Basic Biographical Details

Name: Matthew Purdon Smith
Designation:  
Born: 1893 or 1894
Died: 11 July 1955
Bio Notes: Matthew Purdon Smith was born in 1893 or 1894, the son of James Duncan Smith, farmer, and his wife Janet Russell Purdon. He commenced practice at Lockerbie in 1922 but moved to Dumfries in 1926. His business consisted mainly of relatively small domestic commercial and estate farm building projects, but he had a few major clients, notably the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, the Caledonian Bus Company and the Edinburgh and Dumfriesshire Dairy Company.

In 1946 Purdon Smith took over the once much larger Dumfries practice of Barbour & Bowie but continued to practice in his own name from the same address at 33 Castle Street. In the post-war years he carried out housing schemes at Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Lockerbie.

In 1953 Purdon Smith took John Sutherland and James Ferguson into partnership, but he died aged 61 on 11 July 1955. He was survived by his wife Mary Grace Macmillan. His surviving partners in business then moved next door to 31 Castle Street, the title now being M Purdon Smith & Partners. Ferguson withdrew from the partnership in 1957, and when William Dickie was taken into partnership, the practice became Sutherland & Dickie. In 1963 Ian Smith and John Copland were also taken into partnership, the practice title changing to Sutherland Dickie & Partners. Smith left in 1973 and was replaced in 1975 by Adam Skinner, the practice title then becoming Sutherland Dickie & Copland.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 585, High Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, ScotlandBusiness19221923 
Item 2 of 5Tower Buildings, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, ScotlandBusiness19231926 
Item 3 of 595, Irish Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, ScotlandBusinessc. 1926c. 1938 
Item 4 of 533, Castle Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, ScotlandBusiness19381954 
Item 5 of 531, Castle Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, ScotlandBusiness1954  

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 8Robert McNab (or Robert Macnab)19231925Assistant 
Item 2 of 8Henry Edwin Scott1935 or 1936   
Item 3 of 8Lawrence Wren1936 Chief Assistant 
Item 4 of 8Richard Alan Webberc. February 1939c. August 1939Assistant 
Item 5 of 8James Ferguson 19511953Chief Assistant 
Item 6 of 8John Sutherland1953 Partner 
Item 7 of 8James Ferguson 19531957Partner 
Item 8 of 8John Alexander Copland1963 Partner 

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 81932Carruthers CottagesDumfries DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 2 of 81934Burns HouseDumfries DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 3 of 8After 1936Block of FlatsDumfries DumnfriesshireScotland 
Item 4 of 8After 1936Grain warehouseStranraer WigtownshireScotland 
Item 5 of 81938Rammerscales House  DumfriesshireScotlandRear service rooms altered
Item 6 of 8After 1938The GroveShawhead DumfriesshireScotlandConversion to Auxiliary Hsopital for Directors of Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.
Item 7 of 81953Lincluden Parish ChurchDumfries DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 8 of 81955Police StationStranraer WigtownshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA1939The 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 1H M Register HouseDeath Register