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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

Richardson & McKay
Architectural practice
Year Only
1920
Year Only
1942
James Smith Richardson (born 1888) and John Ross McKay (born 1884) both studied at the School of Applied Art, Edinburgh, and subsequently worked in the office of Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer. Richardson spent several years in independent practice prior to entering the partnership with McKay, who came directly from Lorimer's practice. McKay had returned to Lorimer's office as Chief Assistant after the First World War, during which he had served as a staff captain under one of Lorimer's clients, General Hunter-Weston of Hunterston. Hunter-Weston had invited McKay to stay for a weekend and Lorimer had instructed him to decline as he did not think it appropriate that an assistant should be a guest of a client; he went, and he was either dismissed or reacted by resigning on the following Monday. It was a partnership of the disaffected as Richardson also felt embittered about Lorimer, whom he regarded as having 'pinched' one of his clients shortly after setting up in practice.

On 8 November 1920 Richardson was appointed full-time Inspector of Ancient Monuments, and in 1922 John Begg invited him to become a part-time lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art, mainly in architectural history. He did not give up his partnership, a number of clients coming to the practice as a result of his official duties, but thereafter McKay did most of the work. Richardson and McKay had their revenge on Lorimer in the matter of the Scottish National War Memorial, which Richardson opposed through the Ancient Monuments Board as its secretary - in a letter to fellow architect Robin Smith Dods, Lorimer described him as a 'wild talking irresponsible devil of a secretary' who had been 'trying hard to wreck it, incidentally with the hope of wrecking me'. In November 1922 Richardson succeeded in defeating Lorimer's scheme by erecting a canvas mock-up which Lorimer described as a 'nightmare erection' which gave no 'adequate idea of the silhouette … or of its light shade or colour'.

Between December 1924 and February 1926 Richardson & McKay were joined in practice at 4 Melville Street by Donald MacDonald MacKie (born 1897), a former pupil of Lorimer who had completed his apprenticeship with McKay after the First World War and had worked as assistant to the firm from May 1922 to May 1924. It is unclear whether a formal partnership existed or whether MacKie simply worked independently from a shared office, but MacKie left in February 1926 to live and work at his own premises of Coltbridge Studio, Murrayfield.

McKay was Vice-President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association c.1930, and was elected FRIBA on 5 December 1938, his proposers being Thomas Forbes Maclennan, Reginald Fairlie and William James Walker Todd. In 1942 Richardson left the partnership and McKay merged his practice with that of Walker Todd.

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architectural practice:

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
4 Melville Street Edinburgh ScotlandBusinessIn year 1920
54 Manor Place Edinburgh ScotlandBusinessIn year 1938
6 Albyn Place Edinburgh ScotlandBusinessIn year 1942

Partners, Employees and Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architectural practice (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2

NamePositionDate FromDate ToNotes
Francis O'HaraAssistantIn year 1939
James Smith RichardsonPartnerIn year 1920In year 1942
John Ross McKayPartnerIn year 1920In year 1942
Donald MacDonald MackieAssistant1922/051924/05
Donald MacDonald MackieArchitect1924/121926/02Unclear whether MacKie simply shared the Richardson & McKay office or was taken into partnership
James Watson RitchieAssistantAfter 1925In year 1926
Robert McNab (or Robert Macnab)AssistantIn year 1926In year 1928
James Dickson YoungAssistant1928/021931/04
Ernest John WeirJunior Assistant1931/03/28Early 1932s
Ernest John WeirChief AssistantEarly 1932sAfter 1936
Francis O'HaraAssistantIn year 1934In year 1935
Adam Bryce KerrAssistant1934/10After 1936
Francis O'HaraSecond AssistantIn year 1937In year 1938
James MurrayAssistant1937/071938/09

Buildings and Designs

This architectural practice was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs

BuildingPartnership GPRoleDate FromDate ToTown DistrictIslandCity CountyCountryNotes
19 Rothesay TerraceAEdinburghScotlandAlterations - date unknown
19-25 Rothesay TerraceGArchitectural practiceEdinburghScotlandAlterations to no 19
G F Merson's FactoryAIn year 1920EdinburghScotlandMcKay responsible
West AcresAAfter 1920Before 1938BalernoMidlothianScotland
C & J Brown's shop front and depositoryAAfter 1920Before 1938EdinburghScotland
Douglas & Foulis premisesAAfter 1920Before 1938EdinburghScotland
Mayfield GarageAAfter 1920Before 1938MayfieldEdinburghScotland
79 Great King StreetBIn year 1921EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Lochcote HouseAIn year 1921LinlithgowWest LothianScotlandMcKay responsible
St Hilda's SchoolAIn year 1921In year 1937LibertonEdinburghScotlandAlterations (McKay responsible)
Caley Picture HouseAIn year 1922In year 1923EdinburghScotland
Belhaven HouseAIn year 1922BelhavenEast LothianScotlandAlterations
99 Rose StreetAIn year 1922EdinburghScotlandAlterations (McKay responsible)
20 Merchiston PlaceAIn year 1922EdinburghScotlandAlterations and additions (McKay responsible)
Hillend FarmhouseAIn year 1922MidlothianScotlandMcKay responsible

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architectural practice:

Bib ref

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Savage, PeterLorimer and the Edinburgh Craft Designers1980Edinburgh: Paul Harris Publishing, 1980 (also paperback ed, London & Edinburgh: Steve Savage, 2005)

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architectural practice:

Period ref

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Proceedings of the Soc. of Antiquaries of Scotland1970102vii-x, 1969/1970: obituary of richardson

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architectural practice:

Arc ref

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuildingItem NameNotes
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive materialProfessor David M Walker personal archivePersonal information supplied to David M Walker by R G Cant, Alfred G Lochhead and others