Basic Biographical Details

Name: George Brown Deas
Designation:  
Born: 24 December 1875
Died: 20 February 1961
Bio Notes: George Brown Deas was born on 24 December 1875, the son of James Deas, master draper, of Barnhill and his wife Mary Brown. He was articled to Alexander McCulloch of Dundee in 1891, remaining with him when the practice became McCulloch & Jamieson in 1894. During that time he studied at Dundee Technical College and University College. Thereafter he became a junior assistant to J C Sharp of Glasgow, from 1895 to 1898, subsequently spending two years with John Wills in Derby, two years as assistant to the Borough Surveyor of Devonport, four years in the Admiralty Works Department, Whitehall, London, and eight years as assistant in the Urban District Office, Finchley. Deas was a qualified town planner and was awarded the RIBA Distinction in Town Planning. Between 1914 and 1919 he was Town Planning Engineer to Fife County, Kirkcaldy District, but served for a period in the Highland Cyclists Battalion during the First World War. After the war he began practice in Kirkcaldy in partnership with William Williamson, but after a few years he set up on his own in 1923, his practice extending to Forfarshire, Midlothian, Lanark, Kinross as well as Fife. His work continued to focus largely on town planning, but he was also responsible for the restoration of seven of the old parish churches of Fife for the Church of Scotland General Trustees, including the Norman tower at Markinch. He was listed in directories as both civil engineer and architect.

Deas married Beatrice Malden, daughter of Bernard Joseph Malden, in 1928. He was admitted LRIBA in early 1932, his proposers being William Williamson, Charles Geddes Soutar and William Salmond.

By 1936 Deas appears to have taken his assistant Thomas Bertram into partnership, but Bertram left shortly thereafter to become assistant to William Scott who was Midlothian County Architect.

Deas was elevated to FRIBA on 8 May 1939, again proposed by Williamson and Soutar but his third proposer this time was Frank Charles Mears with whom he had become acquainted through his town planning work. He was a member of the Executive Council of the Town Planning Institute in Scotland and chairman of its Scottish Branch in 1935-36; and was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. He was also the founder of Kirkcaldy Boys' Club and president of Kirkcaldy District Scouts in 1929-36.

In or around 1950 Deas formd a partnership with ___ Thomson as George B Deas & Thomson. He seems to have occasionally worked with Harry Hubbard on various project but he never had a formal partnership with him.

Deas died on 20 February 1961 at Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy. He had been married twice, first to Christian Elizabeth Oswald, and second Beatrice Edith Madden. Both had predeceased him.

Published works:
'Kirkcaldy District and Shyre' - part author.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Central Chambers/162, High Street, Kirkcaldy, Fife, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1924After 1950 
Item 2 of 2Lossiebank/18, Whytehouse Avenue, Kirkcaldy, Fife, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1931After 1939 

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 10Alexander McCulloch18911894Apprentice 
Item 2 of 10McCulloch & Jamieson18941895Apprentice 
Item 3 of 10J C Sharp18951898Improver 
Item 4 of 10John Wills18981900Improver 
Item 5 of 10Devonport Burgh Surveyor's Office19001902Assistant 
Item 6 of 10Admiralty Works Department (Whitehall)19021906Assistant 
Item 7 of 10Finchley Urban District Office19061914Assistant 
Item 8 of 10Williamson & Deas19191923Partner 
Item 9 of 10Deas & BertramAfter 1932Before 1938Partner 
Item 10 of 10George B Deas & Thomson1950 * Partner 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

