Skip to Main Content

Architects

Basic Biographic Details

[James] Fenton ('Tony') Wyness
Architect
Exact Date
Exact Date
03/12/1974
[James] Fenton Wyness ('Tony') was born in Aberdeen on 15 August 1903, the son of J Morrison Wyness, and came of an old Aberdeenshire Quaker family. He was articled to James Cobban, Lord Aberdeen's Estate Architect, in 1921, transferring to the office of Brown & Watt in 1924 or 1925 (Nomination Papers conflict) to complete his apprenticeship. He studied at Aberdeen School of Architecture, Gray's School of Art and was awarded a diploma and the Byrne Scholarship in 1926, and a post-diploma in 1927. In the latter year he entered the office of Robert Leslie Rollo as an assistant, as well as spending time studying castellated architecture in Scotland and England. He sat the qualifying exam in July 1927 and was admitted ARIBA on 5 December of that year, his proposers being George Watt, James B Nicol and Robert Gordon Wilson, and commenced independent practice in 1929 at 25 Belmont Street, Aberdeen after a short period as a lecturer in the School of Architecture in 1928. By 1931 he was practising from his house at 45 Salisbury Terrace, where he lived with his sister, Alice G Murray.

Wyness's practice was small and confined to conservation projects and memorials although he did undertake specialised work for other practices, being an extremely good draughtsman. While he could be entertaining, his intolerance of compromise, strongly opinionated and somewhat touchy temperament together with his contempt for civic authority made him difficult to work with. The great interests of his life were Aberdeenshire history and archaeology and the Scout Movement. Initially these were in association with Dr W Douglas Simpson, but they soon quarrelled and it was only towards the very end of Simpson's life that there was a measure of reconciliation. As County Commissioner of Boy Scouts for the City of Aberdeen Wyness was the prime mover in the purchase of Templar's Park, Maryculter where he restored the buildings. He ultimately received the Movement's highest award, The Silver Wolf, in 1973.

Wyness published extensively in books and magazine articles, particularly the Deeside Field of which he was editor, but none of these fully reflects the depth of his scholarship. In his last years he was working on a history of architecture in Aberdeen with assistance from Norman Marr but regrettably this was never published. He also turned his hand to ceramic design, being a consultant to the Bovey Pottery Company in Devon in 1940. Wyness's other main interest was the Order of St John in which he was a Knight.

Wyness never married. In his earlier years he travelled by motor cycle in preference to a motor car. He was elected FRIBA on 12 February 1946, his proposers being John Alexander Ogg Allan, John Wittet and James Brown Nicol. He retired from architectural practice in 1964, collapsed from a heart attack on 11 March 1974 and died in Woodend Hospital on the 12th. A memorial service attended by the Lord Provost, the Marquess of Aberdeen and the Chancellor of the Order of St John was held in St Machar's Cathedral on 26 April.

Publications:
'The House of Schivas' (1928), for the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
'Craigievar Castle' (1934), for the Washington Archeological Society
'A Scottish Quaker of the 17th Century' (1941)
'Aberdeen' (1942)
'Deeside' (1942)
'Donside' (1942)
'Buchan' (1942)
'Mediaeval Elgin' (1944)
'Mediaeval Edinburgh' (1944)
'Eilean Donnain Castle' (1944)
'A Buchan Tower-house' (1944)
'Kalendar of Saints: early Christian missionaries of the North-East' (1945)

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
45 Salisbury Terrace Aberdeen ScotlandPrivate/business

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
45 Salisbury Terrace Aberdeen ScotlandPrivate/businessBefore 1927Early 1970
25 Belmont Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusiness1928Before 1946

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
Brown & Watt2004521924 or 1925In year 1925Assistant
James Cobban200258In year 19221924 or 1925Apprentice
Robert Leslie Rollo203510In year 1927Assistant

RIBA Proposers

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

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

ProposerProposer LinkDate ProposedNotes
George Watt2004541927/12/05for Associateship
James Brown Nicol2035001927/12/05for Associateship
Robert Gordon Wilson (junior)2009281927/12/05for Associateship
John Alexander Ogg Allan2000161946/02/12for Fellowship
John Wittet2023281946/02/12for Fellowship
James Brown Nicol2035001946/02/12for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

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

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

PersonDate ProposedNotes
Robert Philip Shaw1920/07For Associateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Scottish Biographies1938E J Thurston (pub.)
RIBAThe RIBA Kalendar 1939-19401939London: Royal Institute of British Architects
Municipal AnnualScottish Municipal Annual19641964-1965

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Aberdeen Press and Journal1974/03/13*Obituary
Aberdeen Press and Journal1974/04/27*
People's Journal1974/03/16*Obituary

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 Museum100005F no4140 (box 33); A no 4157 (Box 7)
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive materialProfessor David M Walker personal archive100041Personal information from Fenton Wyness
Galletly, JamesSchool of Architecture, Garthdee, Aberdeen, RGIT: former pupils, 1937-1970201325