Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Forbes
Designation:  
Born: 12 May 1907
Died: 1 April 1970
Bio Notes: John Forbes was born on 12 May 1907, the son of John Forbes, general contractor, and his wife Isabella Gardner Smith McDonald. He was articled to D & J R McMillan of Aberdeen from 1924 to 1929, attending evening classes at Robert Gordon's College. On completion of his apprenticeship he joined James McLachlan of Edinburgh as assistant, taking morning classes at Edinburgh College of Art. He was promoted to Senior Assistant in 1932. He passed Part I of the final exam in Edinburgh in 1934 and Part II in 1935, enabling him to be admitted ARIBA on 11 May 1936, his proposers being McLachlan, John Ross McMillan and John Begg. At the time of his application for Associateship he was still working in McLachlan's office, but by 21 July 1936 when he signed the declaration of acceptance he had moved to London: the declaration was witnessed by Alexander Fraser of 3 Alma Terrace, Kensington, and Forbes gave his address as 30 Charlwood Street, London SW1.

John Forbes joined the firm of J M Monro & Son in the early 1930s. He was admitted ARIBA in 1936. By 1950 his home address was in Lenzie. He was assumed into partnership by Monro & Partners in the mid-1950s. In 1956 he was elected ARIAS. He died in 1971.

Forbes died at the Vale of Leven Hospital, Alexandria on 1 April 1970, survived by his wife Annette Morgan Ramsay.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 6134, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness 1935 
Item 2 of 6307, West George Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1935  
Item 3 of 6c/o Ramsay/51, Roseburn Terrace, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivateLate 1935 or early 1936  
Item 4 of 630, Charlwood Street, London, EnglandBusiness1936  
Item 5 of 6Lonnach, Myrtle Avenue, Lenzie, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate(?)1950 *  
Item 6 of 625, Woodside Place, Charing Cross, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1955 *After 1970 

* 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 5J M Monro & Son 1955  
Item 2 of 5D & J R McMillan19241929Apprentice 
Item 3 of 5James McLachlan19291932Assistant 
Item 4 of 5James McLachlan19321935 or 1936Senior Assistant 
Item 5 of 5Monro & Partners19551970Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3John Begg11 May 1936For Associateship
Item 2 of 3James McLachlan11 May 1936For Associateship
Item 3 of 3John Ross McMillan11 May 1936For Associateship

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 231929Marks & Spencer store  GlasgowScotland 
Item 2 of 231930sAir Training SchoolPrestwick AyrshireScotland 
Item 3 of 231931Marks & Spencer storePaisley RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 4 of 231934Marks & Spencer storeStirling StirlingshireScotland 
Item 5 of 231935Marks & Spencer storeAyr AyrshireScotlandIn association with Robert Lutyens
Item 6 of 231935Marks & Spencer storeKilmarnock AyrshireScotlandIn association with Robert Lutyens
Item 7 of 231935Marks & Spencer store  GlasgowScotlandIn association with Robert Lutyens
Item 8 of 231936Marks & Spencer store  DundeeScotlandIn association with Robert Lutyens
Item 9 of 231936Marks & Spencer store59 High Street, Falkirk StirlingshireScotlandIn association with Robert Lutyens
Item 10 of 231938Warehouse for Marks & Spencer LtdKirkcaldy FifeScotlandIn association with Robert Lutyens
Item 11 of 23c. 1938De Haviland FactoryHatfield HertfordshireEnglandWon competition to secure job
Item 12 of 23c. 1940Davy and United Engineering Company, Administration HeadquartersDarnhall, Sheffield YorkshireEngland 
Item 13 of 231948Lanarkshire Steel Works, Central Power StationMotherwell LanarkshireScotland 
Item 14 of 231949Offices for Ruston & HornbyLincoln LincolnshireEngland 
Item 15 of 231961132-148 High StreetPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 16 of 231963Templeton's Carpet Factory  GlasgowScotlandFactory warehouse
Item 17 of 231965Marks & Spencer storePaisley RenfrewshireScotlandMajor extensions
Item 18 of 231965Marks & Spencer store59 High Street, Falkirk StirlingshireScotlandMajor extensions
Item 19 of 231965Marks & Spencer store  DundeeScotlandMajor extensions
Item 20 of 231966Marks & Spencer's store  GlasgowScotlandResponsible for planning
Item 21 of 231968Bath Street Independent Chapel  GlasgowScotlandW addition - responsible for planning
Item 22 of 23Before 1970Works for Bruce Peebles  EdinburghScotland 
Item 23 of 231971Retail shell for British Shoe CorporationAyr AyrshireScotlandUncertain if involved

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Bailey, Rebecca M1996Scottish architects' papers: a source book Edinburgh: The Rutland Pressp148
Item 2 of 4Gregory, Neil2003Monro and Partners: shopping in Scotland with Marks and Spencer Architectural Heritage, Vol XIV, pp67-85 
Item 3 of 4RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 4 of 4RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers ARIBA no 6047 (combined box 116)