Thomas John Miller Reid was born Edinburgh, Scotland on 2 August 1873 and was articled to David Bryce (1893-1876) and John Bryce, junior (c.1842-1922) of D. & J. Bryce in Edinburgh, Scotland from 1889 to 1894. He also attended classes at Edinburgh School of Art, Heriot-Watt College in Edinburgh, and, from 1892, Edinburgh School of Applied Art. He worked as an assistant to David McArthy (1854-1926) and John Watson (c.1853-1924) of McArthy & Watson in Edinburgh in 1894-95; to Hew Maitland Wardrop (1856-1887) and Robert Rowand Anderson (1834-1921) of Waldrop & Anderson in Edinburgh in 1895; to Thomas Tolmie Paterson (1864-1934) in Edinburgh from 1895 to 1899; to Charles Ernest Deacon (1844-1927) in Liverpool from 1899 to 1901; and in the Architects' Department of Liverpool Corporation from 1901 to at least 1911.
Reid was elected a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (LRIBA) in 1911. He was active as an architect in Liverpool until at least the late 1930s.
His address was given as 12 Coltart Road, Liverpool in 1911 and 1914; D16, Exchange Buildings, Liverpool in 1923 and 1930; A24 Exchange Buildings, Liverpool in 1936; and A11 Queen Insurance Buildings 10 Dale Street, Liverpool in 1939. He died in Liverpool on 10 August 1959.
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