Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Ritchie
Designation:  
Born: 7 January 1906
Died:  
Bio Notes: James Ritchie was born in Edinburgh on 7 January 1906. He was articled to Henry & McLennan from 1920-24 and attended morning and evening classes at Edinburgh College of Art from 1920-25 and evening classes in building science at Heriot Watt from 1921-24. (His birth date may be a mis-reading from Nomination Papers as he would have been very young to start his apprenticeship and study at Edinburgh College of Art). He was awarded class prizes at the College of Art in 1922, 1923 and 1924 and was awarded 1st prize in a competition run by the Edinburgh Architectural Association in 1923.

From 1925-29 he had a post as architectural assistant with Jamieson & Arnott. In 1930 he moved to Stoke on Trent where he worked again as an architectural assistant with the Education Committee of the Town Council and from 1934-42 in the City Architect's Department in Stoke.

During the Second World War Ritchie served with the Engineering Department of the Royal Ordnance at the factory in Swynnerton from 1942-45. He returned to Stoke and spent the year between 1945 and 1946 in the Housing Section of the City Architects Department. He was responsible there for the administration work for 412 houses on two sites during the absence of the architect in charge of housing.

He was elected LRIBA on 6 May 1947, proposed by J R Piggott, Clifton Edwards and E T Watkinson. From 1947 he had a permanent colonial appointment as architectural assistant with the Public Works Department in Belize, British Honduras, Central America. He was in charge of the drawing office, training junior staff and preparing plans for government and municipal buildings, bungalows and houses.
He remained in Belize until at least 1966.

He does not appear in RIBA directories after 1960.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 33, Duke Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, EnglandPrivatec. 1946  
Item 2 of 3City Architects' Department, Kingsway, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ScotlandPrivate1947  
Item 3 of 3BelizePrivate/business1947After 1966 

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 5Henry & Maclennan1920(?)1924Apprentice 
Item 2 of 5Auldjo Jamieson & Arnott19251929Assistant 
Item 3 of 5Education Committee, Stoke on Trent19301934Assistant 
Item 4 of 5City of Stoke-on-Trent Corporation Architect's Department19341942Assistant 
Item 5 of 5City of Stoke-on-Trent Corporation Architect's Department19451946AssistantIn Housing Sewction

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Clifton Edwards6 May 1947For Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3J __R___Piggott6 May 1947For Licentiateship
Item 3 of 3E T Watkinson6 May 1947For Licentiateship

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Belize Weekly Newsletter31 January 1966   
Item 2 of 2Government Gazette, British Honduras21 January 1950   

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 L no 6104 (Combined Box 119)