Name: | William Atkinson Railton |
Designation: | |
Born: | 20 November 1820 |
Died: | 16 September 1902 |
Bio Notes: | William Atkinson Railton was born on 20 November 1820 in the Gorbals in Glasgow, the son of John Railton, law agent and his wife Margaret Thomson. His relationship, if any, with William Railton (c.1801-77) of London is not known, and there is no record of his professional training. He would appear to have been both an architect and a civil engineer. He commenced practice in Kilmarnock in 1847, secured the commission for the cubical neo-classical sheriff court there from the Commissioners of Supply in 1852, and quickly became prominent in public life either as director or secretary of several Kilmarnock institutions. It was presumably through these connections that he superseded Black & Salmon as architect to the Union Bank, apparently in 1852 when he obtained the commission for the large bank house at Kilmarnock, and by the 1860s he had also become architect to the Clydesdale Bank for its provincial branch offices. His buildings for the Union Bank are mostly in a fairly consistent Italianate house style, usually with rusticated doorpieces and pilastered bipartite windows, although some of the later and smaller branches are Gothic. Those for the Clydesdale, which have still to be fully identified, tend to be plain Jacobean. The largest and best of these buildings were the large Union Bank palazzi at Dundee (1866) and Dumfries (1875), in a very competent Free Renaissance; but some of his other buildings, most notably the large Fever Hospital (later the Infirmary) at Kilmarnock, are Thomsonesque. His drawings tend to be on a thin yellow paper and tinted in a strong red, probably to facilitate tracing.
Railton appears to have been a significant antiquary. Quite early in his career he made record plans of Irvine Town House before it was demolished in 1860. He was of considerable assistance to MacGibbon & Ross, measuring and sketching Auchenharvie, Busbie, Clonbeith, Craigie and Stair Castles in Ayrshire; Kildonan Castle on Bute; Cathcart Castle in Renfrewshire; and Kerelaw Doocot. From at least 1858 until at least 1875 Railton acted as architect to the Scottish estates for the Trustees of the 3rd Marquess of Bute.
Railton's office was at 1 St Marnock's Place, Kilmarnock in 1868. By the 1880s his son John Joseph Railton was in the business and MacGibbon & Ross refer to the practice as 'The Messrs Railton'. William was still in practice at the age of 78 in 1898, when he was in partnership with John Joseph Railton, CE but by that date the Union Bank and the Clydesdale Bank connections had been lost to John Burnet & Son and to Baird & Thomson respectively.
Railton died on 16 September 1902 aged 81 when he was described as an architect and civil engineer. His wife Isabella had predeceased him but he was survived by one son and several daughters. |
This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): |
| Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes |
| | Caprington | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Unspecified work - perhaps only survey; date not unkown |
| | King's Arms Hotel | Girvan | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Drawings undated and unsigned |
| | Loudoun Castle | Galston | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Unspecified work - perhaps only survey; date not unkown |
| | Perth Bank | Blairgowrie | | Perthshire | Scotland | Undated survey of building (now named Union Bank after 1858 takeover), evidently for minor alterations |
| | Post Office | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Dates unknown |
| | Town Chamberlain's Office | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Dates unknown |
| | Union Bank | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | Undated survey for minor alterations |
| | Union Bank | Girvan | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Dates not known; drawings unsigned |
| | Union Bank | Innerleithen | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Undated survey for minor alterations |
| | Union Bank | Coupar Angus | | Angus | Scotland | Undated survey for minor alterations (Railton was architect to Union Bank from 1853 to c.1889) |
| | Union Bank of Scotland | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Undated survey for minor alterations to Heiton's building |
| c. 1850 | Pair of villas, 36 and 38 London Road | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Perhaps earlier? |
| 1852 | Kilmarnock Sheriff Court | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 1853 | Union Bank | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | 'Buildings of Scotland' gives dates as 'c. 1850' |
| c. 1855 | Union Bank | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Original building, and subsequent new doorpiece and alterations |
| 1856 | Cunninghame Combination Poorhouse | Irvine | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 1856 | Free church | Crookedholm | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 1856 | Skelmorlie Castle | Skelmorlie | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Alterations and additions, monogrammed 'W R Architect', including S wing |
| 1856 | Union Bank | Dalbeattie | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Original building and subsequent alterations |
| 1856 | Union Bank | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Altered to form bank from earlier building |
| 1857 | Eglinton Castle and Tournament Bridge | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Alterations and additions, including 2-storey W wing |
| 1857 | Union Bank | Tradeston | | Glasgow | Scotland | Remodelled: new rusticated ground floor, interior recast |
| 20 April 1857 | Union Bank | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | Drawings dated |
| 21 October 1857 | Union Bank | Bathgate | | West Lothian | Scotland | Additions - drawings dated but unsigned |
| 1858 | Dumfries House, Gardeners House | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Reconstruction with additional floor |
| 1858 | Town Hall | Ardrossan | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 23 July 1858 | Union Bank | Anderston | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alteration drawings dated; unsigned but draughtsmanship and paper are characteristic of Railton |
