Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Chesser | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 18 September 1819 | Died: | 2 February 1892 | Bio Notes: | John Chesser was born on 18 September 1819 at Dalmeny, the son of William Chesser clerk of works there and his wife Margaret Bell. He learned the business of a clerk of works in his father's office, moving to the estate of Revesby in Lincolnshire in a similar master-of-works capacity superintending the erection of buildings there to gain experience. On the death of his father he succeeded him as superintendent of works on the Dalmeny estate but by 1852 he had a post of some kind in David Cousin's City Superintendent of Works office at 12 Royal Exchange. It was probably through connections there that he secured the post of Superintendent of Works to Heriot's Hospital on the death of Alexander Black in 1858, his school buildings following Black's precedent in adopting Heriot's Hospital-based detail. Chesser took a site in John Dick Peddie's Chalmers Street development: opposite Heriot's and there may have been some sort of association between them in the early years while Chesser found his feet as an architect. Their terrace elevations of the 1860s have marked similarities. In his later work a free Renaissance idiom was adopted with superimposed bay windows of differing plan.
Chesser died at Dorlin, Corstorphine on 2 February 1892, and was buried in Cramond Kirkyard. The name of his wife was given as Ann Stennet, who died on 24 May 1900. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 12, Royal Exchange, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1852 | 1869 | David Cousin's office |  | 3, Royal Exchange, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1870 | 1880 | |  | Revesby Villa/1, Chalmers Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1871 | | |  | 21, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1881 | 1888 | |  | 20, York Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1889 | 1890 | |  | 1, Chalmers Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1891 | | Last entry |  | Dorlin, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1892 * | | Place of death |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes |  | David Cousin | c. 1852 | 1858 | | |
Employees or Pupils
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 |  | 1847 | 1-14 Hope Street | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1852 | Caledonian United Services Club | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Rear extension. Chesser was practising from David Cousin's office, 12 Royal Exchange, at this point. Design may have been in Cousin's name. |  | Before 1858 | Dalmeny Estate work | Dalmeny | | West Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1860s | 2-24 East Claremont Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1860 | Bellevue Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Nos 1-5 |  | 1860 | Buckingham Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Design of facades |  | 1860 | Royal Terrace Gardens, railings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | c. 1860 | 5 Oswald Road | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1860 or 1864 | 1-15 Howard Place | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1861 | St Cuthbert's Manse | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Addition |  | 1862 | Houses at Bellevue | Bellevue | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1864 | Hope Park development | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Continued work after John Henderson's death - slightly revised feuing plans (superseded those by Henderson) |  | 1865 | 1 Rosebery Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1865 | 1-6 Clifton Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1865 | 8-15 Clifton Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1865 | Belgrave Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1865 | Rosebery Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1865 | Stravithie House | Dunino | | Fife | Scotland | Rebuilt after becoming dilapidated over original cellarage |  | c. 1868 | Lennox Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Design of facades |  | 1869 | 1-10 Magdala Crescent and 45 Coates Gardens | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1869 | 11-24 Magdala Crescent, 1A Douglas Crescent and 31 Eglinton Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1869 | Magdala Mews | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | After 1870 | George Heriot's Hospital | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1871 | 1-43 Coates Gardens (even numbers) | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1871 | Feuing, Dean Estate, Edinburgh | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1872 | 36-48 Palmerston Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Construction, 1877-1880 |  | 1872 | Feuing, Dean Estate | Wester Coates | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1873 | 1-20 Learmonth Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | In consultation with MacGibbon & Ross - Chesser specified design of façade |  | 1873 | 21-24 Learmonth Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Original façade designs |  | 1873 | Eglinton Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Designed from Heriot Trust, but mainly built by Roberts & Son and James Steel |  | 1873 | Glencairn Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Designed for Heriot Trust, but built mainly by Roberts & Son and James Steel |  | 1873 | Regent Road School | Abbeyhill | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Original building |  | 1873 | Tenements, Leith Walk | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1874 | 1-21 Belgrave Crescent | Dean | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1874 | 22-25 Belgrave Crescent | Dean | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Architect for Sir James Steel |  | 1874 | George Heriot's School, St Bernard's Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1874 | Heriot's Trust School, Dean Street | Stockbridge | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1874 | Norton Place School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | c. 1874 | St Giles Cathedral, Monument to Rev Robert Nisbet | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1875 | 2-40 Coates Gardens (even numbers) | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1875 | Douglas Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1875 | Heriot's Trust School, Davie Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1875 | Southfield House | Liberton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1877 | 54-62 Palmerston Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | c. 1878 | South Park | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Probably Chesser (HS) |  | 1883 | 15A-37 Hillside Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Eastern section, modifying Playfair's design as flats |  | 1883 | Brunton Place and Brunton Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1883 | R & R Clark's Printing Office | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1885 | Houses, Great Western Road | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |  | 1888 | George Heriot's Hospital, Heriot Bridge, Primary School (later Science Wing) | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Rebuilt by Chesser as Science block of Heriot's Hospital, reusing materials of the entrance tower of the Heriot Trust school previously on the site |  | 1888 | Watt Institution and School of Arts | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction of earlier buildings with new entrance pavilion |  | 1890 | Bellevue Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Nos 7-11 |  | Before 1892 | Bellevue Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Design of Nos 13-19 and 21-35 - executed in 1893 after his death |  | Late 1800s | 4,5 Rosebery Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | Late 1800s | 6, 7, 8 Rosebery Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | Late 1800s | 9 Rosebery Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Scotlands People Website | | Wills & Testaments | | | Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventories Sc70/1/309 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Scotsman | 3 February 1892 | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | H M Register House | Death Register | | Corstorphine |
Images © All rights reserved. Edinburgh Architectural Association 1907 Exhibition Catalogue |