Basic Biographical Details

Name: Henry & Maclennan
Designation:  
Born: 1905
Died: 1949
Bio Notes: James Macintyre Henry was born in Dunkeld in 1852 and had Atholl estate connections. He was articled to Andrew Heiton of Perth from 1866 to 1872, but thereafter moved to Edinburgh, having secured a place in the office of David Bryce, then engaged on Blair Castle for the Seventh Duke. After Bryce's death he moved to the office of Charles Hay, perhaps with a view to partnership, and carried out at least one small job on his own before formally setting up practice on his own account in 1883.

Henry's conservative temperament is best expressed in the words of his partner Thomas Forbes Maclennan: 'His practice was varied, subject to considerable fluctuations and not without its worries, but he rarely was flustered and never in a hurry. He had a sound knowledge of materials and methods of construction but was slow to adopt new materials or new methods. He had not the knack of persuading a client to spend more money, but rather a flair for finding means to reduce cost… he could rarely be persuaded to write a letter offering his services even if he had the plans in the office of the building which had been destroyed by fire or which was otherwise the subject of a building project.' These qualities seem to have endeared him to some clients, particularly Sir James Gibson Craig of Riccarton: the result of the competition for Midlothian County Buildings was overturned and the commission given to him although the design he had sent in had been ranked fourth by the assessor, Walter Wood Robertson. In 1905 Henry took into partnership Thomas Forbes Maclennan who had - according to J R McKay's obituary - been largely responsible for the design of the Midlothian County Buildings. Henry's role thereafter seems to have been more as practice manager. He was Dean of Guild 1912-17.

Maclennan was born in 1873, the son of George Maclennan, and educated at George Watson's College. Articled to McArthy and Watson in 1888 he attended Heriot-Watt College and the School of Art. He spent a year with Leadbetter & Fairley before joining Henry in 1894 and at some point made a study tour of France. He passed the qualifying exam in 1902 and although no London classes are mentioned in his nomination papers, he was able to call on the London architects John Slater and Edward Augustus Gruning, together with Richard Phene Spiers, head of the RA Schools, as proposers when he was admitted ARIBA on 2 March 1903. In 1907 he married Euphemia Anderson, daughter of John Cathles, Secretary of the North British Railway Company, a match which probably brought useful connections.

Henry died on 18 September 1929, leaving very substantial moveable estate of £19,075 7s 0d. Maclennan thereafter ran the practice with junior partners, including J C Cunningham and his own daughter, Mrs E L Westwater. He took a rather more active part in public life than Henry. He joined the Queen's Edinburgh Rifles in 1890, was President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association 1914-18, and during the First World War he served on the Architects' War Committee and volunteered for service as sub-lieutenant in a Royal Engineers Signal Company in 1917. After the war he was one of the founders of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland of which he was later president and like Henry before him he was Dean of Guild 1930-34. From 1934 to 1937 he was assistant Master of the Merchant Company and was Moderator of the High Constables and Guard of Honour of Holyroodhouse in 1941. In his youth he played water polo.

Maclennan retired in 1949 and died 25 February 1957.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 17, South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1905After 1930Henry died in 1929 but name continued in practicefor a couple of years

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 11Archibald Kirkwood Dodds19051907Apprentice 
Item 2 of 11Alexander Shepherd Brodie19051910Apprentice 
Item 3 of 11James Macintyre Henry19051929Partner 
Item 4 of 11Thomas Forbes Maclennan19051949Partner 
Item 5 of 11James Ritchie1920(?)1924Apprentice 
Item 6 of 11James Stewart Johnston19201925Apprentice 
Item 7 of 11David Harvey19251930Apprentice 
Item 8 of 11William Tulloch SutherlandOctober 1925October 1930Apprentice 
Item 9 of 11George Murray1930(?) *  Presumably in Henry & Maclennan's office as both shared the address of 7 South Charlotte Street at this date
Item 10 of 11Benjamin Murray Manson19341935Assistant 
Item 11 of 11Benjamin Murray Manson19361937Assistant 

* earliest date known from documented sources.


