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 Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 8Chaddleworth, Berkshire, EnglandPrivate1850s1860sFamily home
Item 2 of 815, Graham Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1871  
Item 3 of 8Golspie, Sutherland, ScotlandPrivate1881 Census records simply give 'Village of Golspie'
Item 4 of 8Duke Street, Golspie, Sutherland, ScotlandBusiness1890sc. 1906 
Item 5 of 8Wick, Caithness, ScotlandBusinessc. 1892c. 1906 
Item 6 of 8Portland Place, Nairn, Nairnshire, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)1901  
Item 7 of 818, Thurso Street, Wick, Caithness, ScotlandBusinessc. 1911  
Item 8 of 847, West Savile Terrace, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1926  

Buildings and Designs

This 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 51892Cidera Farm, wellDornoch SutherlandScotlandWell and pump
Item 2 of 51892Drill Hall at GolspieGolspie SutherlandScotland 
Item 3 of 51901VillaDornoch SutherlandScotland 
Item 4 of 51902Dunrobin StationGolspie SutherlandScotland 
Item 5 of 51905Golspie UF ChurchGolspie SutherlandScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A1996A History of Scottish Architecture   
Item 2 of 3Measurers\' Companion1911The Scottish Architects' and Measurers' Companion   
Item 3 of 3Post Office Directories     

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Scotsman18 December 1935   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Census records onlineCensuses