Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Masson Pirie
Designation:  
Born: 11 September 1877
Died: September 1929
Bio Notes: James Masson Pirie was born at 17 Carmelite Street, Aberdeen on 11 September 1877, the son of George Barcalay Pirie, fishmonger, and Mary Ross. His parents had married in Aberdeen on 20 July 1875. By 1881 the family had moved to 21 Netherkirkgate, Aberdeen. By 1901 when the family were living at The Lodge, 6 Hammerfield Avenue, Aberdeen, James is described as 'architect'; his father was at sea at the time of the 1901 Census, and his mother was described 'wife of marrine [sic] Engineer At Sea'.

Pirie was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and trained in the office of Alexander Marshall Mackenzie He afterwards took a post as architect and master of works on the Aboyne estates. At the same time he started business on his own account in Aberdeen about 1899 or 1900 and among other work designed a couple of substantial private houses and a number of police stations for Aberdeen County Council.

He later formed a partnership with _Milne which continued for two or three years at the end of which period he entered into a partnership with George Sutherland. This partnership only lasted until 1907, when Sutherland formed a new partnership with Clement George. At this point Pirie gave up architecture and left Aberdeen to join the lock manufacturing business Messrs N F Ramsay & Co which had premises in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Birmingham and London where he resided permanently.

Pirie took no part in public affairs when he was in Aberdeen with the exception of one occasion when he was able to persuade Winston Churchill to come to Aberdeen and talk on the fiscal question.

Pirie was well-known for being a fine cricketer when he was in Aberdeen and was a prominent member of the Aberdeen County Cricket Club.

Pirie was married to a daughter of John Blacklaws of Banchory. He died after a long illness in Hove, Sussex in September 1929.

Pirie's relationship, if any, with John Bridgeford Pirie and his son Bridgeford MacDougall Pirie has not yet been established with certainty but they may have been cousins.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3229, Union Street, Aberdeen, ScotlandBusiness1901 *  
Item 2 of 3The Lodge, HAmmerfield Avenue, Aberdeen, ScotlandPrivate1901 *  
Item 3 of 340, Union Terrace, Aberdeen, ScotlandBusiness1902  

* 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 1Sutherland & Pirie19021907Partner 

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 681900House, Braemar Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 2 of 681901HouseAboyne AberdeenshireScotland 
Item 3 of 681901House, Harcourt Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 4 of 681901Police stationInverurie AberdeenshireScotlandAdditions
Item 5 of 681902Four houses, Bright Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 6 of 681902House and shops, Elmbank Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 7 of 681902House, Albyn Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 8 of 681902House, Erskine Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 9 of 681902House, Fonthill Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 10 of 681902House, King Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 11 of 681902House, Menzies Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 12 of 681902Houses, Fonthill Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 13 of 681902Offices for John Fleming & Co  AberdeenScotland 
Item 14 of 681902Offices, Palmerston Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 15 of 681902Premises for Edmund Barrie  AberdeenScotland 
Item 16 of 681902Premises for James Robertson  AberdeenScotland 
Item 17 of 681902Premises of Gordon Smart Aboyne AberdeenshireScotlandAdditions
Item 18 of 681902Scottish Life Offices  AberdeenScotlandBuilder 2 November 1901 indicates that Sutherland was more than just the executant architect for Sydney Mitchell & Wilson. Roles of respective architects! still unclear
Item 19 of 681902Six houses, Duthie Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 20 of 681902Two houses, Murray Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 21 of 681902Two houses, Murray Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 22 of 681902Two houses, Walker Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 23 of 681902Warehouse, Hadden Street and Carmelite Lane  AberdeenScotland 
Item 24 of 681903Five houses, Gladstone Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 25 of 681903Four houses, Froghall Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 26 of 681903Four houses, Victoria Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 27 of 681903House, Belmont Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 28 of 681903House, Broomhill Avenue  AberdeenScotland 
Item 29 of 681903Houses and shops, Elmbank Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 30 of 681903Property for Mrs Hamman, John Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 31 of 681903Six houses, Hammerfield Avenue  AberdeenScotland 
Item 32 of 681903Six houses, Westburn Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 33 of 681903Two detached houses, Erskine Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 34 of 681903Two houses, Berryden Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 35 of 681903Two houses, Crawford Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 36 of 681903Two houses, Elmbank Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 37 of 681903Two houses, Grampian Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 38 of 681903Two houses, Murray Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 39 of 681903Two houses, Sycamore Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 40 of 681903Two houses, Westburn Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 41 of 681904Four houses, Fonthill Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 42 of 681904Four houses, Hammerfield Avenue  AberdeenScotland 
Item 43 of 681904Four houses, Whinhill Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 44 of 681904House, Clifton Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 45 of 681904House, Fonthill Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 46 of 681904House, Westburn Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 47 of 681904Premises for W Booth  AberdeenScotland 
Item 48 of 681904Shops and house, Victoria Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 49 of 681904Two houses, Grampian Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 50 of 681904Two houses, Grampian Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 51 of 681904Two houses, Murray Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 52 of 681904Two houses, Murray Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 53 of 681904Two houses, Whinhill Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 54 of 681905House, Grampian Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 55 of 681905House, Hutcheon Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 56 of 681905Six houses, Duthie Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 57 of 681905Stanley Hotel  AberdeenScotland 
Item 58 of 681905Three houses, Holburn Street and one house, Great Western Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 59 of 681905Two houses, Devanha Gardens  AberdeenScotland 
Item 60 of 681905Two houses, Devanha Gardens  AberdeenScotland 
Item 61 of 681905Two houses, Devanha Gardens  AberdeenScotland 
Item 62 of 681905Two houses, Holburn Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 63 of 681905Two houses, Holburn Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 64 of 681906Five houses, Grampian Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 65 of 681906Hotel, Guild Street and Market Street corner  AberdeenScotland 
Item 66 of 681906House and greenhouse, Walker Dam Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 67 of 681906House, Whinhill Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 68 of 681906Two houses, Polmuir Road  AberdeenScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4FreeCen http://freecen.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl  Accessed June 2008
Item 2 of 4Scotlands People Website www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk - Statutory Registers - Deaths   
Item 3 of 4Scotland\'s People www.scotland'speople.gov.uk Census Records  1851 records
Item 4 of 4www.scotland\'speople.gov.uk Records of births  Birth Certificate 1877/168.1/1372

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Aberdeen Press and Journal4 October 1929  p4

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 6England and WalesBirths, marriages and deaths  
Item 2 of 6GROCensus 1881168.1/2/6 
Item 3 of 6GROSCensus Records 1901168.2/59.2/59.2/41 
Item 4 of 6GROSRecords of Marriages1875/168.2/195 
Item 5 of 6International Genealogical IndexInternational Genealogical Index  
Item 6 of 6Research by Anne BurgessInformation via website Sent June 2008