© All rights reserved. Edinburgh and the Lothians at the opening of the twentieth century / by A. Eddington. Contemporary biographies / edited by W.T. Pike 

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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 Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect:
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 4New House, Aberdour, Fife, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1904After 1914 
Item 2 of 4136, George Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1906 *  
Item 3 of 4105, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1914Before 1926 
Item 4 of 47, Edith Grove, Chelsea, London SW, EnglandPrivateBefore 1926After 1930 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 4George Beattie & Son18781882(?)Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4George Beattie & Son1882(?)1890Assistant 
Item 3 of 4George Beattie & Son18901926Partner 
Item 4 of 4Francis George Fielden Hooper1898 Partner 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 1James Taylor Thomson1903 Apprentice 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 2Hippolyte Jean Blanc3 December 1906for Fellowship
Item 2 of 2Alexander Hunter Crawford3 December 1906for Fellowship

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 startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 221889Block of tenements, 176-196 Bruntsfield Place  EdinburghScotlandBecame partner in 1890
Item 2 of 221892Tenement, Dalry RoadDalry EdinburghScotland 
Item 3 of 221893Jenners Buildings  EdinburghScotland 
Item 4 of 221894Nenthorn HouseKelso BerwickshireScotland'Buildings of Scotland' say Beatties responsible
Item 5 of 221895Tenement, Howard Street  EdinburghScotland 
Item 6 of 2218981-5 Glenisla Gardens  EdinburghScotland 
Item 7 of 221898Carlton Hotel  EdinburghScotland 
Item 8 of 221898Commercial Bank of Scotland, North Bridge Branch  EdinburghScotlandNorthernmost section - see notes
Item 9 of 221898New North Bridge Buildings  EdinburghScotlandBegun by W H Beattie and Scott, completed by G L Beattie and Scott
Item 10 of 221898North British Railway Hotel  EdinburghScotlandTook over after the death of his brother William Hamilton Beattie
Item 11 of 221898Royal Insurance Offices  EdinburghScotland 
Item 12 of 22After 1898HotelGullane East LothianScotland 
Item 13 of 22Before 1898Bonded stores, BonningtonLeith EdinburghScotland 
Item 14 of 22Before 1898Waterloo Hotel  EdinburghScotlandReconstruction as offices of railway company
Item 15 of 221900J & G Cox's Glue WorksGorgie EdinburghScotland 
Item 16 of 221902Jenners Buildings  EdinburghScotlandFurther work, northern section of St David Street frontage and corner with Rose Street
Item 17 of 221903Messrs Widnell & Stewart offices and worksBonnyrigg MidlothianScotland 
Item 18 of 221904Garden Colony for the North British RailwayBainsford, Falkirk StirlingshireScotland 
Item 19 of 221904House for Dr JerdanColinton EdinburghScotland 
Item 20 of 221905Block of shops and offices for John W Blackadder, SolicitorGrahamston Station, Falkirk StirlingshireScotland 
Item 21 of 221905John Wight & Co premises  EdinburghScotland 
Item 22 of 221905Villa for Dr JerdanColinton EdinburghScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architect:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4British Architectural Library, RIBA2001Directory of British Architects 1834-1914   
Item 2 of 4Eddington, A1904Contemporary BiographiesEdinburgh and the LothiansWT Pike and Co., Pike's New Century Series, no. 12p273
Item 3 of 4Who's Who in Architecture1914    
Item 4 of 4Who's Who in Architecture1926    

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architect:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Scotsman29 July 1932  p8 Obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architect:
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Drawings Collection  
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA 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 

© All rights reserved. Edinburgh and the Lothians at the opening of the twentieth century / by A. Eddington. Contemporary biographies / edited by W.T. Pike