Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Lennox Beattie | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 1862 | Died: | 6 July 1932 | Bio Notes: | George Lennox Beattie was born in Edinburgh in 1862, son of George Beattie and younger brother of William Hamilton Beattie. He was educated at Edinburgh Collegiate School and Edinburgh School of Design before being articled on 8 October 1878 to William Hamilton, then working under the name of George Beattie & Son after their father's death in 1872. George Lennox concurrently attended classes at Edinburgh University and completed his apprenticeship in 1882, remaining with the firm as assistant until 1890 when he was made partner. Little is known of his travels except that he spent some time in Paris in 1889 with his brother.
George Lennox became an associate member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and was an ordained surveyor. His interests seem to have been mainly sporting in the earlier part of his career: he 'played football and was engaged in foot racing… was for ten years a rugby football referee and for some years a member of the executive committee of the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association'.
In 1893 Charles Jenner entrusted the Beatties with the rebuilding of the Princes Street department store in a mixed German and Bodleian early Renaissance. Jenner died later that year but it was reputedly through the influence of his partner and successor James Kennedy as a director of the North British Railway that they won the limited competition for the North British Station Hotel in 1895, although William Hamilton was already well known to the Directors as their valuer; the result brought an angry protest from Rowand Anderson. Following the win William Hamilton engaged Andrew Robb Scott (b.1849|50) as chief assistant to see the project through to completion. The plans, in a style markedly influenced by Burnet's competition design for the North British, were approved just before William Hamilton's death in November 1898, after which George Lennox continued the family practice, taking Andrew Robb Scott into partnership for the completion of the project and of the Carlton Hotel. By 1904 Scott's partnership with George Lennox had been broken. The Beattie practice does not seem to have undertaken any significant work thereafter, although George Lennox Beattie was elected FRIBA on 3 December 1906, his proposers being Hippolyte Jean Blanc, Alexander Hunter Crawford and Colin B Cownie, the then Secretary of the Edinburgh Architectural Association. In 1916 Beattie withdrew from the practice to his house at Lauriston. By 1926 he had closed the Edinburgh practice, latterly at 105 Hanover Street and settled at 7 Edith Grove, Chelsea. He died suddenly on 6 July 1932. His son, Montague Houghton Lennox, had died in 1924. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | New House, Aberdour, Fife, Scotland | Private | Before 1904 | After 1914 | |  | 136, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1906 * | | |  | 105, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | Before 1914 | Before 1926 | |  | 7, Edith Grove, Chelsea, London SW, England | Private | Before 1926 | After 1930 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes |  | James Taylor Thomson | 1903 | | Apprentice | |
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | Hippolyte Jean Blanc | 3 December 1906 | for Fellowship |  | Alexander Hunter Crawford | 3 December 1906 | for Fellowship |
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 |  | 1889 | Block of tenements, 176-196 Bruntsfield Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Became partner in 1890 |  | 1892 | Tenement, Dalry Road | Dalry | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1893 | Jenners Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1894 | Nenthorn House | Kelso | | Berwickshire | Scotland | 'Buildings of Scotland' say Beatties responsible |  | 1895 | Tenement, Howard Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1898 | 1-5 Glenisla Gardens | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1898 | Carlton Hotel | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1898 | Commercial Bank of Scotland, North Bridge Branch | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Northernmost section - see notes |  | 1898 | New North Bridge Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Begun by W H Beattie and Scott, completed by G L Beattie and Scott |  | 1898 | North British Railway Hotel | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Took over after the death of his brother William Hamilton Beattie |  | 1898 | Royal Insurance Offices | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | After 1898 | Hotel | Gullane | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | Before 1898 | Bonded stores, Bonnington | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | Before 1898 | Waterloo Hotel | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction as offices of railway company |  | 1900 | J & G Cox's Glue Works | Gorgie | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1902 | Jenners Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Further work, northern section of St David Street frontage and corner with Rose Street |  | 1903 | Messrs Widnell & Stewart offices and works | Bonnyrigg | | Midlothian | Scotland | |  | 1904 | Garden Colony for the North British Railway | Bainsford, Falkirk | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | |  | 1904 | House for Dr Jerdan | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1905 | Block of shops and offices for John W Blackadder, Solicitor | Grahamston Station, Falkirk | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | |  | 1905 | John Wight & Co premises | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1905 | Villa for Dr Jerdan | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | |  | Eddington, A | 1904 | Contemporary Biographies | Edinburgh and the Lothians | WT Pike and Co., Pike's New Century Series, no. 12 | p273 |  | Who's Who in Architecture | 1914 | | | | |  | Who's Who in Architecture | 1926 | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Scotsman | 29 July 1932 | | | p8 Obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Drawings Collection | | |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | F v17 p68 no1130 (microfilm reel 12) |
Images © All rights reserved. Edinburgh and the Lothians at the opening of the twentieth century / by A. Eddington. Contemporary biographies / edited by W.T. Pike |