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 411905Post office buildingsPenicuik MidlothianScotland 
Item 2 of 411905School at New ElginNew Elgin MorayshireScotlandUnsuccessful competition entry
Item 3 of 411906Lockerbie House   ScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 4 of 411906Royal Blind Asylum  EdinburghScotlandProposed additions of two storeys, not carried out, but does appear to have done some extensions and reconstruction
Item 5 of 411906Scottish Horse HQ and Public HallBlair Atholl PerthshireScotland 
Item 6 of 411907Birmingham Council House extension and Art Galleries  BirminghamEnglandCompetition design for extension - not successful
Item 7 of 411907Blair CastleBlair Atholl PerthshireScotlandProposed addition to library
Item 8 of 411907Newington Free Church  EdinburghScotlandRefronting
Item 9 of 411907Newington UF Church  EdinburghScotlandNew front and chancel
Item 10 of 411907St Andrews Parish ChurchNorth Berwick East LothianScotlandTower and porch added
Item 11 of 411908Blair CastleBlair Atholl PerthshireScotlandNew porch to wing; armoury
Item 12 of 411908Perth Town HallPerth PerthshireScotlandCompetition design placed third by J J Burnet
Item 13 of 411909Balnacraig House and LodgePerth PerthshireScotlandBilliard room
Item 14 of 411909Millhills HouseCrieff PerthshireScotlandAdditions and remodelling; steading
Item 15 of 411911Corner site with shops, High StreetNorth Berwick East LothianScotland 
Item 16 of 411911Meal MillsBonnington EdinburghScotlandRebuilding after fire
Item 17 of 411912Edinburgh Royal Lunatic Asylum  EdinburghScotlandNurses home, new quadrangular pavilion
Item 18 of 411912Lochbuie House Mull ScotlandAlterations
Item 19 of 411913Birnam HotelBirnam PerthshireScotland 
Item 20 of 411914Chesterknowes  RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 21 of 411914Haddon's Court  EdinburghScotlandEast side
Item 22 of 411914Wester RiddellLilliesleaf SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 23 of 411915Glenegadale HouseInverleith EdinburghScotland 
Item 24 of 411915Mary Murray HospitalPrestonpans East LothianScotland 
Item 25 of 411916Scottish Veterans Garden City, Earl Haig GardensTrinity EdinburghScotland1st and 3rd phases
Item 26 of 411916Scottish Veterans' Garden Cities Association Settlement, Kitchener CrescentLongniddry East LothianScotland 
Item 27 of 411919LawersComrie PerthshireScotlandAlterations for Captain Rockey
Item 28 of 411920Welfare buildings and hosiery factory for Munro & Co LtdRestalrig EdinburghScotlandExtension to factory and new welfare buildings
Item 29 of 411921Chamber of Commerce  EdinburghScotlandAlterations, furnishing and decoration
Item 30 of 411921OrchillDunblane PerthshireScotlandRestoration after fire
Item 31 of 411922Premises for John Croall & Sons  EdinburghScotlandAlterations?
Item 32 of 411923Café Royal  EdinburghScotlandAmerican bar at NW corner
Item 33 of 411923New Grange Works  EdinburghScotlandExtension
Item 34 of 41Before 1923DyeworksSlateford EdinburghScotlandAdditions
Item 35 of 41Before 1923SkinworksGalashiels SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 36 of 411925Millhills HouseCrieff PerthshireScotlandGarden works
Item 37 of 411928House for Miss Margaret WhiteGreenbank EdinburghScotland 
Item 38 of 411928Roxburghe Hotel  EdinburghScotlandShopfront
Item 39 of 411929Open Air Swimming PoolNorth Berwick East LothianScotland 
Item 40 of 411930Garage, Castle Terrace and Lady Lawson Street  EdinburghScotland 
Item 41 of 411931TorwoodColinton EdinburghScotlandAlterations

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Post Office Directories     
Item 2 of 2Scottish Biographies1938  E J Thurston (pub.)Maclennan

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Builder4 October 1929  Obituary of Henry
Item 2 of 3RIBA Journal23 November 1929 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsHenry obituary p67
Item 3 of 3RIBA JournalSeptember 1957 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsMaclennan obituary