Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Ballantine
Designation:  
Born: 1874
Died:  
Bio Notes: John Ballantine was born in 1874, the son of John Ballantine, joiner from Ayrshire and his wife, Janet Sharp, from Greenock. He was articled to John Campbell McKellar in 1889. He studied at Glasgow School of Art for six years and at the Technical College for four years, and in 1894 won the Queen's Prize for Architectural Design. He remained as assistant with McKellar until 1902 when he began in independent practice, going into partnership that year with George Sinclair, a former colleague at McKellar's.

The practice was initially fairly successful, partly due to Sinclair's connections in Caithness and Sutherland. It entered a large number of competitions for libraries and public halls in which it tended to come 2nd or 3rd, its more important successes being Rutherglen Public Library and the St Vincent Masonic Halls. The bread and butter aspect of the practice was tenements, work which dried up abruptly with the Finance Act of 1909. In that year the partnership was dissolved, Sinclair having obtained an appointment with the Inland Revenue Valuation Department. Ballantine obtained a job as principal assistant with George Arthur & Son and Sinclair continued the practice alone at 95 Bath Street.

Ballantine was admitted LRIBA on 20 March 1911, his proposers being John Campbell McKellar, George Gunn and David Bateman Hutton. At that time he was still with George Arthur & Son but the event probably marked his intention of returning to private practice. In 1916 he moved back into the office at 95 Bath Street and recommenced practice when Sinclair relocated to Haddington. He remained there until his retirement in 1933 or 1934.

He died at 79 Cartvale Road ion 3 April 1936, from diabetes, arterio-sclerosis and gangrene, survived by his wife, Louisa Mears Boyd.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 421, Rose Street, Garnethill, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate18911908 
Item 2 of 495, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness19031933 or 1934 
Item 3 of 4Meldroch, Overtoun Drive, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, ScotlandPrivate19081910 
Item 4 of 479, Cartvale Road, Langside, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1911After 1914 

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 4John Campbell McKellar1889c. 1894(?)Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4John Campbell McKellarc. 1894(?)1902Assistant 
Item 3 of 4Sinclair & Ballantine19021909Partner 
Item 4 of 4George Arthur & Son1909 or 1910After 1911Principal Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3George Gunn20 March 1911for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3David Bateman Hutton20 March 1911for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 3John Campbell McKellar20 March 1911for Licentiateship

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 14 Corn Exchange  GlasgowScotlandRestoration - date unknown
Item 2 of 14 Duncan & Jamiesons buildingWick CaithnessScotlandDate unknown
Item 3 of 14 Pollok Street UP Church  GlasgowScotlandFurther halls added - date unknown
Item 4 of 14 Templars' Association HallsWick CaithnessScotlandDate unknown
Item 5 of 14After 1902Building (tenement?) for Glasgow Corporation  GlasgowScotlandDate not known
Item 6 of 14After 1902Masonic Halls  GlasgowScotland 
Item 7 of 141904Hamilton Municipal Buildings and Public LibraryHamilton LanarkshireScotlandAwarded 3rd prize in competition
Item 8 of 141904St Vincent Masonic HallsOvernewton GlasgowScotlandWon in competition
Item 9 of 141905Carnegie Public LibraryRutherglen LanarkshireScotlandWon competition and executed job
Item 10 of 14After 1907Public SchoolRutherglen LanarkshireScotland 
Item 11 of 141910Olympia Theatre of VarietiesBridgeton GlasgowScotlandAs principal assistant to George Arthur & Son
Item 12 of 141920311 Argyle Street and 83 Robertson Street  GlasgowScotlandAlterations?
Item 13 of 141928Shops and restaurant, 1 Clyde StreetHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandUnexecuted plans dated
Item 14 of 141990Stirling High SchoolStirling StirlingshireScotlandConversion and extension to become Stirling Highland Hotel

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Post Office Directories     
Item 2 of 2Who's Who in Architecture1914    

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Additional information from Iain Paterson
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v12 no723 (microfilm reel 33)