Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page.
Name: | Donald Bruce |
Designation: | Architect |
Born: | 1834 |
Died: | 20 February 1919 |
Bio Notes: | Donald Bruce was born in Caithness in 1834, son of Alexander Bruce, farmer, and his wife Catherine Andrew, and was educated at Wick Academy and the Watt Institute, Edinburgh. In 1863 he was articled to William Spence in Glasgow. He studied at Glasgow School of Art and remained with Spence as assistant and latterly principal assistant, working mainly on commercial buildings and country houses. While with Spence he appears to have commenced a small private practice, designing Reformed Presbyterian churches at Penpont and Loanhead in 1875. In 1880 he formed a partnership with Edward Alexander Buckingham Hay. Born in 1855, Hay was twenty-one years younger and had been both articled pupil and assistant in John McLeod's office.
In 1881 Bruce was appointed surveyor to the Town Council of Kinning Park, designing the municipal buildings in that year, but the appointment terminated with Kinning Park's independent existence in 1905.
Although Bruce made extensive study tours in England, Ireland and France throughout his career, Bruce & Hay worked mainly in a rather dry and mechanical free classic manner with incised column details which appear to be of French origin. Their Netherlandish designs were rather more successful. The practice had a considerable number of competition wins, notably the asylum at Hartwood which was not built at that time (1886); the Scottish Wholesale Co-operative Buildings in Morrison Street, Glasgow, which were completely unparalleled among commercial buildings in terms of size and degree of elaboration in their time; and the United Cooperative Baking Society's buildings, also in Glasgow. The two last resulted in the SCWS and its subsidiaries becoming a particularly loyal client. They were also successful in two Glasgow School Board competitions and another for the Bothwell board which resulted in their becoming architects to that board for thirty years from 1884. Bruce also executed schools for both Glasgow and Govan School Boards, as well as churches and schools for the Archdiocese of Glasgow.
Bruce and Hay were both admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, proposed by John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects. By then Bruce was living at Clydemount, Barrhill Road, Gourock, where he died of hypertrophy of the prostate on 20 February 1919. He left moveable estate of £13,531 3s 2d. |
The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: |
| Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |
 | 261, West George Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1880 | 1920 | |
 | 30, Queen's Crescent, Cathcart, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1891 * | | |
 | Clydemount House, Barrhill Road, Gourock, Renfrewshire, Scotland | Private | Before 1901 | 1919 | |
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 |
 | | Cadogan Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1866 | Stewart & McDonald's Warehouse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Original north section - may have been involved, as apprentice to William Spence |
 | 1867 | Fraser & McLaren's warehouse, rear building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | As assistant to William Spence |
 | 1873 | Scottish Wholesale Co-operative Society Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Additions - 6 bays to Paisley Road and 7 bays to Morrison Street |
 | 1875 | Reformed Presbyterian Church | Loanhead | | Midlothian | Scotland | |
 | 1875 | Reformed Presbyterian Church | Penpont | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
 | 1876 | Clydesdale Bank | | | Dundee | Scotland | As assistant to William Spence |
 | c. 1879 | Stewart & McDonald's Warehouse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | As assistant to William Spence - rebuilding of south section and improvement of Buchanan Street frontage as a whole |
 | 1880 | Tenement, Keir Street and Leslie Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | After 1880 | Church | Carluke | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |
 | 1881 | Hydepark Bakery | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1881 | Tenement, Leven Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | After 1881 | St Mungo Halls and Offices | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1882 | Municipal Buildings, Kinning Park | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1884 | Commercial Bank with flats above | Lauriston | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1884 | Hillhead Congregational Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Proposed design - not executed |
 | 1885 | Camden Street School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension |
 | 1885 | Hartwood Asylum | Shotts | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Competition design, selected but not successful |
 | 1885 | United Co-operative Bakery | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Various additions (see event table) |
 | c. 1885 | Gusset Building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1886 | Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society (SCWS) Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | With James Davidson - Dalintober Street/Wallace block |
 | 1888 | Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society (SCWS) Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Linking block |
