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 AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | DNB | | Dictionary of National Biography | | | Entry by G W Burnett on David Bryce | | Fiddes, Valerie and Rowan, Alistair | 1976 | David Bryce 1803-1876 | | Exhibition Catalogue, University of Edinburgh | |
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