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 AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 85, High Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland | Business | 1922 | 1923 | | | Tower Buildings, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland | Business | 1923 | 1926 | | | 95, Irish Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland | Business | c. 1926 | c. 1938 | | | 33, Castle Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland | Business | 1938 | 1954 | | | 31, Castle Street, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland | Business | 1954 | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | 1932 | Carruthers Cottages | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1934 | Burns House | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | After 1936 | Block of Flats | Dumfries | | Dumnfriesshire | Scotland | | | After 1936 | Grain warehouse | Stranraer | | Wigtownshire | Scotland | | | 1938 | Rammerscales House | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Rear service rooms altered | | After 1938 | The Grove | Shawhead | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Conversion to Auxiliary Hsopital for Directors of Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary. | | 1953 | Lincluden Parish Church | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1955 | Police Station | Stranraer | | Wigtownshire | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | H M Register House | Death Register | | |
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