Basic Biographical Details

Name: Graham Conacher Young
Designation:  
Born: 29 March 1892
Died: 29 November 1962
Bio Notes: Graham Conacher Young was born on 29 March 1892, the younger son of George Penrose Kennedy Young of Perth, and his wife Charlotte Ann Young Conacher. He attended Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh in 1906 and 1907, and probably began his training in his father's office, but in 1909 moved to Glasgow as an articled apprentice to James Miller, enabling him to study at the Glasgow School of Architecture under Eugène Bourdon. He then worked as a draughtsman to Peter McGregor Chalmers before returning to Perth in 1913 to join his father as an assistant. The following year he entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, enlisting in the 1st Seaforth Highlanders, and he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps and RAF between 1916 and 1919, rising to the rank of Flight Commander in 1918. He remained in active service after the end of the First World War, being seconded to the Royal Tank Corps from 1920 to 1923 and serving with No 2 Armoured Car Company in the Arab rebellion in Mesopotamia in 1920 and 1921. Through the course of his military career he served in France, Egypt, Persia and Iraq.

Although he retired from the army in 1923, an illness contracted during his military service prevented him from returning to practise until 1925 when his elder brother Cedric left for Canada; but even then he had not fully recuperated, and after only six months of work he was again forced to withdraw from the profession. It was not until December 1929 that his health had recovered sufficiently for him to continue pursuing his career, and he was then taken into partnership by his father. He became sole partner when his father died in October 1933, his brother Cedric then being in Canada. Much of the practice was in England, building or altering branches for the General Accident Fire & Life Corporation.

Graham Young was very tall and of commanding appearance. He married Elsie Morgan, daughter of J Morgan, in 1932, and was admitted LRIBA on 1 May of the following year, his proposers being William Salmond, Charles Geddes Soutar and Patrick Hill Thoms. His father died on 28 October 1933, leaving him to continue the practice alone, which he did under the existing name of G P K Young & Son. He was elevated to FRIBA on 10 July 1939, proposed by Donald Alexander Stewart, Robert Matthew Mitchell and another. Young resumed his military career in 1939, taking charge of civil defence and becoming an instructor at the local Air Cadet Corps; he was Perth Company Commander of the Home Guard, 1940-45. He resumed full-time practice after the war and was President of the Dundee Institute of Architects 1953-55.

Young died on 29 November 1962 at his home in Perth. He was survived by his wife Elsie Jessie Graham Morgan whom he had married in 1932.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 242, Tay Street, Perth, Perthshire, ScotlandBusiness1929After 1950 
Item 2 of 2Union Mount, Perth, Perthshire, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1933After 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 4James Miller1909Before 1913Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4Peter Macgregor ChalmersAfter 19091913Assistant 
Item 3 of 4George Penrose Kennedy Young19131914Assistant 
Item 4 of 4G P K Young & Son1929After 1939Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 5Robert Matthew Mitchell20 July 1939for Fellowship
Item 2 of 5William Salmond1 May 1933for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 5Charles Geddes Soutar1 May 1933for Licentiateship
Item 4 of 5Donald Alexander Stewart20 July 1939for Fellowship
Item 5 of 5Patrick Hill Thoms1 May 1933for Licentiateship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Harold Carmichael Miller12 March 1946for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3James Charles Edwards Tainsh11 December 1951For Associateship
Item 3 of 3Thomas Hill Thoms4 April 1950for Fellowship

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 24After 1925Alterations and additions to business premisesTunbridge Wells KentEnglandEither in 1925, or between 1929 and 1933
Item 2 of 24After 1925House and Tea RoomsLochearnhead PerthshireScotlandEither in 1925, or between 1929 and 1933
Item 3 of 24After 1925Kinfauns Parish ChurchKinfauns PerthshireScotlandFont and lectern - either 1925 or between 1930 and 1933 (thought to be for this church but possibly for Kinfauns Old Parish Church)
Item 4 of 241931Alterations to business premises  GlasgowScotland 
Item 5 of 241931General Accident BuildingLeicester LeicestershireEngland 
Item 6 of 241932Head Office of the General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corporation LtdPerth PerthshireScotlandExtensions
Item 7 of 241932Sports pavilion and layout of grounds, Rochay LodgePerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 8 of 241934Auchraw HotelLochearnhead PerthshireScotland 
Item 9 of 241934Business premises  LiverpoolEnglandAlterations
Item 10 of 241934City and County InfirmaryPerth PerthshireScotlandNew operating theatre block and extensions to kitchen block
Item 11 of 241935Alterations to business premisesTunbridge Wells KentEngland 
Item 12 of 241936Business premisesPlymouth DevonEnglandAlterations
Item 13 of 241937Alterations to business premisesExeter DevonEngland 
Item 14 of 241937Block of office buildings, Middle RowMaidstone KentEngland 
Item 15 of 241938Alterations to business premisesSouthampton HampshireEngland 
Item 16 of 241938House for H J Fraser EsqPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 17 of 241938House for J L Fraser EsqPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 18 of 241938House for William BrownKinross Kinross-shireScotland 
Item 19 of 241946Bridge of Earn HospitalBridge of Earn PerthshireScotlandNew orthopoedic outpatients' department
Item 20 of 241946Perth Royal Infirmary, outpatients' clinicPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 21 of 241946Ten houses for Perth County CouncilAberdalgie PerthshireScotland 
Item 22 of 241955Head Office of the General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corporation LtdPerth PerthshireScotlandLarge additions to insurance office
Item 23 of 24c. 1955Housing schemeGuildtown PerthshireScotland 
Item 24 of 24c. 1955Married officers' quarters and soldiers' quarters for Territorial and Auxiliary Armed Forces  PerthshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 2 of 2Scottish Biographies1938  E J Thurston (pub.) 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 3H M Register HouseDeath Register  
Item 2 of 3National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSGPK Young newscutting file (copy of file comp. Mrs Elsie Young, Union Mount, Glasgow Rd, Perth)  
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L no4273 (combined box 5); F no3698 (box 27)