Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Alexander William Grant
Designation:  
Born: 1886 or 1887
Died: 18 April 1959
Bio Notes: John Alexander William Grant was born in Invernes in 1886 or 1887, the third son of John Grant, tailor and his wife Catherine. Some sources claim he worked as an apprentice and/or assistant in the Honeyman & Keppie practice. However the Glasgow University Mackintosh project has found no evidence to support this. He appears in independent practice in directories in about 1911 with an office at 136 Wellington Street. This address is also that of the architect John Fairweather and it is possible that Grant was articled and assistant to Fairweather. Between 1913 and 1915 he was responsible for the Westerton Housing Estate, Bearsden, for which he consulted Raymond Unwin, and his practice continued to consist largely of housing thereafter. Between 1914 and 1915 he was in partnership with Albert Victor Gardner as Grant & Gardner.

After the First World War he moved to Edinburgh and in 1922 he entered the competition for the Chicago Tribune Tower in collaboration with Alexander Alban Hamilton Scott. In the 1930s he was in independent practice at 25 Rutland Square, Edinburgh, the old office address of Hippolyte Jean Blanc (and subsequently his son).
Grant was both a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

He died in 1959, leaving £42,614 15s 2d. His funeral was at Warriston Crematorium.

After his death the practice was continued under his name and by 1970 D A MacDonald, D L MacDonald and I W D Forde were partners.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 105, Cramond Road, Davidson's Mains, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate Late 1920s 
Item 2 of 10136, Wellington Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessc. 19111915 
Item 3 of 10164, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness19141915When he was in partnership with Gardner.
Item 4 of 1015, Cargill Terrace, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivatec. 1915c. 1922 
Item 5 of 103, Thistle Court, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1923c. 1936 
Item 6 of 10Greylands, Whitehouse Road, Cramond Bridge, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivateLate 1920sLate 1930s 
Item 7 of 1025, Rutland Square, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1936After 1945 
Item 8 of 1020, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1950 *  
Item 9 of 1036, Melville Street, Edinburgh, Scotland 1952 *After 1970(?)Builder lists Grant here in 1959. Directories indicate that the practice was still at this address in 1970.
Item 10 of 1039, Bridge Street, Musselburgh, East Lothian, ScotlandBusiness1979 * The address of the practice which bore the name John A W Grant.

* 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 3Honeyman & KeppieAfter 1900(?)1 January 1901Apprentice(?) 
Item 2 of 3Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh1901(?)Before 1913Assistant(?) 
Item 3 of 3Grant & Gardner1914c. 1915  

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 8James Dickson YoungFebruary 1923February 1928Apprentice 
Item 2 of 8Neil RossDecember 1928 * Chief Assistant 
Item 3 of 8David Proctor BeeNovember 1929February 1930Assistant 
Item 4 of 8Patrick McGowan ThompsonNovember 1931July 1933Apprentice 
Item 5 of 8Patrick McGowan Thompson1935 * Assistant 
Item 6 of 8Donald Andrew Macdonald1970 *After 1975Partner 
Item 7 of 8Donald Lachlan MacDonald1970 *After 1975Partner 
Item 8 of 8Iain Woodhurst Dougal Forde1970 *After 1979Partner 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

