Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | Robert Hamilton Paterson (or Robert Hamilton-Paterson) | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 1843 | Died: | 1911 | Bio Notes: | Robert Hamilton Paterson (his surnames were not originally hyphenated) was born in Edinburgh in 1843, the son of Thomas Paterson, architect to the Duke of Hamilton's estate, and younger brother of John Paterson (1832-1877). He was educated at Hamilton Academy and was articled to James Turner of Hamilton, a branch office of the Dublin firm, followed by experience in an unspecified office in Edinburgh and with Cubitt & Co in London. In 1870 Paterson married Elizabeth Cullen in Hamilton and that summer they moved to Edinburgh where he commenced practice. They are mentioned in the session minutes of Newington UP Church of which Paterson's cousin, Robert Paterson (1825-1889) was both architect and session clerk. From his earliest years he made a special study of the architectural and engineering requirements of brewers, maltsters and warehousemen. For some twenty-five years he held the position of architect and surveyor to the Police Commissioners of the County of Lanark.
In 1898 Hamilton-Paterson took into partnership Thomas Duncan Rhind (born 1871), with whom he is said to have studied; this partnership was short-lived, being dissolved about 1905.
Thereafter, Hamilton-Paterson took into partnership his much younger nephew (son of his older brother John), Thomas Tolmie Paterson (born 1864). However, in the words of Thomas Tolmie Paterson's obituarist, 'happy results did not ensue… The ill health of the principal [Robert Hamilton-Paterson] was closely followed by bad times in the Building Trade affecting the architectural profession.'
Robert Hamilton-Paterson died in 1911 at the age of sixty-seven years. Long widowed, he was survived by two daughters, of whom one lived in Edinburgh and the other was married in South Africa. Thomas Tolmie Paterson continued the practice thereafter but the Finance Act of 1909 had an adverse effect on it and he emigrated to Canada sometime after that. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 55, Muir Street, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Private | 1861 | | |  | York Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1870 | | |  | 10A, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1887 | c. 1910 | |  | 70, Thirlestane Road, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1911 | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes |  | John Peter Dippie Grant | 1907 | c. 1909 | Apprentice | Though John Petrie Dippie Grant states that he was apprenticed to Hamilton Paterson & Paterson it was probably Hamilton Paterson on his own. |
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 |  | | Abbey Brewery | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction - date unknown |  | | Benmore Estate | | | Argyll | Scotland | Work on estate - date unknown |  | | Brewery for James Calder & Co | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | New maltings - date unknown |  | | Castle Brewery | Craigmillar/Duddingston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Date unknown |  | | Holyrood Brewery | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction - date unknown |  | | Maltings for Robert Hutchison and Co | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | Date unknown |  | | New Maltings, Kilns, Stores, Cooperage, Moray Park | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Date unknown |  | | Park Stores | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Date unknown |  | 1870 | Priestfield Maltings | Pitlessie | | Fife | | original building built by Robert Hamilton-Paterson. Priestfield Maltings is not by the same architect |  | 1889 | Tenement, Jeffrey Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1889 | Tenement, Jeffrey Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1890 | Bonthrone Maltings | Pitlessie | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1892 | Andrew Drybrough's Brewery | Craigmillar/Duddingston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1892 | Caledonian Brewery | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction, new brewery, maltings, etc. |  | 1896 | Calderbank Police Station | Calderbank | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1896 | Clydesdale Brewery | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Rebuilt and enlarged |  | 1899 | W and J Raeburn's Brewery and Maltings | Duddingston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | New brewery |  | 1900 | Macvitties Guest & Co / McVities Guest & Co shop and tea room | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Original L-plan development round the corner house |  | c. 1900 | Business Premises, Randolph Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1900 or 1901 | The Hollies | Barnton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1901 | 83 George Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1902 | Queen Victoria Memorial | | | Liverpool | England | Competition design |  | 1903 | St Giles Cathedral, Royal Scots Boer Memorial | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1903 | St Rule's | Dunbar | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1904 | Norham | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1905 | Unspecified country house, no 1 | | | | | |  | 1905 | Unspecified country house, no 2 | | | | Scotland | |  | 1906 | Business premises at Bathgate | Bathgate | | West Lothian | Scotland | |  | c. 1910 | Castle Brewery | Craigmillar/Duddingston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Large maltings |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Eddington, A | 1904 | Contemporary Biographies | Edinburgh and the Lothians | WT Pike and Co., Pike's New Century Series, no. 12 | |  | Pearson, Lynn | 1999 | British Breweries | | | |  | Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p91 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Scotsman | 17 October 1911 | | | p6 - obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | H M Register House | Death Register | | 1911 |  | Scotland's People website | Census 1861 | | |
Images © All rights reserved. Edinburgh and the Lothians at the opening of the twentieth century / by A. Eddington. Contemporary biographies / edited by W.T. Pike |