Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Stone Craig
Designation:  
Born: 11 November 1910
Died: 30 July 1991
Bio Notes: John Stone Craig was born in 1910, the son of John Stone Craig, joiner and his wife Agnes Smith Sleith. He was articled to John Steel in Wishaw from April 1925 until 1931 while at the same time attending Glasgow School of Art. From 1932 he was a student of civil engineering at the Royal Technical College. From 1937 he studied structures and concrete works at Heriot Watt College. From 1931-34 he was assistant civil engineer with Messrs William Binnie & Sons working on roads, concrete works and public works. In 1934 he moved to become chief architect and engineer with John A Russell, Hill Street, Glasgow where his grade was that of Principal. In 1935 he opened business on his own account in Newmains, Lanarkshire but it is unclear if this was run concurrently with his post with John A Russell.

In 1937 or 1938 Craig moved to Edinburgh to a post as assistant architect with the British Aluminium Company. During the Second World War he served with the Royal Engineers in India and continued to be involved with the Territorial Army for many years after this.

Craig returned to the British Aluminium Company after the war, going on to become chief architect and specialising in the design of industrial buildings. He was responsible for major projects at Kinlochleven, Lochaber, Falkirk, Invergordon and elsewhere. He was admitted LRIBA in 1947, his proposers being R Carruthers Ballantyne, John Wilson Paterson and B H Cuthbertson. He was admitted ARIAS and FRIBA in 1956, his proposers being Alexander Esme Gordon, William Gordon Dey and John Ross McKay. Esme Gordon remarked in 1956 that all his work for the British Aluminium Company was 'carefully designed and well-detailed'.

Outwith his work, Craig was a longstanding elder of the church of Scotland and all his life was interested in the fabric of ecclesiastical buildings of all sorts. After he retired at the age of sixty-five in 1976 he was involved with a number of church conservation projects throughout Scotland. Andrew Merrylees appointed him as a consultant to his practice in 1985 and in this made a significant contribution.

He died on 30 July 1991. His wife, Jean Nicoll Grant, had predeceased him.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 759, Whitehouse Road, Lanark, Lanarkshire, ScotlandPrivate 1991 
Item 2 of 756, Manse Road, Newmains, Lanarkshire, ScotlandPrivate1947 *  
Item 3 of 778, Main Street, Newmains, Lanarkshire, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)1948 Builder 11 June 1948 p716
Item 4 of 775, Manse Road, Newmains, Lanarkshire, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)1953 *After 1955 
Item 5 of 7Grosvenor Gardens, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1975 *  
Item 6 of 73, Grosvenor Gardens, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1979 *c. 1980 
Item 7 of 758, Whitehouse Road, Cramond, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivatec. 1980  

* 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 4John Steel1925 Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4William Binnie & Sons19311934Engineer 
Item 3 of 4John A Russell19341938Chief AssistantAlso chief engineer.
Item 4 of 4British Aluminium Company Architects Department1938After 1970Chief ArchitectIn Edinburgh office

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 5Robert Carruthers-Ballantyne (or Robert Ballantyne Carruthers; or Roy Carruthers Ballantyne)11 November 1947For Licentiateship
Item 2 of 5William Gordon Dey4 November 1956For Fellowship
Item 3 of 5Alexander Esmé Gordon (or Esmé Gordon)4 November 1956For Fellowship
Item 4 of 5John Ross McKay4 November 1956For Fellowship
Item 5 of 5John Wilson Paterson11 November 1947For 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 131935Self-service Co-operative Store Newmains LanarkshireScotlandDate of this is not clear. Was it while he ran a small practice in Newmains in 1935 or in the 1950s?
Item 2 of 131938Office blockNewport MonmouthshireWales 
Item 3 of 131939Factory buildingsKinlochleven ArgyllScotland 
Item 4 of 131946Office blockFalkirk StirlingshireScotland 
Item 5 of 131946Office block, British Aluminium CompanyBurntisland FifeScotlandAlterations
Item 6 of 131948Ice Cream FactoryShotts LanarkshireScotland 
Item 7 of 131948Ice Cream Factory, Stables and GarageCleland LanarkshireScotland 
Item 8 of 1311 December 1953Housing, Carfin RoadCleland LanarkshireScotlandPlans prepared for new houses
Item 9 of 131956Baths schemeKinlochleven ArgyllScotlandAs chief architect with British Aluminium
Item 10 of 131956Canteen for the British Aluminium CompanyBurntisland FifeScotlandAs architect with the British Aluminium Company
Item 11 of 131956Hostel buildingsKinlochleven ArgyllScotlandAs Chief Architect with British Aluminium
Item 12 of 131956OfficesKinlochleven ArgyllScotlandAs Chief Architect with British Aluminium
Item 13 of 131956Welfare CentreFort William Inverness-shireScotlandAs chief architect with the British Aluminium Company

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Bailey, Rebecca M1996Scottish architects' papers: a source book Edinburgh: The Rutland Pressp229
Item 2 of 3RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 3RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Builder11 December 1953  p946
Item 2 of 3RIAS NewsletterOctober 1991v3, no1 Death note
Item 3 of 3Scotsman16 October 1991   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 5H M Register HouseDeath Register  
Item 2 of 5National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSNMRS Architects Index  
Item 3 of 5National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSRIAS Collection Small number of drawings in RIAS collection in NMRS
Item 4 of 5RIAS, Rutland SquareRecords of membership  
Item 5 of 5RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L no6016 (Combined Box 113), F no5255 (Combined Box 66)