Basic Biographical Details

Name: David Bennet Dobson
Designation:  
Born: 8 September 1871
Died:  
Bio Notes: David Bennet Dobson was born at 292 St George's Road, Glasgow on 8 September 1871, the son of Robert Dobson, a mason with the North British Railway from Tranent, and his wife Catherine Bennet from Inverkeithing. He was a student at Glasgow School of Art in 1887-8.

Dobson joined the firm of John Gordon in or before 1894, probably as an assistant. In 1900 Dobson was appointed teacher of building construction at Glasgow High School and in 1903 he was taken into partnership by Gordon, whose previous partner Thomas Baird had withdrawn. Dobson was a skilled Art Nouveau designer. By c.1904-05 Dobson was described as at John Gordon's with a separate address at West George Street where Dobson was a publisher of books on buildings construction as D Bennet Dobson & Co, Science publishers. In 1907 the partnership with Gordon was dissolved and Dobson moved both architectural practice and publishing house to 108 Douglas Street, the '& Co' being Dobson's younger brother William (born 1882 or 1883), also an architect. In 1907-08 this combination of practice and publishing became the Scottish College of Architecture, an over-ambitious development to which the Glasgow Institute of Architects took strong exception. The Dobsons appear to have left Glasgow in the following year.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 629, Carrickarden Street, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1887 or 1888 *  
Item 2 of 6707, New City Road, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1891  
Item 3 of 623, Kelvinside Gardens East, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 18971904 
Item 4 of 6261, West George Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1902After 1905 
Item 5 of 6338, Great Western Road, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1904  
Item 6 of 6108, Douglas Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 19081909(?) 

* 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 5John GordonBefore 18941903Assistant(?) 
Item 2 of 5Gordon, Son & Sturrock19031903Assistant(?) 
Item 3 of 5Gordon, Son, Dobson & Sturrock1903c. 1904Partner 
Item 4 of 5Gordon, Son & Bennet Dobsonc. 19041907Partner 
Item 5 of 5D Bennet Dobson & Co1907 Partner 

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 81901Tenements and terraced houses, Dungoyne Street, Barra Street and Crosbie StreetMaryhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 2 of 81903Miller and Lang Art Publishers Offices  GlasgowScotland 
Item 3 of 81903Miller and Lang's Warehouse  GlasgowScotland 
Item 4 of 81904Buildings in Garscube Road  GlasgowScotland 
Item 5 of 81904Riselaw House  EdinburghScotland 
Item 6 of 81905Primitive Methodist Church, Alexandra Parade  GlasgowScotlandMade design - commission lost to Chalmers
Item 7 of 81906Double villas in Balshagray Avenue and Mitre Road for James Watson  GlasgowScotland 
Item 8 of 81908Villas in Crosbie Street  GlasgowScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Post Office Directories     

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Research by Iain Paterson