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Basic Biographical Details
| Name: | Edward Blore |
| Designation: | Architect |
| Born: | 1787 |
| Died: | 4 September 1879 |
| Bio Notes: | Edward Blore was born in Stamford in 1787, the eldest son of Thomas Blore, a lawyer who was also a prominent antiquary. He began his career as an artist with the illustrations for his father's 'History of Rutland' published in 1811. This resulted in commissions for other topographical volumes and from John Britton for drawings for both 'The Cathedral Antiquities' and 'The Architectural Antiquities'. In Scotland he was engaged by Sir John Hall to illustrate his 'Essay on the Origins, History and Principles of Gothic Architecture', published in 1813. In 1816 he was illustrated to Sir Walter Scott as illustrator and manager of 'The Provincial Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of Scotland', published in 1819-22. In parallel he provided Scott and his architect William Atkinson with details 'in the old fashioned Scotch stile' for Abbotsford, and it is not improbable that the knowledge of English gothic detail he had acquired while working for Britton was extensively applied to its neo-Tudor interior work as well. Blore never served any formal articles and probably learned the business of building from Atkinson and the Smiths of Darnick. The building of Abbotsford also drew Scott's neighbours, the Heitons of Darnick, into architecture: William Heiton joined Blore, while Andrew presumably joined Atkinson, as he was based at Inchture on the Rossie estate when his son Andrew Heiton II was born in 1823. In 1824-27 Blore built Corehouse, Lanarkshire, for Scott's friend George Cranstoun, Lord Corehouse, and in 1825-26 he and Burn jointly reconstructed Freeland, Perthshire for Lord Ruthven. Although their relationship seems to have gone sour, the pioneer Cotswold Tudor of Corehouse formed the starting point for Burn's smaller-scaled cottage houses beginning with the similarly-styled Snaigow designed in 1824. A common interest in collecting brought Sir Samuel Meyrick into Scott's circle and resulted in the commission for Goodrich Court, Herefordshire where William Heiton was in charge from 1829 until his death in 1833. A third Heiton brother, Francis, was put in charge of the building of Blore's Alupka Palace in the Crimea in 1832, and died there in or before June of the following year. Although never attached to the Office of Works, Blore was engaged to complete Buckingham Palace in 1832 and was consulting architect on the Glasgow Cathedral works of 1846 to 1849 which were carried out by William Nixon and Robert Matheson. In parallel Blore was consulted on John Baird's scheme for the proposed college of the University of Glasgow at Woodlands Hill in 1846 and at the suggestion of the Treasury he provided revised elevations to cut costs in 1849, the year of his retirement from practice. A knighthood was offered at that time but declined. Blore died at his house in Manchester Square, London, on 4 September 1879. |
Private and Business Addresses
| The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | |||||
| Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | |
 | 62, Welbeck Street, London, England | Business | |||
| Manchester Square, London, England | Private | 1878 | ||
Employment and Training
Employees or Pupils
| The following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details): | |||||
| Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | |
| William Mason | c. 1825(?) | c. 1830(?) | Apprentice | |
| Philip Charles Hardwick | c. 1838 | 1843 | Apprentice | |
Buildings and Designs
| This architect 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 | |
| Mounteviot | Roxburgh | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Date not known. | ||
| 1816 | Abbotsford | Melrose | Roxburghshire | Scotland | First phase - adapted designs of William Atkinson | |
| 1821 | Abbotsford | Melrose | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Second phase - drawing room, library, study, great hall, and clearance of original farmhouse | |
| 1824 | Corehouse | Lesmahagow | Lanarkshire | Scotland | ||
| 1825 | Freeland House | Perthshire | Scotland | Radical reconstruction of existing house, apparently largely designed by Blore and executed by Burn | ||
| 1830 | Monteviot House | Roxburghshire | Scotland | |||
| c. 1830 | Kirklands | Ancrum | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Original house | |
| After 1832 | Hundalee | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Rebuilding - plans prepared by 'Mr Tomes', clerk to Blore | ||
| 1837 | Harlaxton Manor | Lincolnshire | England | Acted as consultant | ||
| 1837 | McLean Museum and Watt Institution | Greenock | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Library | |
| 1843 | Crackaig Farmhouse | Loth | Sutherland | Scotland | Alterations | |
| 1848 | Glasgow Cathedral | Glasgow | Scotland | West front (including tracery added to original west window), embellishment of transept windows, Parapets around crypt descents | ||
| 1849 | University of Glasgow, proposed new college at Woodlands | Woodlands | Glasgow | Scotland | Commissioned by the Treasury to draw up for plans for less costly elevations following rejection of J Baird I's; fees to be met by the railway company; abandoned when railway company client withdrew | |
References
Bibliographic References
| The following books contain references to this architect: | ||||||
| Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | |
| Brett, C E B | Towers of Crim Tartary: English and Scottish Architects in the Crimea, 1762-1853 | ||||
| Colvin, H M | 1995 | A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 | 3rd edition | New Haven and London: Yale University Press | |
| DNB | Dictionary of National Biography | ||||
| Grove Dictionary of Art | Grove Dictionary of Art | ||||
| Lowe, Rosalind | Sir Samuel Meyrick and Goodrich Court | ||||
| Walker, Frank Arneil | 1986 | South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew | p130 | ||
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