Basic Biographical Details
| Name: | John Fairweather & Son |
| Designation: | |
| Born: | 1936 or 1938 |
| Died: | 1947 |
| Bio Notes: | John Fairweather was born at 11 Franklin Terrace, Anderston, Glasgow on 5 February 1867, the son of John Fairweather, a farmer, draper and mercantile clerk in the wool trade who came from Alyth, and his wife Elizabeth Brown Fyfe who came from Leuchars. He attended the College of Science & Arts (Glasgow?) in 1881, and was articled to James Milne Monro from 16 January 1882 until 1887, remaining as chief assistant thereafter and studying at Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College. He passed the qualifying exam in March 1894 and was admitted ARIBA on 11 June that year, his proposers being William Forrest Salmon, Campbell Douglas and Thomas Lennox Watson. At that time he was still working for Monro and resided at 41 Buccleuch Street, and prior to that he had spent a total of five months on sketching tours throughout Scotland and in England, in particular in Yorkshire and London. He commenced practice on his own account in 1895, initially at 11 Bothwell Street, and his early independent work consisted largely of plain tenements for J & T McNair, builders, in the east end of the city. He made his name with the East End Exhibition buildings in Duke Street, Dennistoun of 1903. By the time of his admittance as FRIBA in early 1916, for which his proposers were Monro, John Watson and William Gardner Rowan, he was practising from 136 Wellington Street and was living at 'Glengarry', Stepps, near Glasgow. In 1922-23 Fairweather visited the USA on behalf of George Green to study theatre and cinema design in which he had specialised since becoming architect to Green in 1913. Whilst there he studied in particular the work of the Scottish-born cinema specialist Thomas Lamb. Fairweather had married Evelyn Ronaldson in 1906 and their son William John Fairweather, born on 28 April 1907, joined his father as an apprentice in September 1925, commencing his studies at Glasgow School of Architecture two years later. He graduated BSc in October 1931, passed the Professional Practice exam in Edinburgh in December the same year and received his diploma in architecture in June 1932. This enabled him to be admitted ARIBA late that year, his proposers being his father, Thomas Harold Hughes and William James Smith. His nomination papers state that he had travelled to Holland in 1927, to Belgium in 1929 and to Belgium and Germany in 1930. He became his father's partner in 1936 or 1938 (sources vary), probably having continued as his assistant prior to that date. John Fairweather died as the result of a motor accident near his home in Stepps on 13 January 1942 and was buried in Bedlay Cemetery, Moodiesburn. He was survived by his wife and his son, who was on active service in India at the time, having joined the armed forces in 1940 as a Gunner in the Searchlight Regiment and then as a Lieutenant in the Assistant Garrison Engineer in India from 1941. William continued in his war service as a Captain, SORE in the Army Command & Garrison Engineer in airfields in India from 1942, and held in the same position in hospitals in India in 1945. He returned to the office in the latter year and continued the practice under the same name of John Fairweather & Son until 1947, after which he appears to have used his name alone. |
Private and Business Addresses
| The following private or business addresses are associated with this : | |||||
| Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | |
 | 182, Trongate, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1936 | Before 1939 | |
| 29, Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1939 * | ||
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and Training
Employees or Pupils
| The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | |||||
| Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | |
| John Fairweather | 1936 or 1938 | 1942 | Partner | |
| William John Fairweather | 1936 or 1938 | 1947 | Partner | Away on active service 1940-45 |
Buildings and Designs
| This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | |||||||
| Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | |
| 1938 | Cinema, Hall Street | Campbeltown | Argyll | Scotland | ||
| 1939 | Cinema | Saltcoats | Ayrshire | Scotland | ||
| 1939 | East Park Homes for Infirm Children | Maryhill | Glasgow | Scotland | Further work | |
| 1939 | Green's Playhouse | Wishaw | Lanarkshire | Scotland | ||
| 1947 | East Park Homes for Infirm Children | Maryhill | Glasgow | Scotland | Further work | |
| 1947 | Wolglon & Co Ltd Premises | Glasgow | Scotland | |||
References
Archive References
| The following archives hold material relating to this : | ||||
| Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | |
| Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | Personal information from William John Fairweather 1970 | |