Basic Biographical Details Name: | Robert Keith & Son | Designation: | | Born: | 1906 | Died: | February 1914 | Bio Notes: | Robert Keith was born at Drumsturdy in 1848. He began his working life as a country mason but came to Dundee when he was eighteen, took classes at the Government School of Design and commenced business as an architect in 1872, initially in association with a very able draughtsman J F Anderson who seems to have provided freelance architectural service to the engineering drawing offices in the town as and when required. Anderson's background has never been established.
Keith took an active part in public life. He became a town councillor and a 'hard' baillie whose sentences 'generally met the ends of justice': his position as a magistrate was said to have secured numerous commissions from the licensed trade and for a time he was also a police commissioner for Broughty Ferry, although that does not seem to have brought much business. The mainstay of the practice was production line tenement-building, particularly in Lilybank, Watson Street, Arbroath Road and Springhill, Hilltown, Hawkhill and Lockie Road.
In 1897 Robert Keith's son, William Bruce Dickie Keith, born in 1881 joined the practice as an apprentice, taking classes at University College Dundee and the Young Men's Christian Institute: it is not as yet clear what the latter were as most other Dundee apprentices attended Patrick Hill Thoms' classes at the Technical Institute. Although the practice was then at a low ebb, William was taken into the partnership in 1906 and was admitted LRIBA on 24 June 1912. He was described by his contemporaries as a good draughtsman but not an especially able designer.
Robert Keith died in February 1914. After his father's death William relied considerably on evening and weekend help from Vernon Constable and James McLellan Brown, both city employees. He closed the practice c.1928 and emigrated to Australia. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 10, Whitehall Street, Dundee, Scotland | Business | Before 1910 | 1914(?) | | | 15, Castle Street, Dundee, Scotland | Business | 1914 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Robert Keith | 1906 | February 1914 | Partner | | | William Bruce Dickie Keith | 1906 | February 1914 | Partner | | | James Reid | 1909 | 1914 | Apprentice | |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesCurrently, there are no references for this . The information has been derived from: the British Architectural Library / RIBA Directory of British Architects 1834-1914; Post Office Directories; and/or any sources listed under this individual's works. |