Basic Biographical Details

Name: Robert McKinlay (or MacKinlay)
Designation:  
Born: 7 April 1908
Died:  
Bio Notes: Robert McKinlay (who signed his name thus, but whose surname is sometimes given in directories as MacKinlay) was born on 7 April 1908 and served his apprenticeship in the office of Ninian McWhannell from 1923 to 1929 while attending evening classes at Glasgow High School and at Paisley Technical College. He then worked from 1929 to 1931 for Cackett, Burns Dick & MacKellar in Newcastle upon Tyne. He passed the intermediate exam there in the latter year, then transferred to the office of L J Cowes & Partners in the same city.

In 1933 he moved back to Scotland to the office of J Y Keanie Ltd, moving again in 1934 to the Dumfries practice of M Purdon Smith & Partners, and returning in 1936 to the Cowes firm in Newcastle. He passed the final exam in Edinburgh in 1941, and in the same year began war service with HM Forces. He was away on war service when he applied for Associateship of the RIBA in 1942, as witnesses a letter from his wife Elizabeth that accompanied his papers. He was admitted ARIBA on 15 December that year; he either had no proposers, or the relevant page is missing from his nomination papers. The papers state that he had gained third place in the design competition for Scunthorpe Civic Centre (presumably the Municipal Buildings), in collaboration with 'C C Spence'.

In the early 1950s he was in Northern Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe) where he was in partnership with Robert Thomson. He is not listed in directories for 1963-4, but in 1970 he was still in Zimbabwe, working in independent practice. No recent trace of him has been found, and he is assumed to have died.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 329, Drums Avenue, Craigielea, Paisley, Renfrewshire, ScotlandPrivate1942 *  
Item 2 of 3Charterhouse, The Ridgeway, Lusaka, Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia toBusiness1953 *  
Item 3 of 3PO Box 8028, Woodlands, Lusaka, Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia toBusiness1970 *  

* 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 7Macwhannell Rogerson & Reid19231929Apprentice(?) 
Item 2 of 7Cackett, Burns Dick & MacKellar19291931Assistant(?) 
Item 3 of 7L J Cowes & Partners19311933Assistant(?) 
Item 4 of 7James Y Keanie Ltd19331934  
Item 5 of 7M Purdon Smith & Partners19341936  
Item 6 of 7L J Cowes & Partners19361941  
Item 7 of 7McKinlay & Thomson1950s Partner 

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 11930sMunicipal BuildingsScunthorpe LincolnshireEnglandThird place in design competition

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2RIBA1954RIBA Kalendar 1953-54   
Item 2 of 2RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   

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 no8141 (combined box 204)