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 3Arthur Forbes Cargill19251925Assistant 
Item 2 of 3Thomas ('Tom') Bertram1927After 1932Assistant 
Item 3 of 3George Thomson1937Before 1940Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6(Sir) Frank Charles Mears8 May 1939for Fellowship
Item 2 of 6William Salmond1932for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 6Charles Geddes Soutar1932for Licentiateship
Item 4 of 6Charles Geddes Soutar8 May 1939for Fellowship
Item 5 of 6William Williamson1932for Licentiateship
Item 6 of 6William Williamson8 May 1939for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 4Thomas ('Tom') BertramEarly 1933for Associateship
Item 2 of 4Sam Bunton18 November 1941for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 4Henry Kingham (Major)9 April 1946for Licentiateship
Item 4 of 4George Thomson12 November 1940for 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 50After 1919Miners' Welfare InstituteKinglassie FifeScotland 
Item 2 of 501920Cottages, Kirkshotts siteAuchterderran FifeScotland 
Item 3 of 501920Double cottageCrossroads FifeScotland 
Item 4 of 501920Double cottage for the Kirkcaldy District CommitteeMarkinch FifeScotland 
Item 5 of 501920Forty-two houses for Fife County Council, Glebe siteEast Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 6 of 501920Housing for Kirkcaldy District CommitteeKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 7 of 501920Single cottage for Kirkcaldy District Committee, KilrieKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 8 of 50c. 1920Local authority housingAuchterderran FifeScotland 
Item 9 of 501921Bonnybank, double cottageKennoway FifeScotland 
Item 10 of 501921Double cottage for Fife County CouncilBoreland FifeScotland 
Item 11 of 501921Double cottage for Fife County Council  FifeScotland 
Item 12 of 501921Houses for Fife County CouncilGlencraig FifeScotlandSixty houses
Item 13 of 501921Motor Garage for Barnet & MortonKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 14 of 501921Twenty-eight houses for the County CouncilLochore FifeScotland 
Item 15 of 501922Auction martKirkcaldy FifeScotlandExtenison to offices and new restaurant
Item 16 of 501922Houses for Fife County CouncilGlencraig FifeScotlandTwenty-two houses
Item 17 of 501923Houses for Fife County CouncilGlencraig FifeScotlandTwenty-two houses and forty houses
Item 18 of 501924Sanitary inspector's houseEast Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 19 of 501924Semi-detached villas for F G Stewart and William WalkerKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 20 of 50192530 Houses for Town CouncilLoanhead MidlothianScotland 
Item 21 of 501925Housing for Fife County CouncilWindygates FifeScotlandHouses (altogther 82 houses)
Item 22 of 501927Fifty houses for Fife County CouncilLochore FifeScotland 
Item 23 of 501927Forty huses for Kirkcaldy Burgh CouncilKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 24 of 501927Forty-eight housesLittle Raith FifeScotland 
Item 25 of 501927Twenty houses for Fife County Council, ChapelKirkcaldy (near) FifeScotland 
Item 26 of 501929Four houses for Auchtermuchty Town CouncilAuchtermuchty FifeScotland 
Item 27 of 501929St Drostan's Parish ChurchMarkinch FifeScotlandUnderpinning of Norman tower and re-opening of lancets - as executant architect? 'New process of pointing' adopted.
Item 28 of 501929Twenty-four houses for Fife County CouncilLochore FifeScotland 
Item 29 of 501930Houses for Fife County Council, East Wemyss-Rosie siteEast Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 30 of 501931Housing for Town Council, BorelandKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 31 of 501933Flats, Gray's ParkAuchtertool FifeScotland 
Item 32 of 501933Houses for Fife County Council, East Wemyss-Rosie siteEast Wemyss FifeScotland 
Item 33 of 501933Housing for Fife County CouncilMilton of Balgonie FifeScotland 
Item 34 of 501934Housing for Fife County CouncilWindygates FifeScotlandTen houses
Item 35 of 501934Thirty houses for County CouncilCardenden FifeScotland 
Item 36 of 501936Eight houses on Dollar Road site for Fife County CouncilBurntisland FifeScotland 
Item 37 of 501936Houses for Kirkcaldy Burgh Council, Hayfield SiteKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 38 of 501936Housing for Fife County Council, DundonaldCardenden FifeScotlandOne hundred and forty houses
Item 39 of 501936Housing scheme for Fife County CouncilLeslie FifeScotland 
Item 40 of 501936King Street Housing Scheme for Kirkcaldy Town CouncilKirkcaldy FifeScotland240 houses
Item 41 of 501936King Street Housing Scheme for Kirkcaldy Town CouncilKirkcaldy FifeScotland276 houses (unclear whether in addition to or including the previous 240)
Item 42 of 501937Feuing plan of glebeBurntisland FifeScotlandTo provide feuing plan
Item 43 of 501937Forty-four houses for Fife County CouncilCoaltown of Balgonie FifeScotland 
Item 44 of 501937King Street Housing Scheme for Kirkcaldy Town CouncilKirkcaldy FifeScotland170 houses (unclear whether in addition to the above, or a revised scheme)
Item 45 of 501937Twenty-two housesMilton of Balgonie FifeScotland 
Item 46 of 501937Two hundred and thirty-four houses for Kirkcaldy District CouncilKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 47 of 501938Forty timber houses for Fife County CouncilLumphinnans FifeScotland 
Item 48 of 501949Abbotsrood Church, HayfieldKirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 49 of 501951Sauchenbush ChurchKirkcaldy FifeScotlandHall.
Item 50 of 501955Templehall ChurchKirkcaldy FifeScotlandWorked in association with Hubbard but not in partnership.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Kirkcaldy Directory1924The Kirkcaldy Directory 1924-25 Kirkcaldy: The Advertiser Office 
Item 2 of 5RIBA1930The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 5RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 4 of 5RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 5 of 5Scottish Biographies1938  E J Thurston (pub.) 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder4 June 1954  p1007

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2H M Register HouseDeath Register  
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L no4089 (box 20); F no3656 (box 26)