Basic Biographical Details

Name: Larmont Douglas Penman
Designation:  
Born: 9 September 1868
Died: 31 October 1931
Bio Notes: Larmont Douglas Penman was born on 9 September 1868 at 10 Robertson Street, Glasgow, the son of John Sandilands Penman, wine and spirit merchant, hotel keeper, restaurateur and cab proprietor and his wife Mary Struthers (maiden name Steven). He was articled to Thomas Lennox Watson from June 1884 until 1889, remaining as assistant for a year after completing his apprenticeship and studying at Glasgow School of Art. In 1890 he moved to Edinburgh as an assistant to George Washington Browne, attending classes at Heriot-Watt College, but late in the same year he transferred to the office of Charles Davidson of Paisley. In 1892 he moved briefly to Robert Thomson's office in Glasgow before finding a place in that of Hippolyte Jean Blanc in Edinburgh, and the following year he moved again to that of Joseph Hall Morton in South Shields. On 26 March 1894 at the Clark Town Hall, Paisley he married Amy Fryers, sister of architect Arthur John Fryers, with whom Penman entered into partnership in 1898. Thereafter the quality of design in the Fryers practice notably improved.

The practice began with suburban villas mainly for the Glasgow builder George Hamilton, but by 1905 had secured the patronage of the Coats family. At that date the practice was capable of work of the extremely high quality required by its clientele. In 1911 -12 Fryers & Penman's Paisley connections with the Coats and Clark families brought the commission for what was probably the largest commercial office building in the UK, St James' Buiolding on Oxford Street, Manchester for the Calico Printers' Association, seven storeys and attics high and twenty-seven bays long to the street and containing 1,000 rooms. For this project they entered into a short-term partnership or association with the long-established Manchester practice of Charles Clegg & Son as Clegg, Fryers & Penman. The elder Clegg (b.1828) was then 83 years old and it seems likely that the effective partner was his son Charles Theodore Clegg (b.1861). The project was completed in 1913, the Cleggs then reverting to the practice title Charles Clegg & Son.

Penman was admitted LRIBA on 22 April 1912, proposed by John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects, at which date he was living at Dunallan, West Kilbride with an office at 22 Bath Street in Largs. By 1914 the practice had moved to Clydeview in the same town.

Amy Penman died on 3 February 1908. Penman subsequently married Helen Jane Gauld. He died at Nithsdale, Bowfield Road, West Kilbride on 31 October 1931, leaving moveable estate of £5,863 3s 5d. Fryers lived on at Warren Park until 9 August 1954.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 622, Robertson Street, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1884 *  
Item 2 of 6Dunnallan, West Kilbride, Ayrshire, ScotlandPrivate1912 *  
Item 3 of 612, Bath Street, Largs, Ayrshire, ScotlandBusiness1912 *  
Item 4 of 6Clydeview, Largs, Ayrshire, ScotlandBusiness1928 *  
Item 5 of 6Nithsdale, Bowfield Road, West Kilbride, Ayrshire, ScotlandPrivate1928 *  
Item 6 of 622, Bath Street, Largs, Ayrshire, ScotlandBusiness1931 *  

