Architects

Name:

James Findlay

Designation :

Architect

Date of Birth:

Exact Date

Exact DOB:

07/01/1866

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DOB (2nd 'Or' Year):

Date of Death:

Exact Date

Exact DOD:

03/02/1943

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Bio Notes :

James Findlay was born in Alyth on the 1st July 1866. He was educated at Alyth Public School and Daniel Stewart's College, Edinburgh. He was articled to John Murray Robertson, remaining with him to become chief draughtsman. He succeeded to his practice when he died in 1901.

In 1903 Findlay took on David Smith as his chief assistant. Smith was born at Montrose on 25 July 1878 and was educated at Montrose Academy. In 1895 he was articled to McCulloch & Jamieson in Dundee, leaving at the end of his apprenticeship in 1899 to work for Hugh Gavin of Arbroath. During those years he studied at the Dundee Technical Institute under Patrick H Thoms from 1898 until 1900 when he moved to Edinburgh to work for Victor Daniel Horsburgh so that he could study at the School of Applied Art. He obtained a place in the office of Murray Robertson in Dundee 1901-02 from which he succeeded in gaining a place first in the LCC architects' department which enabled him to study at the Regent Street Polytechnic and then in the office of Leonard Stokes from which he won the Tite Prize. Findlay invited him to return to Dundee to assist with the Medical School and the Caird Cancer Pavilion, the latter being largely to his design. While chief assistant with Findlay he built an experimental low cost house, The Sheilin at Wormit (the '£100 house') for his own occupation. He was admitted LRIBA on 20 February 1911, his proposers being Godfrey Shepherd, Thoms and William Fleming Wilkie.

Smith's name never appeared in the title of the firm although he appeared in 'Who's who in Architecture' from 1914: he had clients of his own, but was generally content to remain a back-room architect concentrating on the design work of the practice. In 1928 Findlay took Smith into partnership and in that same year Findlay and Smith merged their practice with that of Nelson T Stewart, whose partner Gilbert Francis Molyneux Ogilvy had retired having inherited the estate of Winton in East Lothian from his aunt. The practice was very briefly Findlay & Stewart before becoming Findlay Stewart & Robbie when Henry Pearce Robbie was taken into partnership c.1930. In the 1920s and 1930s the practice was responsible for several branches of the Dundee Savings Bank, though as yet only one has been identified.

Findlay served as President of the Dundee Architects' Association. Outwith his professional life he was keen on golf and was fomer captain of Dalhousie Golf Club, Carnoustie; he was also a member of Dundee Angling Club. He drove one of the first cars in Dundee.

Findlay died in Dundee on 2 March 1943, leaving estate of £18,011 1s 10d. He never married. As Smith had predeceased him on 3 April 1938 the practice was continued under the same name by Stewart and Pearce Robbie.

'Biography authored by the Dictionary of Scottish Architects Compilation Team.'

Bio Notes continued...

Additional Notes

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

Private Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Notes
Lynwood/5 Craigie Terrace Dundee Scotland	Private
33 Meadowside Dundee Scotland	Private/business	Is this Albert Square?
Johnfield/15 Roseangle Dundee Scotland	Private

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Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From	Date From Type	Date To	Date To Type	Notes
33 Albert Square Dundee Scotland	Business	Before 1901		After 1939
33 Meadowside Dundee Scotland	Private/business	1926				Is this Albert Square?

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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
John Murray Robertson	200015	Before 1901	Before 1901	Apprentice
John Murray Robertson	200015	Before 1901	In year 1901	Chief Draughtsman
Findlay & Stewart	205924	In year 1928	c. 1930	Partner
Findlay Stewart & Robbie	202751	c. 1930	In year 1943	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
Archibald Stuart Soutar	203524	1901/01/31	1901/09/07	Assistant
Arthur Gordon Wilson	204023	1901/02	In year 1905	Apprentice
James Smith Leslie	205152	1907/09/27	In year 1912	Apprentice
Alastair Macrae	400059	Before 1927	In year 1927	Assistant
Archibald Bulloch	203384	In year 1901	1902/06/06	Apprentice
Henry ('Harry') Thomson	203767	In year 1901	In year 1904	Assistant	Worked as part-time assistant to complete Medical School, whilst also carrying out independent practice
Thomas Munro Logan	201952	In year 1902	In year 1905	Assistant
David Smith	202746	In year 1903	In year 1928	Senior Assistant
Arthur Gordon Wilson	204023	In year 1905	In year 1906	Assistant
Alastair Macrae	400059	In year 1922	Before 1927	Apprentice
Arthur Shields Fitzgerald	204240	In year 1923	In year 1925	Assistant
David Smith	202746	In year 1928	In year 1928	Partner
Robert Saddler	401031	In year 1935	In year 1936	Assistant
James Stedman	203689	c. 1901	In year 1904	Assistant

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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
St Clare	In year 1892	Tayport	Fife	Scotland	Drew plans
Balgay House	In year 1898		Dundee	Scotland	Conversion of Balgay House into a hospital, and additions. Gifford indicates Findlay repsonsible for cancer pavilion to W, 1903-04 with John Murray Robertson responsible for conversion of house to hospital.
Bank Buildings	In year 1898	Craigellachie	Banffshire	Scotland
Lindertis	In year 1899	Kirriemuir	Angus	Scotland	Drew up plans
Villa and stables for J C Stewart	In year 1901	Dunblane	Perthshire	Scotland
University College Dundee, medical schools	In year 1901		Dundee	Scotland	Completed building to John Murray Robertson's designs after Robertson's death
St Fillan's UF Church	In year 1901	Newport-on-Tay	Fife	Scotland	Proposed additions to church and to manse
Durn	In year 1901	Perth	Perthshire	Scotland	Gate lodge and motor car house
Balgillo	After 1901	Broughty Ferry	Dundee	Scotland	Alterations including work on lodge and garage
Dryburgh House (Camperdown Estate)	Before 1901	Lochee	Dundee	Scotland	Reconstruction - taken over from John Murray Robertson on the latter's death
Durn	Before 1901	Perth	Perthshire	Scotland	Additions to house - initially as chief assistant to John Murray Robertson
Dundee Royal Infirmary, Caird Cancer Pavilion	In year 1902		Dundee	Scotland
Gerard Hospital	In year 1902	Monifieth	Angus	Scotland
The Bughties	In year 1902	Broughty Ferry	Dundee	Scotland	Additions
Commercial buildings, Perth Road and Fords Lane	In year 1902		Dundee	Scotland

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The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

Author	Title	Date	Publisher	Part	Notes
RIBA	The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940	1939	London: Royal Institute of British Architects

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The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical Name	Publisher	Date Circ	Edition	Notes
Builder		1943/04/09	*	Obituary
Scotsman		1944/03/03		p3

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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
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material	Professor David M Walker personal archive	100041			Personal information from H Pearce Robbie, Robert Dron, Sir David Ogilvy and ___Peattie of Shiell & Small.
Information via website	Courtesy of Iain Duncan, great nephew	200879			Sent April 2008

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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

Buildings and Designs

Buildings and Designs2 classic

References

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Archive References

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