Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Architect, of Dublin. According to the 1911 census, James Bramwell Smith was born in England in 1884 or 1885, the only son among the eight surviving children of James Bramwell Smith, the elder, a builder and contractor in Liverpool at the time of the 1881 English census, and his wife, Mary Roper Smith. Some time between 1895 and 1906 the whole family moved to Dublin, where James Bramwell Smith, the younger, who is described as 'Architects Assistant' in the 1911 census, worked in the office of KAYE-PARRY & KAYE-PARRY & amp; ROSS before becoming 'confidential assistant' to CHARLES HERBERT ASHWORTH  CHARLES HERBERT ASHWORTH in about 1916.(1) Ashworth was architect to the Dublin Artisans' Dwelling Company and also ran an extensive private practice from the company's offices in South William Street. In the spring of 1925, having been in poor health for some time, he took Smith into partnership.(2) When Ashworth died the following January, the company appointed Smith as its architect at a salary of £350 per annum, which was increased to £400 in 1934 and £450 in March 1938.(3) Smith's work consisted mainly of the maintenance and improvement of the company's existing housing, but he was responsible for three new schemes: fifty-three houses at Montpelier Gardens (1929), twenty at Rialto Park (1932) and ten at Haliday Road (1932). He was paid special bonuses for these schemes: 200 guineas for the first, and 175 guineas for the other two together.(4) He remained in the post until his death in 1961. He also carried on the private practice of ASHWORTH & ASHWORTH & amp; SMITH. SMITH.

The Irish Architectural Archive holds the records of the Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Company (Acc.79/26) and photographs of all the company's architectural drawings, which were destroyed at some stage (Acc.90/35). These include some drawings by Smith.

RIAI: elected member, 1920.(5)

Addresses: Work: 12 & 13 South William Street, circa 1916 until death.
Home: 93 Clonliffe Road, <=1906->=1911;  Southview, Raheny, 1921-1924.(6)

See WORKS (for Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co. schemes); see also works of ASHWORTH & ASHWORTH & amp; SMITH. SMITH.




References

All information in this entry not otherwise attributed is from the brief obituary of Smith in RIAI Year Book (1962), 42.

(1) IB 67, 18 Apr 1925, 297.
(2) See note 1, above.
(3) Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co. Employment Register in IAA, Acc.79/26.5/1.
(4) See note 3, above.
(5) JRIAI (1921), 2.
(6) RIAI lists of members.


4 work entries listed in chronological order for SMITH, JAMES BRAMWELL


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Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, WARREN STREET (PORTOBELLO), NO. 043 (DUBLIN ARTISANS' DWELLINGS CO.)
Date: 1928
Nature: Rebuilding of gable wall, for Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co..
Refs: IAA, Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co. Collection, Acc. 79/26; Photograph of signed plans, dated 8 Nov 1928, from DADCo. photograph collection, IAA, Acc. 90/35 (prints in Reading Room Box Files, sub Portobello)

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, INFIRMARY ROAD, MONTPELIER GARDENS, HOUSES (053) (DUBLIN ARTISANS' DWELLINGS CO.)
Date: 1929
Nature: New housing scheme of 53 houses for Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co. Contractor: G. & T. Crampton. DADCO had originally built scheme of 185 dwellings on Infirmary Road, laid out by the corntractor, J. Beckett & Sons, in 1885-86.)
Refs: IAA, Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co. Collection, Acc. 79/26;  photographs of signed plans, elevations, sections of houses and block plan, dated 29 Apr 1929, from DADCo. photograph collection, IAA, Acc. 90/35 (copy in IAA Reading Room Box Files, sub Infirmary Rd);  Ruth McManus, Crampton Built (Dublin: G. & T. Crampton, 2008), 81(illus.),82.


Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, HALLIDAY ROAD, HOUSES (010) (DUBLIN ARTISANS' DWELLINGS CO.)
Date: 1932
Nature: New housing scheme for Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co. Plans approved by City Architect, Nov 1932. .Contractor: G. & T. Crampton.
Refs: IAA, Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co. Collection, Acc. 79/26;  photographs of signed plans, elevations, sections of houses and block plan, dated 30 Sep 1932, from DADCo. photograph collection, IAA, Acc. 90/35 (copy in IAA Reading Room Box Files, sub Manor Place);  Irish Times, 10 Nov 1932;  Ruth McManus, Crampton Built (Dublin: G. & T. Crampton, 2008), 105.


Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, RIALTO PARK, HOUSES (030) (DUBLIN ARTISANS' DWELLINGS CO.)
Date: 1932-33
Nature: New housing scheme of 20 dwellings on Canal Bank for Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co. Plans approved by City Architect, Feb 1933. Contractor: G. & T. Crampton. (McManus says 20 houses, not 30.)
Refs: IAA, Dublin Artisans' Dwellings Co. Collection, Acc. 79/26;  photographs of signed plans, elevations, sections of houses and block plan, dated 10 Nov 1932, from DADCo. photograph collection, IAA, Acc. 90/35 (copy in IAA Reading Room Box Files, sub Rialto);  Irish Times, 22 Feb 1933;    Ruth McManus, Crampton Built (Dublin: G. & T. Crampton, 2008), 105.