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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

James Taylor Thomson & McCrea (or Thomson & Partner)
Architectural practice
Year Only
1937
Year Only
1952
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

Addresses

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

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
156 Hyndland Road Glasgow ScotlandPrivateIn year 1953

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
212 Bath Street Glasgow ScotlandBusinessBefore 1928In year 1954

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
Walter Neil Wilson RamsayApprenticeIn year 1925c. 1930
James Taylor ThomsonPartnerIn year 1937In year 1952
James Milne Munro BillingAssistantIn year 1937After 1938
William McCreaPartnerIn year 1937In year 1952
Gavin Strathearn Allan LennoxAssistant1937/11/011938/12/31
William Hamilton SandersAssistant1939/06In year 1952
Gavin Haveron McConnellAssistantIn year 1948In year 1953

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
Factory for Donaldson & Files LtdAIn year 1937PollokshawsGlasgowScotland
Church of Scotland hallsAArchitectural practiceIn year 1938DalmarnockGlasgowScotland
Premises for Donaldson & FaberAIn year 1939GlasgowScotland
BeechwoodAArchitectural practiceIn year 1939MuirendGlasgowScotlandAlterations
Blowarthill Church of ScotlandAIn year 1939GlasgowScotland
Factory for John Tullis & SonsABefore 1942GlasgowScotlandExtension
Lamlash SchoolABefore 1942LamlashButeButeScotland
Factory for John Tullis & CoABefore 1942TullibodyClackmannanshireScotland
Yorkshire Insurance Company offices, St Vincent StreetABefore 1942GlasgowScotlandCompletion
Cowlairs Co-operative Society Department storeAc. 1942CowlairsGlasgowScotland
Gilmore & Aitken PremisesArchitectural practiceIn year 1947GlasgowScotlandExtension
Ivanhoe HotelArchitectural practiceIn year 1947GlasgowScotland
HouseAIn year 1948KippenStirlingshireScotland
43 Wellington Street and 41 Waterloo StreetArchitectural practiceIn year 1948GlasgowScotland
New Church Halls Mecklarig AvenueArchitectural practiceIn year 1948GlasgowScotland

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architectural practice:

Period ref

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIAS Quarterly1953/0592Obituary of Taylor Thomson
RIAS Quarterly1955/08101pp4-6
Builder1953/07/24p157
Builder1953/08/14p264
Builder1953/09/18p452
Builder1954/07/23p157
Builder1954/03/12p488
Builder1950/12/1p582
Builder1955/02/04p236
Builder1950/9/29p379
Builder1951/3/2p332
Builder1950/6/9p793
Builder1951/1/5p27
Builder1954/05/14p870
Builder1954/05/21p918