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 471913Westerton Garden Suburb, 1-31 and 2-16 NorthviewWesterton, Bearsden GlasgowScotlandIn consultation with Raymond Unwin. In partnership with Gardner from 1914.
Item 2 of 471913Westerton Garden Suburb, 2-16 Stirling AvenueWesterton, Bearsden GlasgowScotlandIn consultation with Raymond Unwin. In partnership with Gardner from 1914
Item 3 of 471913Westerton Garden Suburb, 25-107 and 46-64 Maxwell AvenueWesterton, Bearsden GlasgowScotlandIn consultation with Raymond Unwin. In partnership with Albert Victor Gardner from 1914.
Item 4 of 471913(?)Westerton Garden Suburb: 66-68 Maxwell AvenueWesterton, Bearsden GlasgowScotlandatrib
Item 5 of 471913Westerton Garden Suburb: Master PlanWesterton, Bearsden GlasgowScotland 
Item 6 of 471913Westerton Garden Suburb: Tennis Club and Bowling ClubWesterton, Bearsden GlasgowScotlandAs part of Master Plan for Garden Suburb
Item 7 of 471913(?)Westerton Garden Suburb: Village HallWesterton, Bearsden GlasgowScotlandAtrib
Item 8 of 471921Scottish Housing Competition Section 1   ScotlandPremiated design
Item 9 of 471922Chicago Tribune TowerChicago IllinoisUnited States of AmericaUnsuccessful competition design - in collaboration with Alexander A H Scott
Item 10 of 471923Clydesdale BankBo'ness / Borrowstouness West LothianScotlandAdditions to rear - not executed?
Item 11 of 471925Bungalow Corbiehill Road Davidson’s Mains  EdinburghScotland 
Item 12 of 471925Three Bungalows, Whitehouse RoadBarnton EdinburghScotland 
Item 13 of 47Between 1930 and 1939Muirhead Council HousingTroon AyrshireScotland 
Item 14 of 471931Shops, Telford Road and Queensferry Road  EdinburghScotland 
Item 15 of 471933Wilson Memorial Church and HallsPortobello EdinburghScotlandCorrespondence about proposed church
Item 16 of 471934Four-apartment flatted housesLasswade MidlothianScotland 
Item 17 of 471934Local Authority Housing, TullochPerth PerthshireScotlandActed as consultant
Item 18 of 471934Peterhead Cottage HospitalPeterhead AberdeenshireScotlandConverted villa to hospital
Item 19 of 471936Housing schemePeterhead AberdeenshireScotland 
Item 20 of 471936Westquarter model villageFalkirk StirlingshireScotlandWon competition to secure job for model village with housing scheme
Item 21 of 471936 or 1937Glasgow Corporation Housing and Health Exhibition, competition for housing layout and design  GlasgowScotlandWon compeititon
Item 22 of 471938Fountainbridge LibraryFountainbridge EdinburghScotland 
Item 23 of 471938Fountainbridge Public Library  EdinburghScotland 
Item 24 of 471938Local Authority Housing, BalhousiePerth PerthshireScotlandActed as consultant
Item 25 of 471939Drimery (Housing?) EstateClydebank DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 26 of 471939Housing scheme, Old TownStonehaven KincardineshireScotland'Housing redevelopment'
Item 27 of 471939Housing, Linkfield RoadMusselburgh MidlothianScotland 
Item 28 of 471939Housing, Seafield CrescentDunbar East LothianScotland 
Item 29 of 471939Westquarter Primary SchoolFalkirk StirlingshireScotland 
Item 30 of 471943Housing schemeMacduff BanffshireScotland'State aided housing'
Item 31 of 471945Three apartment semi-detached housesMoredun EdinburghScotland 
Item 32 of 471945Three blocks of four apartment housesMoredun EdinburghScotland 
Item 33 of 471946Houses (Housing estate?)Muirhouse EdinburghScotland 
Item 34 of 47After 1946Howdenbank Housing EstateHawick RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 35 of 47After 1946Silverbuthall Housing SchemeHawick RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 36 of 471947Ae village housingAe DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 37 of 471947(?)Forestry Commission VillageAe DumfriesshireScotlandHired by the Scottish Housing Association. Responsible for layout and houses.
Item 38 of 471947Moredun HousingMoredun EdinburghScotland 
Item 39 of 471948Salvesen Gardens HousingMuirhouse EdinburghScotland 
Item 40 of 47January 1949Twenty-Five houses at Craigour DriveGilmerton EdinburghScotland 
Item 41 of 471952Clermiston Housing DevelopmentClermiston EdinburghScotland 
Item 42 of 471952Housing, BurnfootHawick  Scotland 
Item 43 of 471953Muirhouse Housing Scheme first developmentMuirhouse EdinburghScotland 
Item 44 of 471955Primary School, MoredunMoredun EdinburghScotlandExtension
Item 45 of 471957Flats, HardgateHaddington East LothianScotland 
Item 46 of 471957Local Authority Housing, St Anne's GateHaddington East LothianScotland 
Item 47 of 479 October 1959Houses, Claggan SiteClaggan, Fort William  Scotlandper Builder p416

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A1996A History of Scottish Architecture   
Item 2 of 4Glendinning, Miles1997Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75  Tuckwell Press Ltdp161-2 Moredun Housing
Item 3 of 4Post Office Directories     
Item 4 of 4RIBA1975RIBA Directory of practices   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Builder21 January 1949  p109
Item 2 of 2Builder18 April 1952  p605

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Chris DoakInformation via website Additional information sent August 2007
Item 2 of 2DMW ArchiveResearch notes for 'Scottish Thirties' by Charles McKean