Architects

Name:

James Taylor Thomson & McCrea (or Thomson & Partner)

Designation :

Architectural practice

Date of Birth:

Year Only

Exact DOB:

25/06/1926

Year of Birth :

1937

Circa Year of Birth :

Date of Birth Before (Year):

Date of Birth After (Year):

DOB (1st 'Or' Year):

DOB (2nd 'Or' Year):

Date of Death:

Year Only

Exact DOD:

25/06/1926

Year of Death:

1952

Circa Year of Death:

Date of Death Before (Year):

Date of Death After (Year):

DOD (1st 'Or' Year):

DOD (2nd 'Or' Year):

Town of Birth :

Bio Notes :

James Taylor Thomson was born in Edinburgh 1887 or early 1888, the son of Andrew Lindsay Thomson, commercial traveller and Alice Rennie Taylor, and was educated at the Royal High School. He was articled to George Lennox Beattie c.1903. At the end of his articles he joned Robert Stodart Lorimer's office as an assistant. He emigrated to the USA in 1912 and for eight years worked with Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue in New York. In the 1920s he returned to Scotland for medical treatment. He originally intended to return to New York but decided to establish his own practice as architect and civil engineer, joining Burnet Son & Dick part-time at Burnet's invitation to take over the detailing of Glasgow University Chapel. There he fell foul of Norman Dick over the time taken and left, Dick thereafter supervising the detailing himself. Fortunately Thomson's personal practice picked up very quickly to become a serious threat to Dick's. In 1927 he won the competition for St John's Renfield Church, and it was there that he married Wilhelmina Coutts Malcolm on 3 June 1931. Thomas Smith Tait gave him a major share of the Glasgow Empire Exhibition of 1938, from which Dick was excluded. From 1936 to 1937 Taylor Thomson was assisted by William McCrea who appears to have been taken into partnership around that time under the title of James Taylor Thomson & Partner, his name being acknowledged in the practice title as Thomson & McCrea by c. 1942.

William McCrea was born on 4 February 1896 and was articled to David Forbes Smith of Kirkcaldy from 1912 and attended Heriot-Watt College in Edinburgh and the Glasgow School of Architecture where he undertook the full diploma course and was awarded the Diploma of the School. At some point thereafter he spent two periods of three months studying in northern France. In 1920 he entered the office of James Miller followed by a spell in the office of John Burnet, Son & DickHe was admitted ARIBA sometime before 1930. He joined James Taylor Thomson as chief assistant in 1936 and claimed in his FRIBA nomination papers to have commenced independent practice in Glasgow in 1937, but this was presumably as partner to Thomson prior to his name being acknowledged in the practice title. He was elected FRIBA on 22 September 1942, his proposers being Professor William James Smith, Charles Geddes Soutar and Thomas Johnston Beveridge. McCrea was active in public life. He was President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects from 1953-54, and was elected President of the RIAS in 1955, having previously sat on the Council for seventeen years in various capacities, as well as serving on the Council and Executive Committee of the RIBA.

James Taylor Thomson was also active in public life. He was vice president of the Glasgow Institute of Architects, Deacon of the Incorporation of Masons and president of Glasgow Art Club.

Thomson died of cancer at 156 Hyndland Road, Glasgow on 15 March 1953, aged sixty-five, after a long period of poor health.

In 1952 William Hamilton Sanders was assumed into the partnership which then continued under the name of Thomson McCrea and Saunders. See separate enty

'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	Date From Char	Date From Type	Date To Char	Date To Type	Notes
156 Hyndland Road Glasgow Scotland	Private

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Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From	Date From Type	Date To	Date To Type	Notes
212 Bath Street Glasgow Scotland	Business	Before 1928		1954

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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
Gavin Strathearn Allan Lennox	206804	1937/11/01	1938/12/31	Assistant
William Hamilton Sanders	203744	1939/06	In year 1952	Assistant
Walter Neil Wilson Ramsay	400684	In year 1925	c. 1930	Apprentice
James Taylor Thomson	202897	In year 1937	In year 1952	Partner
James Milne Munro Billing	206979	In year 1937	After 1938	Assistant
William McCrea	203743	In year 1937	In year 1952	Partner
Gavin Haveron McConnell	403175	In year 1948	In year 1953	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	Island	City or County	Country	Notes
Factory for Donaldson & Files Ltd	In year 1937	Pollokshaws		Glasgow	Scotland
Church of Scotland halls	In year 1938	Dalmarnock		Glasgow	Scotland
Premises for Donaldson & Faber	In year 1939			Glasgow	Scotland
Beechwood	In year 1939	Muirend		Glasgow	Scotland	Alterations
Blowarthill Church of Scotland	In year 1939			Glasgow	Scotland
Factory for John Tullis & Sons	Before 1942			Glasgow	Scotland	Extension
Lamlash School	Before 1942	Lamlash	Bute	Bute	Scotland
Factory for John Tullis & Co	Before 1942	Tullibody		Clackmannanshire	Scotland
Yorkshire Insurance Company offices, St Vincent Street	Before 1942			Glasgow	Scotland	Completion
Cowlairs Co-operative Society Department store	c. 1942	Cowlairs		Glasgow	Scotland
Gilmore & Aitken Premises	In year 1947			Glasgow	Scotland	Extension
Ivanhoe Hotel	In year 1947			Glasgow	Scotland
House	In year 1948	Kippen		Stirlingshire	Scotland
43 Wellington Street and 41 Waterloo Street	In year 1948			Glasgow	Scotland
New Church Halls Mecklarig Avenue	In year 1948			Glasgow	Scotland

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The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical Name	Date Circ	Edition	Notes
RIAS Quarterly	1953/05	92	Obituary of Taylor Thomson
RIAS Quarterly	1955/08	101	pp4-6
Builder	1953/07/24		p157
Builder	1953/08/14		p264
Builder	1953/09/18		p452
Builder	1954/07/23		p157
Builder	1954/03/12		p488
Builder	1950/12/1		p582
Builder	1955/02/04		p236
Builder	1950/9/29		p379
Builder	1951/3/2		p332
Builder	1950/6/9		p793
Builder	1951/1/5		p27
Builder	1954/05/14		p870
Builder	1954/05/21		p918

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Basic Biographic Details

Addresses

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

Employees or Pupils

Employees or Pupils2 classic

Buildings and Designs

Buildings and Designs2 classic

References

Periodical References

Period ref classic