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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

D Thomson & Turnbull
Architectural practice
Year Only
1877
Year Only
23/06/1926
1883
David Thomson was born on 16 October 1831 in Barony parish, Glasgow, the son of Andrew Thomson, medical practitioner and Mary Lockerbie (or Lockerby). His RIBA nomination paper does not state to whom he was originally articled, only that he was for many years assistant and principal assistant to Charles Wilson, studying at the Government School of Design under the unrelated Charles Heath Wilson.

In March 1862 he was taken into partnership by Wilson, and on 19 August the same year he married Janet Giffen at Mearns, Renfrewshire. When Charles Wilson died in February of the following year he continued the practice which thereafter consisted principally of church, school and country house work. Later in that same year, 1863, Charles Heath Wilson's tenure as headmaster of the Government School of Design ended when the institution was transferred from the Board of Trade to the Department of Science and Art. He set up business as an architect although his practice was limited to monuments and ship interiors rather than buildings. Nevertheless he had some influential patrons and he became both Honorary Director of the School (which thereafter became the School of Art) and a trustee of the Haldane Academy. Wilson and Thomson went into partnership some time in that year as C H Wilson & D Thomson, but in 1868 Wilson withdrew to live and work in Florence.

Thomson was important as a teacher during this period: he was appointed architectural master 1862-64, and was reappointed teacher of architectural drawing in 1869 and teacher of architecture in 1871. After the dissolution of his partnership with Wilson he practised alone until July 1876 when Alexander Thomson's partner Robert Turnbull requested permission from Alexander Thomson's trustees to take a partner to handle the design work. The request was eventually agreed to later in that year. No name was mentioned but Turnbull had probably already discussed the possibility of a partnership with David Thomson. The firm became D Thomson & Turnbull later that year.

Turnbull had been born at Mossburnford near Jedburgh in 1839, the son of William Turnbull, joiner, and his wife Mary Deans. He had been educated at Glendouglas School and apprenticed to his father at the early age of eleven. Between 1865 and 1869 Robert Turnbull appears to have been first in Edinburgh, studying at the Watt Institute, and at Anderson’s College in Glasgow. After Alexander Thomson's brother and then partner George Thomson left for the Cameroons in 1871 Alexander Thomson had undertaken the contractual and supervising work previously handled by his brother, but by 1873 he had become overcommitted and unwell. Turnbull had been taken into partnership to deal with such matters, the practice name becoming A & G Thomson & Turnbull. In August 1874 Alexander Thomson had written to his brother that 'Mr Turnbull and I are getting on pretty well we are busy with a number of smallish jobs'. But in the winter of 1874-75 his asthma and bronchitis had deteriorated and on 22 March 1875 he had died, leaving Turnbull sole partner. For more than a year Turnbull had continued the practice, completing and executing projects already designed, some in a simplified form, and adapting old designs to new commissions, until the merger of his practice with that of David Thomson.

Thomson and Turnbull were not, however, really compatible and the partnership was dissolved in 1883, probably primarily because of the severe recession from 1881 onwards.


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

Addresses

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

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
122 Wellington Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness18771883

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
William Newlands100038In year 18771879/02Assistant
John Thomson200704In year 18771880/04Apprentice
David Thomson200784In year 1877In year 1883Partner
Robert Turnbull202340In year 1877In year 1883Partner
Andrew Morell McKinlay202478In year 1879In year 1883Apprentice

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
Tenements, Albert Drive, Forth Street and Glenapp Street1870sGlasgowScotlandHS attribution to Robert Turnbull
Auchinloch SchoolIn year 1876AuchinlochLanarkshireScotlandAdjacent schoolmaster's house built at same time.
Sir Peter Coats Memorial Church, MinishantIn year 1877MayboleAyrshireScotland
Melbourne HouseIn year 1877ClydebankDunbartonshireScotland
Scotia Leather WorksIn year 1877GlasgowScotlandOriginal building and additions
West Calder Parish ChurchIn year 1877West CalderMidlothianScotland
Double villaIn year 1877PollokshieldsGlasgowScotland
Innamore LodgeIn year 1877CarsaigMullArgyllScotland
Dalziel Manse (Parish Manse?)In year 1877MotherwellLanarkshireScotland
Auldfield Parish ChurchIn year 1877PollokshawsRenfrewshireScotlandAdditions or remodelling
Warehouse, countinghouse etc, 89-92 Miller Streetc. 1877GlasgowScotlandProbably based on an Alexander Thomson design - on grounds of style
Grantly TerraceIn year 1878PollokshawsGlasgowScotlandPossibly by Turnbull
Chryston Parish ChurchIn year 1878ChrystonLanarkshireScotland
St John the Evangelist Episcopal churchIn year 1878JohnstoneRenfrewshireScotlandFurther work
WingfieldIn year 1878StrathavenLanarkshireScotlandAttribution undocumented but possible

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Williamson, WilliamRobert Turnbull IA of Lenzie2011