John Turnbull Maclaren was born in Monifieth, Angus, Scotland on 19 April 1863 and was articled his father, James Maclaren (c.1828-1893) and his brother, George Gordon Maclaren (1856-1899) of J. Maclaren & Son in Dundee. After completing his articles he went to the United States where he gained experience working in the office of an architectural firm in Boston, Massachusetts. Following the death of his father in 1893 he returned to Dundee and joined his brother as a partner in the practice which was renamed J. Maclaren & Sons. The practice had an office at 10 Reform Street, Dundee.
After the death of G. G. Maclaren in 1899, John Turnbull Maclaren continued the business alone until 1908 when he took Charles Geddes Soutar (1878-1952) into partnership as Maclaren, Sons & Soutar. In 1920 the practice merged with J & F Salmond, a firm of civil engineers, land surveyors and architects and was renamed Maclaren Soutar Salmond. Maclaren retired in 1921, however, the firm continued with the name unchanged until 1972.
MacLaren was President of the Dundee Institute of Architects in 1909. He died in Barnhill, Dundee, Scotland on 20 March 1948.
See: Dictionary of Scottish Architects 1660-1980 [link below]; and Maclaren Sons & Soutar
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
'Obituary'. The Builder 2 April 1948 p. 399