Basic Biographical Details

Name: D & J Bryce
Designation:  
Born: 1873
Died:  
Bio Notes: In or about 1870 David Bryce slipped on a frozen-over platform at Cargill Station when returning from an inspection of the work at Meikleour House. He broke a leg and never fully recovered becoming subject to recurrent bronchitis. It was probably frequent indisposition that persuaded Bryce to take Robert Rowand Anderson into partnership in 1873, with Bryce's nephew John Junior (son of his brother John) also becoming a partner, the practice title being Bryce, Anderson & Bryce. However at that stage in his career Anderson was primarily a church architect and incompatibility led to Anderson's departure. John Bryce Junior remained in partnership, the partnership title then ecoming D & J Bryce.

David Bryce died at 131 George Street on 5 August 1876. John Bryce retained the practice title of D & J Bryce after his uncle's death, completing the work in hand and running a generally similar practice until the early 1890s when business trailed off. He retired in 1908 and died on 22 August 1922, leaving moveable estate of £34,831 19s 6d.

After 1908 the practice was continued by John's nephew John Bryce Brechin, son of his sister Davida who had married into the Brechin quantity surveying family. He did not join the RIBA and is not as yet recorded as having carried out any architectural work. His business was perhaps more surveyor than architect. He retired in 1928 when the practice was closed and the drawings dispersed. The large project watercolour drawings prepared for exhibition at the RSA were given to the RIAS which subsequently disposed of them: some are now at RCAHMS. The library, including David Bryce's folio of 'Sketches of Scotch and Old English Ornament' was bought by an American, Joseph Gavarelli, who presented it to George Washington University at St Louis Missouri, in 1932. John Bryce Brechin died in retirement on 18 April 1941.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 1Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/business   

Employment and Training

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 12David Bryce18731876Partner 
Item 2 of 12James Thomas Baillie18731878Apprentice 
Item 3 of 12John Bryce II (or John Bryce (junior))18731908Partner 
Item 4 of 12Robert Macfarlane Cameron14 September 18751880Apprentice 
Item 5 of 12James Thomas Baillie18781893AssistantContinued to assist J Bryce for two further years after setting up in independent practice (to 1895)
Item 6 of 12John Proudfoot Goodsir18791884Apprentice 
Item 7 of 12Robert Macfarlane Cameron18801881Assistant 
Item 8 of 12John Proudfoot Goodsir18841885Junior Assistant 
Item 9 of 12Thomas John Miller Reid18891894Apprentice 
Item 10 of 12Thomas Munro Logan18951900ApprenticeWorking under John Bryce
Item 11 of 12Thomas Munro Logan19001902AssistantWorking under John Bryce
Item 12 of 12John Bryce Brechin19081928Partner 

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 35c. 1870Langton House, gatewayDuns BerwickshireScotland 
Item 2 of 351874Fettes CollegeComely Bank EdinburghScotlandGrounds with iron fences; east and west lodges and gates finished
Item 3 of 351874Lockhart HospitalLanark LanarkshireScotland 
Item 4 of 351874Luffness HouseDrem East LothianScotlandWest wing and further work
Item 5 of 351874St Andrew's Episcopal Chapel  EdinburghScotlandBaptistery
Item 6 of 351874St Mungo Parish ChurchKettleholm DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 7 of 351874The GlenInnerleithen PeeblesshireScotlandWest wing
Item 8 of 351874Union Bank of Scotland  EdinburghScotland 
Item 9 of 351875Bowhill HouseSelkirk SelkirkshireScotlandChapel in east wing, never consecrated and now the Monmouth Room
Item 10 of 351875Drum CastleDrum AberdeenshireScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 11 of 351875Youngfield house and stable blockDumfries DumfriesshireScotlandReconstruction after fire
Item 12 of 35c. 1875St Paul's Episcopal Church, Monument to Bishop Terrot  EdinburghScotland 
Item 13 of 351876Aytonhill  FifeScotlandMain house (superseding older house previously on site)
Item 14 of 351876Blair CastleBlair Atholl PerthshireScotlandBallroom and addition to S end of S wing
Item 15 of 351876Logan House and coachhouse and stablesArdwell WigtownshireScotland 
Item 16 of 351876Royal College of Physicians  EdinburghScotlandNew library
Item 17 of 35Before 1876Lochmaben Town HallLochmaben DumfriesshireScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 18 of 35Before 1876New Calton Burying Ground, Monument to David Bryce  EdinburghScotlandProbably by Bryce himself
Item 19 of 351878Ayton HouseGlenfarg PerthshireScotlandAlterations
Item 20 of 35Before 1878Thirlestane CastleLauder BerwickshireScotlandRepairs and alterations
Item 21 of 351880Killearn Parish ChurchKillearn StirlingshireScotland 
Item 22 of 351880St Cuthbert's PoorhouseCraigleith EdinburghScotlandEnlarged with addition of forecourt wings
Item 23 of 35c. 1880Carberry TowerInveresk, Musselburgh MidlothianScotlandNorth lodge quadrants
Item 24 of 351881Dunbeath Castle  CaithnessScotlandFirst phase of work on castle; walled gardens and garden pavilion. Possibly also stable court
Item 25 of 35c. 1882Drum CastleDrum AberdeenshireScotlandDetailing of interior
Item 26 of 351883133, 133A George Street  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 27 of 351883Music Hall and Assembly Rooms  EdinburghScotlandInternal alterations - low vestibule inserted
Item 28 of 351884Portmore HouseEddleston PeeblesshireScotlandRebuilding after fire
Item 29 of 351890Fyvie Castle and ancillary buildingsFyvie AberdeenshireScotlandSouth lodge and gates
Item 30 of 351891Luffness HouseDrem East LothianScotlandsaloon
Item 31 of 351891Mauldslie CastleCarluke LanarkshireScotlandAdditions and alterations, including dining room
Item 32 of 351892Fyvie Castle and ancillary buildingsFyvie AberdeenshireScotlandAddition
Item 33 of 35190112-18 St Giles Street, Edinburgh Courant Offices  EdinburghScotlandAlterations to nos 8-16
Item 34 of 351907Dunbeath Castle  CaithnessScotlandHouse further baronialised
Item 35 of 351910Castlemills HouseLockerbie DumfriesshireScotlandDesign exhibited

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2DNB Dictionary of National Biography  Entry by G W Burnett on David Bryce
Item 2 of 2Fiddes, Valerie and Rowan, Alistair1976David Bryce 1803-1876 Exhibition Catalogue, University of Edinburgh