| Architect Details |
Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid and William Baillie, architects c.1913.
Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid was the successor of the Edinburgh practice of Leadbetter & Reid, and was formed in 1909, when Thomas Greenshields Leadbetter (born 1859) went into semi-retirement, and James McLellan Fairley (born 1860) took Robert Stirling Reid (born 1883) into partnership. Reid had been articled to Leadbetter & Fairley 1901-05 and had remained as junior draughtsman for two years, subsequently spending two years in the office of Peddie & Washington Browne until offered the partnership. In the same year he was granted a commission in the 1st Lowland Brigade Field Artillery TA, having previously served in the Queen's Mounted Infantry, from which time onwards he was usually known as 'Gunner' Reid. He saw much service abroad in the First World War, commanding the 310th City of Edinburgh Battery, 78th Lowland Brigade, and reaching the rank of Colonel. According to Dr J S Richardson's obituary he was quite remarkably sociable. Over the next thirty-five years the practice provided a number of new houses and alterations and additions to many large properties in Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Borders. After the Great War they also engaged in improvement work on several commercial and leisure-related buildings, and in the 1920s began to take on industrial and hospital work. At some point during the 1930s Morton John Heddell Cowie (born 1905) joined the practice. Cowie was involved in a part-time partnership with David Gardiner Hardie (born 1896) between 1935 and 1940, and from 1939 the two carried out the design and construction of air raid shelters across Edinburgh, Hardie patenting his own shelter design in the following year. Cowie's involvement in this sphere led to Leadbetter, Fairley and Reid also providing plans, section and elevations for air raid shelters across the capital. Fairley retired in 1938 and died on 18 May 1942 at Mount Pleasant, Inverugie, Peterhead; Reid in 1947. Cowie, who had returned to the practice after service in the war, moved office in the summer of 1948 to 53 Manor Place where he continued a successful independent practice under his own name.
James McLellan Fairley was born in 1860, the son of Alexander Fairley, a captain in the US Army and his wife Mary Christian Young. He was apprenticed to Hippolyte Jean Blanc in 1875. Thereafter he spent five years working in the offices of Wardrop & Reid, Archibald Macpherson, Walter Wood Robertson of the Office of Works and Arthur George Sydney Mitchell, before founding his own practice. He passed the qualifying exam in 1886 and was admitted ARIBA on 21 June of that year, his proposers including Arthur Cates, George Washington Browne, John Kinross and Thomas Greenshields Leadbetter, all members of the Edinburgh Architectural Association. In 1895, Fairley was taken into partnership by Leadbetter, having probably worked in his office for some time prior. Following Leadbetter's semi-retirement in 1909 Fairley took into partnership Robert Stirling Reid, who had been born in 1883 and apprenticed to Leadbetter & Fairley 1901-05 before spending some years in the offices of John More Dick Peddie and George Washington Browne until offered the partnership. Outwith his professional life, Fairley was a keen angler and was especially fond of the Rivert Ugie. He was a member of the Cobbinshaw Association. Fairley retired in 1938 and died on 18 May 1942 at Mount Pleasant, Inverugie, Peterhead leaving moveable estate of £5,047 8s 4d. He never married. He had two half sisters, Mary Isabel Young and Marjory Ruth Young, presumably from his mother's first marriage.
Robert Stirling Reid was born on 12 March 1883, the son of Robert Carstairs Reid CE of J & A Leslie and Reid, Edinburgh. His mother was a daughter of James Leslie who had founded the practice. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy from 1893 to 1901, and was articled to Leadbetter & Fairley in the latter year, studying at the Edinburgh School of Applied Art. After completing his apprenticeship he remained as a junior draughtsman until 1907 when he moved to the office of Peddie & Washington Browne, but he returned to his former employers in 1909 as a partner following Leadbetter's semi-retirement, the practice thereafter being known as Leadbetter, Fairley & Reid. In the same year (1909) Reid was granted a commission in the 1st Lowland Brigade Field Artillery TA, having previously served in the Queen's Mounted Infantry, from which time onwards he was usually known as 'Gunner' Reid. He saw much service abroad in the First World War, commanding the 310th City of Edinburgh Battery, 78th Lowland Brigade, and reaching the rank of Colonel. In the Second World War he raised the Fifth Leith Company of the Home Guard, and was promoted to be Lieutenant-Colonel, second in command of the Edinburgh zone. According to Dr J S Richardson's obituary he was quite remarkably sociable. Reid did not seek membership of the RIBA until the relatively late age of 47, being admitted LRIBA in early 1931, his proposers being John Begg, James Alexander Arnott and Ernest Arthur Oliphant Auldjo Jamieson. By that time he had succeeded Begg to the presidency of the Edinburgh Architectural Association, and was a Fellow of the RIAS. He was soon elevated to FRIBA, being elected by the RIBA Council in mid-March 1931. Reid was President of the Edinburgh Archiectural Association and architect to the Edinburgh Academy and Loretto School. He was also an Assistant Master of the Merchant Company. He died on 16 October 1947.
William Baillie was born in 1875, probably near Crieff, the son of John Baillie, farmer and his wife, Janet Young. He was articled to George T Ewing of Crieff from 1891 to 1895, where he gained experience in designing villas, cottages, business premises, public buildings and estate work. After completing his apprenticeship he spent seven years in the Architectural Department of Formans & McCall, civil engineers at 160 Hope Street, Glasgow, assisting during the construction of buildings for the West Highland Railway and Glasgow Central Railway, and for the latter five years being in charge of all architectural work for the firm and managing contracts with a total value of £120,000. In 1902 he commenced independent practice at 223 Hope Street. He was admitted LRIBA in 1912, proposed by John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects. He went on to serve as Vice-President of the Institute later in his career. Amongst his pupils was his son Ian Baillie (born 1906) who served his articles with him from 1923 to 1928. He became a partner from about 1938, the practice name becoming William Baillie & Son. William Baillie married twice, first Jeannie Smith and secondly Margaret___ (illegible). He died of cirrhosis of the liver at 7 Greenbank Avenue, Whitecraigs on 12 December 1951.
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Historic Environment Records (HER)