Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Inch Morrison | Designation: | | Born: | 1878 | Died: | 25 September 1944 | Bio Notes: | James Inch Morrison was born in 1878. He was articled to William H Grey of Edinburgh in 1893 and attended Heriot-Watt College. He may have spent some time in London at the South Kensington Schools as he obtained first-class certificates from there in various subjects. At the end of his apprenticeship he joined first Dunn & Findlay and then Cooper & Taylor as an assistant. After some years he moved to Inverness as chief assistant to William Laidlaw Carruthers. At some point before 1907 he travelled in France, Belgium and Holland, spending seven periods of three to six weeks there. In that same year he commenced independent practice at 21 York Place sharing an office with James Alexander Arnott. He described himself in his Licentiateship Paper as 'joint architect' with Arnott for the work on Gorgie Baptist Church and Charlotte Baptist Chapel which they won in competition. He was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911.
A formal partnership with Arnott seems to have been intended, but in 1910-11 Ernest Auldjo Jamieson bought the Sydney Mitchell practice and invited Arnott to join him. Morrison thereafter practised alone until 1920 when John Kinross suffered a serious breakdown in health and took him into partnership, the merged practices taking the title of Kinross & Morrison. His main business was war memorial work and when that tailed off and Kinross became more antique dealer than architect the partnership was dissolved, Morrison resuming practice as sole partner in 1923.
Morrison served on the Council of the Edinburgh Architectural Association c.1930. He merged his practice with that of Arnott after the retirement of Arnott's partner Ernest Arthur Auldjo Jamieson in 1936, the practice finally becoming Arnott & Morrison as planned more than thirty years earlier.
Morrison died on 25 September 1944. He was then living at 93 Ravelston Dykes, and was survived by his wife Daisy Jane Cownie. He left £3,538 1s 10d. Arnott continued the practice alone thereafter. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 4, York Buildings, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1906 | c. 1907 | | | 21, York Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1908 | c. 1912 | | | 24, Clarence Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1911 * | | | | 24, Duke Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1913 | c. 1916 | Practice closed for rest of war | | 24, Duke Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | c. 1919 | c. 1940 | Practise merged with that of J A Arnott c.1936 | | Topgates, Ravelston Dykes, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1930 * | c. 1938 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or Pupils* earliest date known from documented sources.
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | James Alexander Arnott | 30 November 1925 | for Fellowship | | John Begg | 30 November 1925 | for Fellowship | | James Bow Dunn | 20 July 1911 | for Licentiateship - as President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association | | John Keppie | 30 November 1925 | for Fellowship |
RIBA Proposals
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Post Office Directories | | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Scotsman | 26 September 1944 | | | p3 - obituary | | Scotsman | 13 October 1944 | | | p2 - states address at time of death | | Scotsman | 11 October 1950 | | | p1 - details of continuation of practice by Arnott after Morrison's death |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L v19 no1471; F no 2306 (microfilm reel 17) |
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