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Basic Biographical Details

Name: Horatio Kelson Bromhead
Designation: Architect
Born: 1 March 1838
Died: 24 January 1934
Bio Notes: Horatio Kelson Bromhead was born in Bristol on 1 March 1838, the son of Timothy Bromhead and his wife Ann Brooke. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School and articled to William Bruce Gingell in Bristol c.1853. At the end of his articles he worked as assistant to T Royce Lysaght of Lysaght & Hirst in the same city, and subsequently moved to York as assistant to George Fowler Jones.

In March 1859 Bromhead settled in Glasgow as the partner of Gustavus Hamilton O'Donoghue who was then on the point of establishing an office in London. This partnership was very soon dissolved, Bromhead opening his own office at 152 West George Street later in 1859 or early in 1860.

Bromhead thereafter practised alone until his retirement in 1924-25. His practice was small and his work extremely conservative late neo-classical with some individual touches in the details, his competition designs for Glasgow Municipal Buildings still being in the style of the early 1850s. He was admitted ARIBA on 27 May 1872, his proposers being Professor Robert Kerr, James Edmeston, founder of the Architectural Association and T Roger Smith, later professor at University College, London.

As there is no record of Bromhead having studied at the Architectural Association or at King's or University Colleges, this influential support probably derived from his interest in professional matters. He was effectively the founder of the Glasgow Institute of Architects, serving on its council and as its President 1904-05; and he wrote to the architectural journals in support of Edward Middleton Barry in his dispute with the Government over the ownership of his father's drawings for the Houses of Parliament. He was also a life member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts from its inception, and served on the Council of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow. He was advanced to FRIBA in 1902 as President of the Glasgow Institute.

Bromhead never married, but was socially active as a member of the New Club and of the Imperial Union Club. He was 'a first-rate musician', a lay reader at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, and a yachtsman, being a life member of the Royal Western Yachting Club and a member of the Royal Canoe Club at Kingston on Thames and of the Clyde Canoe Club, of which he was commodore.

Bromhead died on 24 January 1934 aged ninety-five.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect:
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 11152, West George Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1860  
Item 2 of 1179, West Regent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1862 *c. 1867 
Item 3 of 11159, West George Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1867 or 1868 *  
Item 4 of 11194, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness(?)Before 1872After 1875 
Item 5 of 11245, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1879After 1890 
Item 6 of 11High Windsor Villa, Dowanhill, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1888 ,
Item 7 of 114, Queen Margaret Crescent, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1891 *  
Item 8 of 11243, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 18941924 
Item 9 of 11Fernlee/18, Kirklee Road, Kelvinside, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1900After 1902 
Item 10 of 1195, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness(?)1924After 1926 
Item 11 of 1183, Hill Street, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 19291934 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 3William Bruce Gingellc. 1853c. 1857(?)Apprentice 
Item 2 of 3Lysaght & Hirstc. 1857c. 1858(?)Assistant 
Item 3 of 3George Fowler Jonesc. 1858(?)1859Assistant 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 6George Washington Henry Jackc. 1870c. 1875Apprentice 
Item 2 of 6William Hackstoun (born William Haxton)c. 1870(?)c. 1875(?)Apprentice 
Item 3 of 6James Hutton1875Early 1880sAssistant 
Item 4 of 6Thomas Hamilton Crawfordc. 1875(?)c. 1880Apprentice 
Item 5 of 6John Anderson18961900Apprentice 
Item 6 of 6John McNab (or John MacNab)February 1910c. 1915Apprentice 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3James Edmeston27 May 1872for Associateship
Item 2 of 3Robert Kerr27 May 1872for Associateship
Item 3 of 3(Professor) Thomas Roger Smith27 May 1872for Associateship

RIBA Proposals

This architect proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 10Thomas Baird11 June 1906for Fellowship
Item 2 of 10Andrew Black11 June 1906for Fellowship
Item 3 of 10John McLintock Bowie2 December 1907for Fellowship
Item 4 of 10John McLean (or Maclean) Crawford11 June 1906for Fellowship
Item 5 of 10Neil Campbell Duff11 June 1906for Fellowship
Item 6 of 10Charles Forsyth30 November 1908for Associateship
Item 7 of 10John H Hamilton11 June 1906for Fellowship
Item 8 of 10David Henry Hunter4 July 1910for Licentiateship
Item 9 of 10Robert Miller11 June 1906for Fellowship
Item 10 of 10Charles Ernest Monro2 March 1903for Associateship

Buildings and Designs

This architect 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 241863Unidentified villas   Scotland 
Item 2 of 241867St Michaels and All Angels Episcopal ChurchHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandCompetition design - unsuccessful
Item 3 of 241871(?)Barony Parochial AsylumLenzie LanarkshireScotlandUnsuccessful competition design
Item 4 of 241871Morrison and McChlery's  GlasgowScotland 
Item 5 of 241872Premises  GlasgowScotland 
Item 6 of 241873Public halls  GlasgowScotland 
Item 7 of 24c. 1873Design for a Gothic marine villa   Scotland 
Item 8 of 24c. 1880Glasgow Municipal Buildings  GlasgowScotlandCompetition designs entered under the pseudonyms Grecian Doric, Experience and Salonika (only one published)
Item 9 of 24188410-18 Queen Margaret Drive and 71-85 Hamilton Drive  GlasgowScotland 
Item 10 of 241886Villa, Buckingham Street  GlasgowScotland 
Item 11 of 24c. 189078-104 Park Road  GlasgowScotlandAttribution
Item 12 of 241892Ivy HouseHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandAdditions
Item 13 of 24After 1896Colston Hall  BristolEnglandCompetition design for rebuilding? - presumably as apprentice to Horatio Kelson Bromhead
Item 14 of 24After 1896West Shandon House  DunbartonshireScotlandAdditions
Item 15 of 241897Highland Light Infantry Volunteers Drill Hall  GlasgowScotland 
Item 16 of 241898Campbell, Stewart and Macdonald's warehouses  GlasgowScotlandExtensions on Buchanan Street, Argyle Street and Mitchell Street
Item 17 of 241899Eglinton Chrome Tannery  GlasgowScotland 
Item 18 of 241899Villa  GlasgowScotland 
Item 19 of 241900RachanHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandDrawing room addition
Item 20 of 24Before 1902Morrison and McChlery's  GlasgowScotland 
Item 21 of 24Before 1902Morrison and McChlery's  GlasgowScotland 
Item 22 of 24Before 1902Morrison and McChlery's  GlasgowScotland 
Item 23 of 24Before 1902Morrison and McChlery's  GlasgowScotland 
Item 24 of 241908St Mary's Cathedral, Bishop's vestry and halls  GlasgowScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architect:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Glasgow Contemporaries1901Glasgow Contemporaries at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century   
Item 2 of 3Who's Who in Architecture1914    
Item 3 of 3Who's Who in Architecture1926    

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architect:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Builder29 February 1934  p324 - obituary (other sources give 23 February 1934 - possibly death notice?)
Item 2 of 3Building Industries16 March 1923   
Item 3 of 3RIBA Journal10 March 1934v41London: Royal Institute of British Architectsp475 - obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architect:
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A v4 p148 (microfiche 12/F6); Fv14 p37

Images

© All rights reserved. © Courtesy of RCAHMS. Licensor www.rcahms.gov.uk (Glasgow Contemporaries at the Dawn of the XXth Century) 

© All rights reserved. © Courtesy of RCAHMS. Licensor www.rcahms.gov.uk (Glasgow Contemporaries at the Dawn of the XXth Century)