| 1859 | Union Bank | Stewarton | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Original building, and subsequent addition at rear |
| 1860s | Dumfries House | Cumnock (near) | | Ayrshire | Scotland | West wing, Turkish bath |
| 1860 | Union Bank | Dumbarton | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | Addition and new building |
| c. 1860 | Bank House | Peebles | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Complete remodelling, for Union Bank |
| 1862 | Sorn Castle | Mauchline | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Unexecuted scheme for alterations |
| 1863 | Mair's Free School | Darvel | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 17 May 1863 | Union Bank | Kirriemuir | | Angus | Scotland | Drawings for addition of telling room |
| 1864 | Ayrshire Lunatic Asylum | Ayr | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Won competition but Charles Edward received commission |
| 1864 | Dreghorn Parish Church | Dreghorn | | Ayrshiere | Scotland | Alterations including pulpit |
| 1864 | Fenwick Parish Church | Fenwick | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Bellcote added |
| 1864 | John Finnie Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Masterplanning and construction, with Robert Blackwood, Surveyor |
| 1864 | Kilmarnock Sheriff Court | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Internal alterations |
| 1864 | Union Bank | Brechin | | Angus | Scotland | New building and subsequent alterations |
| 1864 | Union Bank | Auchterarder | | Perthshire | Scotland | Original building and subsequent alterations |
| 1864 | Union Bank | Port Glasgow | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Classical remodelling of existing bank |
| 1865 | Union Bank | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Large 3-storey addition with shops |
| 1866 | Cathcart Castle | | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Proposed restoration (unexecuted) |
| 1866 | Clydesdale Bank | Denny | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | |
| 1866 | Commercial Chambers, 2, 4, 6 Panmure Street | | | Dundee | Scotland | Plans dated - original building |
| 1867 | Dumfries House, Mains Farm | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | New hayloft, barn and bothy at west range |
| 1867 | Kilmarnock Infirmary and Fever Hospital, Mount Pleasant | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Original building and subsequent enlargements |
| 1867 | Ochiltree House | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Repair and restoration |
| 1868 | Clydesdale Bank | Lochgilphead | | Argyll | Scotland | |
| 1868 | Dumfries House | Cumnock (near) | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Main block, redecoration of entrance hall and north parlour. Carried out by Campbell & Smith. |
| 1868 | Dumfries House, walled garden | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Peach house added, also perhaps balustraded terrace at this date added |
| 1868 | High Church | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Additions and alterations |
| 18 May 1868 | Union Bank | Forfar | | Angus | Scotland | Drawings dated |
| 1870 | Union Bank | Dunblane | | Perthshire | Scotland | Added telling wing to late Georgian bank house |
| 1870 | Union Bank of Scotland | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |
| 1871 | Commercial Chambers, 2, 4, 6 Panmure Street | | | Dundee | Scotland | Further work |
| 1873 | Sorn Primary School | Sorn | | Ayrshire | Scotland | S wing added |
| 1873 | Union Bank | Doune | | Perthshire | Scotland | |
| 1873 | Union Bank | Maybole | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Drawings for minor alterations dated |
| 1874 | Dumfries House, Cumnock Gate lodge and gates | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Green gives architect as Railton. |
| 1874 | Schoolhouse | Dreghorn | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 1874 | Villas, Nurseryhall Terrace, including Piersland at no 56 | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Perhaps by Railton |
| 1875 | Dreghorn Parish Church | Dreghorn | | Ayrshiere | Scotland | Alterations |
| 1875 | Union Bank | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1875 | Union Bank, Dalry | New Galloway | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1875 | Galston School, Infant Department | Galston | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1875 | Pair of villas, London Road | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | 'Possibly' (HS) |
| 1876 | Bowmore School | Bowmore | Islay | Argyll | Scotland | Dates not known |
| 1876 | Grange Place | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Layout |
| 1876 | Kilmarnock Academy | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 1876 | Mission Halls | Dalry | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 1877 | Trinity Church | Dalry | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Platform added |
| 1878 | Fergushill Church | Benslie, Kilwinning | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 1878 | Portnahaven School | Portnahaven | Islay | Argyll | Scotland | |
| 1879 | 72-84 John Finnie Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| 30 March 1879 | Union Bank | Lochgilphead | | Argyll | Scotland | Drawings for addition of telling room |
| 1880 | Peden's Buildings | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | 'Possibly' (HS) |
| 1881 | Union Bank | Stirling | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Internal alterations to Black & Salmon building |
| 1884 | Beith Parish Church | Beith | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Restoration including blind quatrefoil in gable |
| 8 February 1886 | Union Bank | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Drawings for alterations dated |
| 1889 | Kilchoman Parish Church | Kilchoman | Islay | Argyll | Scotland | Added pulpit to existing church |
| Before 1890 | Cessnock Castle | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Alterations |
| 1899 | Old High Parish Church Halls | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1975 | Galston Primary School | Galston | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |