Basic Biographical Details

Name: Thomas Blair Moncrieff Wightman
Designation:  
Born: c. 1883
Died:  
Bio Notes: Thomas Blair Moncrieff Wightman was born c.1883, and is presumably the Thomas Wightman listed as son of architect Robert A Wightman and his wife Jeanie in the census of 1901. He was articled to Thomson & Sandilands in Glasgow from 1900, attending classes at the Royal Technical College under Professor Charles Gourlay, and after 1904, the Glasgow School of Architecture under Eugène Bourdon. He remained with Thomson & Sandilands until 1907 when he moved to York as assistant to Walter Henry Brierley. During his two years in Brierley's office he made a one-month sketching tour in England in 1907 and a two-month tour in Holland and Germany in 1908.

In 1909 he emigrated, making a voyage via the Mediterranean to Australia. There he worked for two years as assistant to Atkinson & McLay of Brisbane and subsequently as architect in charge to the A M E Company for a £200,000 contract. He was in charge of the architecture and building construction classes at the Central Technical College, Brisbane and Ipswich, from 1910 to 1916, and commenced independent architectural practice in Brisbane in 1914, passing the qualifying exam there in the following year. He was admitted ARIBA in 1917, his proposers being John Thomson, William Brown Whitie and John Watson, all of Glasgow.

Wightman was an honorary examiner for the Royal Sanitary Institute for Queensland from 1915, and later for the RIBA. He was President of the Queensland Institute of Architects in 1924 and was still practising in Brisbane when he was admitted FRIBA on 20 June 1927. His proposers this time were Australian: Arnold Edwin Brooks and Alfred Herbert Foster of Brisbane, and R E Shipton, chief engineer on Queensland railways. His nomination papers state that he had published various papers in 'Building' magazine and in the 'Architectural and Builders Journal of Queensland'.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Telegraph Chambers, Queen Street, Brisbane, AustraliaBusiness1926 *  
Item 2 of 2Taringa, Queensland, AustraliaPrivate1926 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

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 4Thomson & Sandilands1900c. 1905Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4Thomson & Sandilandsc. 19051907Assistant(?)Possibly still an apprentice but seems more likely that he became an assistant by c.1905
Item 3 of 4Walter Henry Brierley19071909Assistant 
Item 4 of 4Atkinson & McLay19091911Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6Arnold Edwin Brooks20 June 1927for Fellowship
Item 2 of 6Alfred Herbert Foster20 June 1927for Fellowship
Item 3 of 6R E Shipton20 June 1927for Fellowship
Item 4 of 6John Thomson1917for Associateship
Item 5 of 6John Watson1917for Associateship
Item 6 of 6William Brown Whitie1917for Associateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Scotland Census 19011901   Presumably the same as the Thomas Wightman listed as son of architect Robert A Wightman and his wife Jeanie

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no2630 (microfilm reel 22); F no2501 (box 7)