Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Anderson Benzie
Designation:  
Born: 19 February 1881
Died: 6 February 1930
Bio Notes: James Anderson Benzie was born in Glasgow on 19 February 1881, the fourth child and first son of William Benzie, builder and his first wife Catherine Auld. He was educated at Glasgow Academy and articled in Glasgow, taking Anderson and McGibbon's classes at Glasgow School of Art and Gourlay's at Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College. It is not known when he emigrated but by 1910 he was an assistant with A A Cox in Vancouver and while in that office he married Ethel Holt Woodburn in 1911. In 1915 he left Cox to become the local inspector of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces munitions, and in the following year he commenced independent practice, initially mainly on hospital work.

In 1923 Benzie took William Bow into partnership: Bow had been in the office of John Burnet & son 1898-1913 and had been a fellow student at Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College. The partnership was extremely successful, specialising in large arts and crafts houses for the wealthy golfing set of which Benzie was a prominent member.

Benzie died after a brief illness on 6 February 1930. His widow and daughter than moved to England.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 1Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaBusinessBefore 1910  

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 2A A CoxBefore 1911 Assistant 
Item 2 of 2Benzie & Bow1923 Partner 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Luxton, Donald (ed.)2003Building the West: the early architects of British Columbia Vancouver: Talon Books