Architects

Name:

David Smith

Designation :

Architect

Date of Birth:

Exact Date

Exact DOB:

25/07/1878

Year of Birth :

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DOB (2nd 'Or' Year):

Date of Death:

Exact Date

Exact DOD:

04/03/1938

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Bio Notes :

David Smith was born at Montrose on 25 July 1878, the son of Peter Culross Smith, bootmaker, and his wife Margaret Westwood. He 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 for five months. During those years he studied first at Montrose Academy (1895 to 1898) and then at the Dundee Technical Institute under Patrick Hill Thoms (from 1898). In 1900 he moved to Edinburgh to work for Victor Daniel Horsburgh so that he could study at the School of Applied Art. Seven months later he obtained a place in the office of John Murray Robertson in Dundee from which he succeeded in gaining a place first in the LCC Architects' Department in 1902, which enabled him to study at the Regent Street Polytechnic, and then the following year in the office of Leonard Stokes. Whilst with Stokes in 1903 he won the Tite Prize, enabling him to travel to Italy for four weeks. At the end of that year James Findlay, who had taken over Murray Robertson's practice after the latter's death, invited Smith to return to Dundee to assist with the Medical School and the Caird Cancer Pavilion, the latter being largely to Smith's design. The following year, 1904, he was placed second for the Soane Medallion.

Smith remained in the same firm thereafter, and while chief assistant with Findlay he built an experimental low-cost house, The Shielin at Wormit (the '£100 house'), for his own occupation. He was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, his proposers being Godfrey Daniel Bower Shepherd, Thoms and William Fleming Wilkie. 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 Smith became a partner, although his name would never appear in the practice title. In the same year the practice was merged with that of Ogilvy & Stewart, Gilbert Francis Molyneux Ogilvy withdrawing to leave Nelson T Stewart as sole partner for the merger. The practice title then became Findlay & Stewart, changing to Findlay Stewart & Robbie when Henry Pearce Robbie was taken into partnership c.1930. At this time Smith was a member of the Council of the Dundee Institute of Architects.

He died on 3 April 1938, survived by his wife Jessie Howden and a duaghter who lived in Harrow.

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
The Shielin Newburgh Road Wormit Fife 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	1904		1938

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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
Leonard Aloysius Scott Stokes	202235	Early 1903s	Late 1903s	Draughtsman
McCulloch & Jamieson	201040	In year 1895	In year 1899	Apprentice
Hugh Gavin	201217	In year 1899	In year 1899	Junior Draughtsman
Victor Daniel Horsburgh	200200	In year 1900	Late 1900s	Draughtsman
London County Council Architects' Department (LCC Architects' Department)	201590	In year 1902	Early 1903s	Draughtsman
James Findlay	201970	In year 1903	In year 1928	Senior Assistant
James Findlay	201970	In year 1928	In year 1928	Partner
Findlay & Stewart	205924	In year 1928	c. 1930	Partner
John Murray Robertson	200015	Late 1900s	In year 1902	Draughtsman
Findlay Stewart & Robbie	202751	c. 1930	In year 1938	Partner

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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
Patrick Hill Thoms	200230	1911/07/20	for Licentiateship
William Fleming Wilkie	203568	1911/07/20	for Licentiateship
Godfrey Daniel Bower Shepherd	202106	1911/07/20	for Licentiateship
Patrick Hill Thoms	200230	1935/07/22	for Fellowship
Charles Geddes Soutar	202372	1935/07/22	for Fellowship
William Salmond	202377	1935/07/22	for Fellowship

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

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

Person	Date Proposed	Notes
Alastair Macrae	*000s

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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
University College Dundee, medical schools	In year 1903		Dundee	Scotland	Superintended work - as chief assistant to James Findlay
Durn	In year 1903	Perth	Perthshire	Scotland	Additions to house - as chief assistant to James Findlay
Dundee Royal Infirmary, Caird Cancer Pavilion	In year 1903		Dundee	Scotland	Superintended work - as chief assistant to James Findlay
Gerard Hospital	In year 1903	Monifieth	Angus	Scotland	As chief assistant to James Findlay
Balgay House	In year 1903		Dundee	Scotland	Conversion of Balgay House into a hospital, and additions - as chief assistant to James Findlay
St Fillan's UF Church	In year 1903	Newport-on-Tay	Fife	Scotland	Proposed additions to church and to manse - as chief assistant to and later partner of James Findlay
Victoria Works	In year 1903		Dundee	Scotland	New WCs added - as chief assistant to James Findlay
The Shielin	After 1903	Wormit	Fife	Scotland	As chief assistant to James Findlay
Large residence for a surgeon	After 1903		Dundee	Scotland
Balgillo	After 1903	Broughty Ferry	Dundee	Scotland	Alterations including work on lodge and garage - as chief assistant to James Findlay
School	After 1903	Longforgan	Perthshire	Scotland	As chief assistant to James Findlay
Shops and buildings	In year 1905	Kirriemuir	Angus	Scotland	Alterations to building - as chief assistant to James Findlay
Building in Croft Lane	In year 1905	Kirriemuir	Angus	Scotland	Alterations - as chief assistant to James Findlay
Avabank	In year 1906	Broughty Ferry	Dundee	Scotland	Additions - as chief assistant to James Findlay
Crossmount	In year 1906	Perth	Perthshire	Scotland	Alterations and additions - as chief assistant to James Findlay

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The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical Name	Publisher	Date Circ	Edition	Notes
RIBA Journal		1938/07/18	v45	p896 - obituary
British Architect		1904/01/22		pp60-61

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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
RIBA Nomination Papers	RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum	100005			L v20 no1590; F no3288 (box 20)
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material	Professor David M Walker personal archive	100041			Personal information from H Pearce Robbie and Robert Dron

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Basic Biographic Details

Addresses

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

Employment and Training

Employers2 classic

RIBA Proposers

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

RIBA Proposals

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

Buildings and Designs

Buildings and Designs2 classic

References

Periodical References

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Archive References

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