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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

John Leck Bruce
Architect
Exact Date
Exact Date
29/11/1921
John Leck Bruce was born in Glasgow on 16 October 1850 the son of Robert Bruce, clerk, and his wife Jane, née Leck. Nothing is yet known of his professional training except that he trained as an architect. He commenced practice at 137 West Regent Street in 1871 or 1872 at the early age of twenty-one. In late 1874 or early 1875 he took David Sturrock into partnership, and worked as a consulting engineer to Glasgow Corporation. On 1 August 1877 he married Charlotte Florence Cochrane at the Hamilton Presbyterian Church in Birkenhead. There were three sons of their marriage: Robert, born in Greenock, (or Gourock? records not clear) and Charles and John, born in Glasgow.

In c.1876 the practice of Bruce & Sturrock moved to number 103 West Regent Street, and in 1877 or 1878 to number 184. The firm was sequestrated in 1878. Bruce was probably a Roman Catholic as from 1878 the practice began receiving smaller commissions from Archbishop Eyre, the larger ones being given almost exclusively to Peter Paul Pugin. Bruce was a juror on gas-cooking and gas-heating appliances at the Glasgow Gas and Electric Exhibition in 1880, and a member of the city's institute of architects and the philosophical society. There is no recorded work by Bruce & Sturrock after 1883: like so many others it must have suffered lack of business in the severe recession after the final call on the City of Glasgow Bank shareholders in 1881. Shortly thereafter Bruce emigrated to Sydney, New South Wales. He arrived in May 1887 and set up practice as a consulting engineer and architect. On 15 April 1889 he became a foreman of works in the government architect's branch of the Department of Public Works at a salary of £250. He was based at 1 Hereford Street, Globe Point, Sydney in 1895.

In May 1891 he was appointed first lecturer in sanitary engineering at Sydney Technical College, and devoted the rest of his professional life to developing the department. In 1901, with Dr T. M. Kendall, medical adviser to the Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage, he published ‘The Australian Sanitary Inspector's Textbook … ‘. He was employed about this time as Australian examiner for the London Sanitary Institute, Sydney editor of the Building and Engineering Journal of Australia and New Zealand, assistant editor of the Australian Technical Journal (in which he had published an article on gas-lighting in March 1897), and president of the sanitary department's examining board. His textbook was reissued as the Australian Sanitary Inspector's Hand book (1920).

By 1912 Bruce was a member of the Royal Sanitary Institute; in 1914 he was on the editorial advisory committee of the Technical Gazette of New South Wales and in 1912-17 contributed articles about ventilation, moisture and temperature control of air, and the lighting of dwellings and factories. He devised simple instruments for use by factory inspectors in determining whether air and lighting conformed to the requirements of the Factories Act. He also wrote an introductory chapter to Practical Australian Sanitation (vol.1), by Dr C. Savill Willis. On his retirement in 1920 he was made a fellow of the Technical College.

On 29 November 1921 Bruce died of cerebral thrombosis at Blakehurst, Sydney, and was buried in the Presbyterian section of South Head cemetery. He was survived by his wife, two sons and two married daughters.

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
Sydney AustraliaPrivate/business

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
137 West Regent Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness1872After 1875
103 West Regent Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness1877
184 West Regent Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness1878
103 West Regent Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness18791881Conflict in addresses as PO Directories show practice at 103 West Regent Street 1877-81 but GIA show they were at 184 West Regent Street in 1878
Sydney AustraliaPrivate/business1887
19 Stanley Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness

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
Bruce & Sturrock200313Early 1874sIn year 1883Partner
Department of Public Works, New South Wales205593In year 1889Clerk of Works

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
Stewart Memorial fountain for Wellington ParkIn year 1873KelvingroveGlasgowScotlandCompetition design
Proposed West Coast ResidenceIn year 1873RenfrewshireScotland
Bath Street UP ChurchIn year 1874GlasgowScotland
Proposed hotel, West Regent Street and West Campbell StreetIn year 1874GlasgowScotland
Design for school and teacher's houseIn year 1874
Wellington Place Baptist ChurchIn year 1875GlasgowScotlandCompetition design - not successful
Arlington Baths ClubIn year 1875GlasgowScotlandInvolved in construction of 1875 Turkish Suite extension, along with Charles Drake
St John's Free ChurchIn year 1877GourockRenfrewshireScotlandAddition of crown spire
RC Church, School and PresbyteryIn year 1878GlasgowScotland
RC Schoolhouse, 44 Grant Street and Argyle StreetIn year 1879HelensburghDunbartonshireScotland
Crosshouse Established Church and ManseIn year 1880Crosshouse, KilmarnockAyrshireScotland
St Aloysius RC Church and PresbyteryIn year 1881SpringburnGlasgowScotlandChurch rebuilt
Uddingston RC Chapel SchoolIn year 1882GlasgowScotland
Laigh Kirk Mission HallIn year 1883KilmarnockAyrshireScotland
Port Glasgow RC SchoolIn year 1883Port GlasgowRenfrewshireScotland

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Post Office Directories
Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of Biography
Technical Education in New South WalesQuarter Century of Technical Education in New South Wales1909

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Australian Technical Journal1897/03
Sanitary Inspectors\' Association (New South Wales1912Official report no I
Technical Gazette of New South Wales4 (1914), 6 (1916), 7 (1917), 12 (1922).
Edinburgh Gazette1878/08/20no.8923p.638