
The Cliff, House and StablesIn year 1901Wemyss BayRenfrewshireScotlandAdditions and stables
Glasgow East End Industrial Exhibition 1903|1904In year 1903DennistounGlasgowScotlandBuildings
Workshop, Espedair StreetIn year 1903PaisleyRenfrewshireScotlandPlans dated
Townhead Public LibraryIn year 1904TownheadGlasgowScotlandWon competition to secure job
Motor House, Glenfinlas StreetIn year 1905HelensburghDunbartonshireScotland
Riddrie Housing EstateIn year 1907RiddrieGlasgowScotlandSecond premiated design for layout of estate
Higher Grade SchoolIn year 1908CambuslangLanarkshireScotland
Cookery Centre etc for Cambuslang School BoardIn year 1908CambuslangLanarkshireScotland
Public SchoolIn year 1910SteppsLanarkshireScotland
Kirkton UF ChurchIn year 1910CarlukeLanarkshireScotlandDecoration
Gateside Public SchoolIn year 1912CambuslangLanarkshireScotlandDesign selected by School Board. Obtained commission

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
RCAHMSDundee on Record1992RCAHMSGreen's Playhouse, Dundee - p57
Walker, Frank ArneilSouth Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew1986p145
RIBAThe RIBA Kalendar 1930-19311930London: Royal Institute of British Architects
RIBAThe RIBA Kalendar 1939-19401939London: Royal Institute of British Architects

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Builder1942/01/23v 162p78 - obituary
Cinema Theatre Association Bulletin1982/11v 16

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
RIBA Nomination PapersRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum100005A v12 p122 (microfiche 56/G4); F no1593 (microfilm reel 13)
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive materialProfessor David M Walker personal archive100041Personal information from William John Fairweather, 1970; additional research by Iain Paterson