* 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 8Thomas Lennox WatsonJune 18841889Apprentice 
Item 2 of 8Thomas Lennox Watson18891890Assistant 
Item 3 of 8George Washington Browne18901890Assistant 
Item 4 of 8Charles Davidson18901892Assistant 
Item 5 of 8Robert Thomson18921892Assistant 
Item 6 of 8Hippolyte Jean Blanc18921893Assistant 
Item 7 of 8Joseph Hall Morton18931898Assistant 
Item 8 of 8Fryers & Penman1898Before 1931Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 4John KeppieEarly 1929for Fellowship
Item 2 of 4William Hunter McNabEarly 1929for Fellowship
Item 3 of 4John WatsonEarly 1929for Fellowship
Item 4 of 4John 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 601876House at West KiilbrideWest Kilbride AyrshireScotland 
Item 2 of 601884Wellington UP Church  GlasgowScotlandAs apprentice to Thomas Lennox Watson
Item 3 of 601885Evening Citizen offices and printing worksCentral GlasgowScotlandAs apprentice to Thomas Lennox Watson
Item 4 of 601888Royal Clyde Yacht Club and HotelDunoon ArgyllScotlandAs apprentice to Thomas Lennox Watson
Item 5 of 601892Coats Memorial Baptist ChurchPaisley RenfrewshireScotlandAs assistant to Hippolyte Jean Blanc
Item 6 of 601893Troon Parish ChurchTroon AyrshireScotlandAs assistant to Hippolyte Jean Blanc
Item 7 of 60After 1893WorkhouseBradford YorkshireEngland 
Item 8 of 60After 1893WorkhouseNottingham NottinghamshireEngland 
Item 9 of 60After 1893WorkhouseDoncaster YorkshireEngland 
Item 10 of 60After 1893WorkhouseSouth Shields County DurhamEngland 
Item 11 of 60After 1893WorkhouseStamford LincolnshireEngland 
Item 12 of 601898Ardrossan and Saltcoats Infectious Diseases HospitalArdrossan AyrshireScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 13 of 60After 1898BrowheadWindermere WestmorlandEngland 
Item 14 of 60After 1898Dalry Public Higher Grade SchoolDalry AyrshireScotland 
Item 15 of 60After 1898Mansion houseSouthbar RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 16 of 60After 1898Post OfficeLargs AyrshireScotland 
Item 17 of 60After 1898Residence, 11 Hill Street  LondonEngland 
Item 18 of 60After 1898School(s)Largs AyrshireScotland 
Item 19 of 60After 1898School(s)West Kilbride AyrshireScotland 
Item 20 of 601899Millport Infectious Diseases HospitalMillportGreat CumbraeButeScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 21 of 601899Springvale Infectious Diseases HospitalSaltcoats AyrshireScotland 
Item 22 of 601900Kirkcaldy Burgh Infectious Diseases HospitalKirkcaldy FifeScotlandAdditional administrative and ward blocks - won competition to secure job
Item 23 of 601900Kirkcaldy District Infectious Diseases HospitalThornton FifeScotland 
Item 24 of 60c. 1901LindenleePeebles PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 25 of 60c. 1901Neidpath ViewPeebles PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 26 of 601902Double villas, Hatfield Drive  GlasgowScotland 
Item 27 of 601902Villa, Rowan RoadDumbreck GlasgowScotland 
Item 28 of 6019031-10 Whittingehame Gardens  GlasgowScotlandNos 8 & 9 date from c.1904
Item 29 of 601904Auchenames House  AyrshireScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 30 of 601904Knock CastleLargs AyrshireScotlandWest lodge and enlarged house
Item 31 of 601904Villa, Sherbrooke Avenue  GlasgowScotland 
Item 32 of 601905Houses, Sherbrooke Avenue  GlasgowScotland 
Item 33 of 601905Lindisfarne and Real Tennis CourtTroon AyrshireScotlandVilla
Item 34 of 601906Glen Tanar HouseAboyne AberdeenshireScotlandAlterations
Item 35 of 601906West Park HouseSkelmorlie AyrshireScotlandAdditions
Item 36 of 60c. 1906St Thomas's Episcopal ChurchAboyne AberdeenshireScotlandAlexander Thomson Heathcote claims to be responsible, as chief assistant
Item 37 of 601907Annaginny  County TyroneEire 
Item 38 of 601907Sudbourne HouseOrford SuffolkEngland 
Item 39 of 601908Knock CastleLargs AyrshireScotlandEnlarged house and added billiard room
Item 40 of 601909Houses, West Kilbride  AyrshireScotland 
Item 41 of 601909St James Buildings  ManchesterEnglandAlexander Thomson Heathcote responsible, as chief assistant
Item 42 of 60c. 1909Mansion house, SouthparkTroon AyrshireScotland 
Item 43 of 601910Masonic LodgeLargs AyrshireScotland 
Item 44 of 601910St FillansLargs AyrshireScotlandLarge additions with tower
Item 45 of 60Before 1910Crawley CourtCrawley HampshireEnglandEstate buildings.
Item 46 of 60Before 1910Villa ZoraideCap Martin  France 
Item 47 of 601911Fairlie SchoolFairlie AyrshireScotlandEnlargement
Item 48 of 601911Post OfficeWest Kilbride AyrshireScotland 
Item 49 of 60After 1911(?)The HooHemel Hempstead HertfordshireEngland 
Item 50 of 60After 1911Toward CastleToward ArgyllScotlandUnspecified work - presumably restoration?
Item 51 of 601912Fornethy HouseGlenisla AngusScotland 
Item 52 of 601919HayocksStevenston AyrshireScotlandAdditions
Item 53 of 601920sHouses, Caldwell Road and Corsehill RoadWest Kilbride AyrshireScotland 
Item 54 of 601921Old War Memorial West Kilbride AyrshireScotlandcredited with design
Item 55 of 60c. 1921West Kilbride UP ChurchWest Kilbride AyrshireScotlandAlterations
Item 56 of 601923Beith UF ChurchBeith AyrshireScotlandRebuilding and church halls
Item 57 of 601924Nodesdale HouseLargs (near) AyrshireScotlandMajor reconstruction and enlargement
Item 58 of 601928Parker Memorial HallFairlie AyrshireScotlandOctagonal s addition
Item 59 of 601929Building, Main Street and Fort Street cornerLargs AyrshireScotlandDesign only - not executed
Item 60 of 601935Dunn Memorial HallLargs AyrshireScotlandre-worked in Tudor style

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Hartwell, Clare2001Manchester (Pevsner Architectural Guides) Yale University Pressp181
Item 2 of 2John J Parkinson-Bailey2000Manchester, an Architectural History Manchester UPp137 (ill)

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder6 November 1931   

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 Information on birth and death from research by Iain Paterson.
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v23 no1830; F no2681 (box 10)