Basic Biographical Details Name: | Laurie Bisset | Designation: | | Born: | 1853 | Died: | Late 1920s | Bio Notes: | Laurie Bisset was born about 1853 in Chaddleworth, Berkshire, the second of the six sons of George Bisset, gardener, and his wife Alison who were both Scottish by birth. George Bisset was described as 'gentleman's gardener' in 1861 and the family lived in a cottage of the Chaddleworth estate. After the death of George Bisset in the 1860s, his wife and three of his sons moved back to Scotland and in 1871 were living in Edinburgh. Laurie Bisset is descibed at this date as an ' architectural draughtsman'.
By 1881 Laurie Bisset had moved to Golspie, Sutherland with his mother and brother Arthur where he was a 'draughtsman' while his brother was a 'commercial traveller'. The practice in which Bisset worked in Golspie was very probably that of William Fowler. Fowler had a busy practice and was appointed architect to the Sutherland estates in 1857. Fowler retired in the 1880s and Bisset took his place as the Duke of Sutherland's architect.
In the 1901 Census Bisset is recorded as working as a clerk of works in Nairn, although his wife and two daughters remained living in Duke Street, Golspie. His position as architect to the Sutherland estate was taken over by David Edmund Attree Horne in 1903. By 1911 Bisset had opened an office in Wick. He moved back to Edinburgh and died there in the late 1920s. His widow Esther Mary Sinclair died in Edinburgh in 1935. The couple had two daughters. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Chaddleworth, Berkshire, England | Private | 1850s | 1860s | Family home | | 15, Graham Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1871 | | | | Golspie, Sutherland, Scotland | Private | 1881 | | Census records simply give 'Village of Golspie' | | Duke Street, Golspie, Sutherland, Scotland | Business | 1890s | c. 1906 | | | Wick, Caithness, Scotland | Business | c. 1892 | c. 1906 | | | Portland Place, Nairn, Nairnshire, Scotland | Private/business(?) | 1901 | | | | 18, Thurso Street, Wick, Caithness, Scotland | Business | c. 1911 | | | | 47, West Savile Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | Before 1926 | | |
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 | | 1892 | Cidera Farm, well | Dornoch | | Sutherland | Scotland | Well and pump | | 1892 | Drill Hall at Golspie | Golspie | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1901 | Villa | Dornoch | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1902 | Dunrobin Station | Golspie | | Sutherland | Scotland | | | 1905 | Golspie UF Church | Golspie | | Sutherland | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A | 1996 | A History of Scottish Architecture | | | | | Measurers\' Companion | 1911 | The Scottish Architects' and Measurers' Companion | | | | | Post Office Directories | | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Scotsman | 18 December 1935 | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Census records online | Censuses | | |
|