Basic Biographical Details

Name: Matthew Adam
Designation:  
Born: 22 December 1876
Died: 2 August 1945
Bio Notes: Matthew Adam was born on 22 December 1876, the son of James Adam, master tailor, and his wife Joan Don, and was the elder brother of Alexander Adam. He studies at Glasgow School of Art 1892-1901. He was articled to Steele & Balfour of Glasgow from 1891 to 1896. He was assistant to Kerr & Watson of Johnstone and to McLaren & Mackay of Perth in 1897, and to James Kennedy Hunter of Ayr and George Bell of Clarke & Bell, Glasgow in 1898. Throughout this period he attended Glasgow School of Art. In 1899 he joined the Caledonian Railway Engineers' Department and rose to become chief architectural draughtsman being responsible for the construction of several new stations and the modernisation of many others. He was admitted LRIBA on 22 April 1912, proposed by John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects, of which Adam had been a member since 1907. He was appointed Divisional Engineer to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway following the amalgamation of the railway companies in 1923-24.

He died at his home, 9 Southfield Avenue, Paisley on 2 August 1945 and was survived by his wife, Catherine M’Diamid.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 7Churchill, Paisley, Renfrewshire, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1912After 1914 
Item 2 of 7Engineers Office, Caledonian Railways, Buchanan Street Station, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 19121915 
Item 3 of 7109, Hope Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1915 *  
Item 4 of 7160, Hope Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness19151928 
Item 5 of 7Divisional Engineers Office, LMS, Buchanan Street Station, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness19281929 
Item 6 of 7Divisional Engineers Office, LMS, St Enoch Station, ScotlandBusiness19351942 
Item 7 of 79, Southfield Avenue, Potterhill, Paisley, Renfrewshire, ScotlandPrivate1939 or 19401945 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 7Steele & Balfour18911896Apprentice 
Item 2 of 7Kerr & Watson18971897Assistant 
Item 3 of 7Maclaren & Mackay18971897Assistant 
Item 4 of 7Clarke & Bell18981898Assistant 
Item 5 of 7James Kennedy Hunter18981898Assistant 
Item 6 of 7Caledonian Railway Company Architect's and Engineer's Department18991923Senior Assistant 
Item 7 of 7London Midland and Scottish Railway Company1923 ArchitectDivisional Architect

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1John Bennie Wilson22 April 1912for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 131896Six tenements blocks, Partickhill RoadPartick GlasgowScotland 
Item 2 of 131896Tenements, Gardner StreetPartick GlasgowScotland 
Item 3 of 131897Perth TheatrePerth PerthshireScotlandAs assistant - High Street frontage
Item 4 of 13After 1897Church HallsBowling DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 5 of 131898A & G Thomson's Warehouse  GlasgowScotlandAlterations to create restaurant - as assistant to Clarke & Bell
Item 6 of 131898Black Clauchrie  AyrshireScotlandAs assistant to James Kennedy Hunter (unnamed 'shooting lodge' mentioned in LRIBA nomination paper)
Item 7 of 131899Coatbridge StationCoatbridge LanarkshireScotlandAs senior assistant in Caledonian Railway Company Architect's and Engineer's Department
Item 8 of 13After 1902Business premisesBarrhead RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 9 of 131903Wemyss Bay Railway StationWemyss Bay RenfrewshireScotlandAs assistant in Caledonian Railway Architect's and Engineer's Department
Item 10 of 131905Glasgow Central Station  GlasgowScotlandExtension of concourse buildings
Item 11 of 131907Buchanan Street Railway Station  GlasgowScotlandExtensions to Caledonian Railway Company Head Offices
Item 12 of 131915Paisley Burgh School Board adminstration officesPaisley RenfrewshireScotlandAwarded third premium of £5
Item 13 of 131922Gleneagles HotelGleneagles PerthshireScotlandTook over job from Miller - partial redesign and completion of Miller's hotel

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Carter, Oliver1990An illustrated History of British Railway Hotels, 1838-1983 Silver Link, St Michael's LanesGleneagles Hotel
Item 2 of 6Post Office Directories     
Item 3 of 6RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 4 of 6Scotlands People Website www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk - Statutory Registers - Deaths  Statutory Deaths 573/01 0866
Item 5 of 6Who's Who in Architecture1914    
Item 6 of 6Who's Who in Architecture1926    

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Builder19 February 1915   
Item 2 of 2Glasgow Herald4 August 1945  p4 - obit p1 - death notice

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 3British Architectural Library, RIBARIBA Biographical Files  
Item 2 of 3Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Research by Iain Paterson
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v22 no1769