 | 1889 | Brass works, Buchan Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1889 | Stables and carriage shed | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1891 | Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society (SCWS) Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | 4-storey stables, ham curing and grocery store (Carnoustie Street) |
 | 1891 | Warehouses and creamery for Cowlairs Co-operative Society | Springburn | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1892 | 101-103 High Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1892 | 114 Causeyside | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Alteration |
 | 1892 | Aerated Water Factory | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1892 | Centre Street Grain Mills | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Mill at rear added |
 | 1892 | West Kilbride Co-operative Seaside Home | Seamill, West Kilbride | | Ayrshire | Scotland | HS attribution - no reference given |
 | 1893 | Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society (SCWS) Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1894 | Warehouse for T Hodge | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1895 | Arden | Helensburgh | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | Additions, greenhouse, stables, coachhouses and two servants' houses |
 | 1895 | Centre Street Grain Mills | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Grain store |
 | 1895 | Meadowside Shipbuilding Yard office | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1895 | Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society (SCWS) Headquarters Building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | c. 1895 | Kinning Park Colour Works | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1896 | Ibrox UP Church | Ibrox | | Glasgow | Scotland | Additions (chancel and transepts) |
 | 1896 | Ibrox UP Church mission premises | Ibrox | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1896 | Rutland House | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1896 | Workshop, Copland Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1897 | Bakery for R Nish | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1897 | Co-operative Manufacturing Society Factory, Colinslee | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Additions |
 | 1897 | Engineering workshop, Graham Square | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1897 | Working Men's Club | Briggton | | | Scotland | |
 | 1897 | Workshop and stables for United Co-operative Society Bakery | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | c. 1897(?) | 520 Sauchiehall Street and 341 Renfrew Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Additions |
 | 1898 | Copeland (or Copland) & Lye premises | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Bath Street corner section |
 | 1898 | Elder Park Public School | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1898 | Standard Oil Works | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Attributed by Hume - all three phases of work |
 | 1899 | Bellahouston Academy | Bellahouston | | Glasgow | Scotland | Addition of west block as pupil teachers' institute |
 | 1899 | Warehouse for Ogg Borthers | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | c. 1899 | Stables | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1901 | Albert Chambers | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1901 | Kinning Park Baths | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1902 | Kinning Park Co-operative Society Building | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1902 | Marion Lodge | Helensburgh | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |
 | 1903 | Carnegie Library | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1903 | Partick Academy | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1904 | Balshagray Road School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1904 | Co-operative Building, High Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1904 | Factory Block and Office for John Wallace and Son agricultural engineers | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Single storey block |
 | 1904 | Partick Academy | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Also swimmimg pool and workshops |
 | 1906 | Ibrox Board School | Ibrox | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1906 | St Ignatius RC Church | Wishaw | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Addition of south aisle |
 | 1907 | St Gilbert's Church | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | Uncertain involvement |
 | 1908 | Contractors' Depot | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1909 | Boat Shed, Eaglesham Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1909 | Kinning Park Co-operative Society Building | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | Warehouse in Coburg Street added |
 | 1909 | Notre Dame Training College | Dowanhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | In conjunction with Pugin and Pugin |
 | 1910 | Our Lady and St Margaret's RC Primary School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1911 | Belvidere Road School | Bellshill | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |
 | 1911 | Office block for the Glasgow Patents Co | Kinning Park | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
 | 1912 | Hydepark Bakery | | | Glasgow | Scotland | 5-storey bakehouse added |
 | 1914 | Warehouse, Sussex Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | With Burnet & Boston |
 | Before 1917(?) | Drapery and furnishing warehouse, Glasgow Cross | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
© All rights reserved. © Courtesy of RCAHMS. Licensor www.rcahms.gov.uk (Glasgow Contemporaries at the Dawn of the XXth Century)