Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Watson Ritchie
Designation:  
Born: 12 September 1901
Died: 9 June 1976
Bio Notes: James Watson Ritchie was born on 12 September 1901, the son of John Neish Ritchie, general merchant, and his wife Annie Watson. He was articled to William Liddle Duncan of Turriff in 1917. He moved to Edinburgh in 1921 to study at the Edinburgh College of Art, holding a maintenance scholarship in the year 1924-5, and during this period found employment in the offices of James Bow Dunn from 1924 to 1925 and thereafter with Richardson & McKay. He was awarded his diploma in 1926, and was admitted ARIBA on 29 November that year, his proposers being Williiam Davidson, Charles Denny Carus-Wilson, and John Begg, whose supporting statement describes Ritchie as 'an exceptionally satisfactory student'. Late that year he joined Robert Lorimer as assistant.

He moved to Bolton, Lancashire in 1929 to work as an assistant to Bradshaw Gass & Hope, returning to Edinburgh in 1933 to take up a post as assistant in H M Office of Works. Two years later he was appointed architect to the Rankin Memorial Hospital, Greenock. In 1937 he moved again to join Percy L Browne & Harding of Newcastle, but he returned to Dundee in 1940 when he was taken into partnership in the firm of Carver, Symon & Ross, which then had branch offices in Perth, Arbroath, Brechin and Montrose. He was admitted FRIBA in 1956, his proposers being Herbert Morgan Smail, Thomas Hill Thoms and Donald Ross. At that time he was working for Carver Symon & Ross and the practice had offices in Dundee, Perth, Arbroath, Brechin and Montrose.

By 1960 Ritchie was practising as Ritchie & Kinnear. This partnership continued until at least 1970. The practice subsequently became Ritchie, Rennie & Dagen.

Ritchie died at Ninewells Hospital Dundee on 9 June 1976. He was survived by his wife Winifred Mackay.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 66, Gladstone Terrace, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1926 *  
Item 2 of 6Bolton, Lancashire, ScotlandBusiness1929  
Item 3 of 69, Tay Square, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness1956 *  
Item 4 of 6Gellyhill/32, Strathern Road, West Ferry, Dundee, ScotlandPrivateBefore 19561976 
Item 5 of 61, West Bell Street, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness1960 *  
Item 6 of 67, Ward Street, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness1970 *  

* 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 12Ritchie Dagen & Allan  Partner 
Item 2 of 12Ritchie Rennie & Dagen 1976Partner 
Item 3 of 12William Liddle Duncan19171921Apprentice 
Item 4 of 12James Bow Dunn19241925Assistant 
Item 5 of 12Richardson & McKayAfter 19251926Assistant 
Item 6 of 12(Sir) Robert Stodart Lorimer1926January 1927Assistant 
Item 7 of 12Lorimer & MatthewJanuary 19271928Assistant 
Item 8 of 12Bradshaw Gass & Hope19291933Assistant 
Item 9 of 12H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)19331935Assistant 
Item 10 of 12Percy L Browne & Harding19371940Assistant 
Item 11 of 12Carver, Symon & Ross (or Ross & Partners)1940After 1955Partner 
Item 12 of 12Ritchie & Kinnear1960 * Partner 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6John Begg29 November 1926for Associateship
Item 2 of 6Charles Denny Carus-Wilson29 November 1926for Associateship
Item 3 of 6William Davidson29 November 1926for Associateship
Item 4 of 6Donald (F?) Ross10 April 1956For Fellowship
Item 5 of 6(Colonel) Herbert Morgan Smail10 April 1956For Fellowship
Item 6 of 6Thomas Hill Thoms10 April 1956For 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 241933Rankin Memorial Maternity and Children's HospitalGreenock RenfrewshireScotlandArchitect in charge
Item 2 of 24After 1945Aberarder Farm steading, Ardverikie EstateArdverikie Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 3 of 24After 1945Allanquoich FarmsteadBraemar Aberdeen-shireScotland 
Item 4 of 24After 1945Bon Accord Public House  DundeeScotland 
Item 5 of 24After 1945Dunblane Hydropathic InstitutionDunblane PerthshireScotlandReinstatement after occupation by War Office
Item 6 of 24After 1945Dundee Industrial Estate  DundeeScotlandLayout of estate and factory building blocks (blocks number 1, 11, 12, 16, and 23) - in conjunction with Wylie Shanks & Wylie)
Item 7 of 24After 1945Fire StationForfar AngusScotlandAlterations
Item 8 of 24After 1945Fire StationMontrose AngusScotland 
Item 9 of 24After 1945Gellyhill, Strathern Road  DundeeScotland 
Item 10 of 24After 1945Gourdie Mains farmsteadingWest Green DundeeScotland 
Item 11 of 24After 1945House for Mr Cardori  DundeeScotland 
Item 12 of 24After 1945House for Mr Kyle, Strathern Road  DundeeScotland 
Item 13 of 24After 1945House for Mr McLeish (or McLuskie?), Blackness Avenue  DundeeScotland 
Item 14 of 24After 1945HousingAlmondbank PerthshireScotland 
Item 15 of 24After 1945Housing, Drumachlie ParkBrechin AngusScotland 
Item 16 of 24After 1945Housing, SpringfieldBrechin AngusScotland 
Item 17 of 24After 1945Light Metal Factory  DundeeScotlandMainly responsible
Item 18 of 24After 1945Opera Public House  DundeeScotland 
Item 19 of 24After 1945Panmure Arms HotelEdzell AngusScotlandReinstatement after occupation by War Office
Item 20 of 24After 1945Shop for James Potts & Co  DundeeScotland 
Item 21 of 24After 1945Shop for James Potts & CoPerth PerthshireScotland 
Item 22 of 24After 1945West End Bar  DundeeScotland 
Item 23 of 24After 1945Westgreen Mental Asylum, staff housing  DundeeScotlandMainly responsible
Item 24 of 241946Peebles HydropathicPeebles PeeblesshireScotlandReinstatement after occupation by WO

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2RIBA1961Kalendar 1960-61   
Item 2 of 2RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   

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 A no4013 (box 5); F no5191 (combined box 62)