Basic Biographical Details

Name: Maclennan & Cunningham
Designation:  
Born: Before 1931
Died: After 1936
Bio Notes: Thomas Forbes Maclennan was born in 1873, the son of George Maclennan, and educated at George Watson's College. He was articled to McArthy and Watson in 1888 and attended Heriot-Watt College and Edinburgh School of Art and the School of Applied Art, winning a silver medal for building construction and the David Cousin prize for measured drawings. He spent a year with Leadbetter & Fairley before joining James Macintyre Henry as assistant in 1894. In the autumn of 1898 he made a study tour in Normandy and was taken into partnership in 1905. He passed the qualifying exam in 1902 and although no London classes are mentioned in his nomination papers, he was able to call on the London architects John Slater and Edward Augustus Gruning, together with Richard Phené Spiers, head of the RA Schools, as proposers when he was admitted ARIBA on 2 March 1903. While in partnership with James Macintyre Henry he conducted a private practice. In 1907 he married Euphemia Anderson, daughter of John Cathles, Secretary of the North British Railway Company, a match which probably brought useful connections.

Henry died on 18 September 1929. Maclennan thereafter ran the practice with junior partners, including John Colville Cunningham (the practice name became Maclennan & Colville in the early 1930s) and his own daughter, Mrs E L Westwater. He took a rather more active part in public life than Henry. He joined the Queen's Edinburgh Rifles in 1890, was President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association 1914-18, and during the First World War he served on the Architects' War Committee and volunteered for service as sub-lieutenant in a Royal Engineers Signal Company in 1917. After the war he was one of the founders of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland of which he was later President, and like Henry before him he was Dean of Guild 1930-34. From 1934 to 1937 he was assistant Master of the Merchant Company and was Moderator of the High Constables and Guard of Honour of Holyroodhouse in 1941. In his youth he played water polo.

Maclennan retired in 1949 and died 25 February 1957.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 37, South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 19311932 
Item 2 of 31, Gregory Place, St Andrews, Fife, ScotlandBusiness1933 *  
Item 3 of 357, Melville Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessc. 1933Before 1936 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

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 4David Maxtone Craig19311932Draughtsman 
Item 2 of 4Frederick Alistair Morrison19311934Apprentice 
Item 3 of 4Thomas Forbes MaclennanBefore 1931c. 1936Partner 
Item 4 of 4John Colville CunninghamBefore 1931c. 1936Partner 

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 12Between 1930 and 1939University HallSt Andrews FifeScotlandDrawing not dated
Item 2 of 121931Leith Methodist ChurchLeith EdinburghScotland 
Item 3 of 121933House at LuffnessLuffness East LothianScotland 
Item 4 of 121933Houses for Fife County CouncilGuardbridge FifeScotland 
Item 5 of 121934Bonnington Road Oatmills  EdinburghScotland 
Item 6 of 121934Premises of the Scottish Motor Traction Co  EdinburghScotlandAdditions
Item 7 of 121934Premises of the Scottish Motor Traction Co  EdinburghScotlandExtension
Item 8 of 121934Printing works, 115-119 Rose Street  EdinburghScotland 
Item 9 of 121934Thornton's Warehouse  EdinburghScotland 
Item 10 of 121934Warehouse for Messrs Smarts  EdinburghScotland 
Item 11 of 121936Clarendon Hotel and Shopping Arcade  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 12 of 121936Methodist Central Hall  EdinburghScotlandInternal alterations

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Post Office Directories     
Item 2 of 2RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Jack Fisher PartnershipDrawings Archive Information from Angus McGhie