Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Milne | Designation: | | Born: | 1823 | Died: | May 1904 | Bio Notes: | John Milne was born at Fettercairn in 1823, the son of a joiner and contractor there to whom he was initially apprenticed. He then became a pupil of John Henderson of Edinburgh, subsequently transferring to David Bryce for whom he acted as clerk of works in the St Andrews area, probably at Clatto. He 'came out' (left the Established Church) at the Disruption, and after he settled permanently in St Andrews many of his early commissions were for the Free Church. He was a very competent Gothic designer with a preference for early geometrical, and an inventive neo-Jacobean and Scots Baronial architect of the Bryce school. Somewhat unusually for a provincial practitioner he exhibited his best work at the Royal Scottish Academy in the 1860s.
Milne was of a scientific cast of mind, patenting his pyro-pneumatic grate and inventing a type of ventilator with simultaneous action, and engaged in an unrelenting campaign of municipal improvements in St Andrews. These included the piping of the Mill Lade and the planting of trees in South Street, Market Street, Argyle Street, the Scores and the Lade Braes which he maintained at his own expense until his death. In 1874 he turned his attention to the foreshore, successfully persuading the Town Council, of which he had been elected a member, to extend the Links embankment northwards and in 1882 he produced a still more ambitious scheme for a concrete retaining wall and carriage esplanade from the cliffs to the West Sands, enclosing some twelve and a half acres of reclaimed land as a public recreation area. The proposal stalled, partly because of cost and partly because another councillor, George Bruce, and his civil engineer son Henry, had put forward a rival scheme for a ‘bathing lake’ and an aquarium for the same site. Nevertheless Milne persevered and in 1887 he succeeded in making his scheme the Town’s Jubilee project. John Paterson as Provost offered to fund it but as the committee formed to implement it had Jessie Hall - with whom Milne had a poor professional relationship – as its convener and George Bruce as a member, the arguments over which scheme was the better continued even after the first sod was cut in December. In January 1888 Paterson withdrew his offer and in September 1893 Bruce began constructing the present embankment on his own. It was duly taken over by the Town Council and named the Bruce Embankment in 1897 but found to require a concrete bulwark as Milne had predicted. In 1901 Milne made a formal attempt to have it reconstructed as a memorial to Queen Victoria but did not succeed.
For a time Milne had an office in Cupar as well as in St Andrews but details and dates are lacking. He retained a connection with Fettercairn as he designed three buildings there. What his relationship with Robert Milne who is described at the time of his death in 1891 as 'architect, Inchgrey, Parish of Fettercairn' is as yet unclear. It may be that they were brothers and that they had some kind of informal partnership with John assisting with jobs which required greater design input or simply when Robert was too busy to handle jobs alone. Robert Milne died on 27 September 1891 at Inchgrey.
John Milne died in May 1904.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Cupar, Fife, Scotland | Business | | | Branch office | | 81, Market Street, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland | Business | Before 1862 | After 1866 | |
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 | | | New Cemetery, monument to Bailie Ireland | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Date unknown | | | New Cemetery, monument to Provost Paterson | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Date unknown | | 1845 | Clatto Estate, House and Steading (Clatto Cottage) | Cupar | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1851 | St Andrews Free Church | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | First church remodelled (same site) | | 1853 | Abbey Villa | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1853 | St Leonard's College East | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | New front | | 1854 | Arbirlot Free Church | Arbirlot | | Angus | Scotland | | | 1854 | Carnbee Church | Carnbee | | Fife | Scotland | Refurnishing | | 1855 | Wellfield | Strathmiglo | | Fife | Scotland | Additions planned but not executed | | c. 1855 | 23 South Street | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | 'Building for a New Age' attribution | | 1856 | Free Church Manse, Rathelpie | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1856 | Free St Bernard's Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1856 | Free Tolbooth Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Unsuccessful competition entry | | 1856 | Kinburn House | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1856 | Parish Church of St Athernase | Leuchars | | Fife | Scotland | Restoration and rebuilding of nave | | 1856 | School | Dunino | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1856 | Martyrs' Free Church Manse | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Stylistic attribution | | 1857 | Free Church Manse and stables | Carnbee | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1857 | Invertiel Free Manse | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | Improvements | | 1857 | Mr Don's House, shop and bank office | Fettercairn | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | | | 1857 | Rathelpie feuing | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1857(?) | St Andrews Town Hall | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Unsuccessful competition design | | 1858 | Collessie Free Manse | Collessie | | Fife | Scotland | Improvements | | 1858 | Logie Parish School | Logie | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1859 | 2-4 Queen's Terrace | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1859 | Anstruther Free Manse | Anstruther | | Fife | Scotland | Improvements | | 1859 | Edzell Free Manse | Edzell | | Angus | Scotland | Improvements | | 1859 | Queen's Gardens | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Some of houses (probably including nos 12, 11-15 and 18-21) - commission shared with George Rae | | 1860 | 40-42 South Street | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Addition of bay window (B of S and 'Building for a New Age' attribution - but HS attributes it to George Rae) | | 1860 | Shopfront | Cupar | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1860 or 1881(?) | Rockview | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Completed villa - or entirely responsible? | | 1861 | Dura House | Kemback | | Fife | Scotland | Large additions | | 1861 | Lathockar House | | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1861 | Parish School | Leuchars | | Fife | Scotland | Additions | | 1861 | Rathelpie Villa, Rathelpie | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1862 | Newburgh Free Church manse | Newburgh | | Fife | Scotland | Improvements | | 1863 | Commemorative Arch | Fettercairn | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | | | 1863 | Madras Female School | Newburgh | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1863 | Madras Parish School and teacher's residence | Newburgh | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1864 | Wellfield | Strathmiglo | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations - and possibly cottages of 1867 | | 1865 | Ceres Parish Church | Ceres | | Fife | Scotland | Roof rebuilt in present gabled form - originally piended | | 1865 | Pagan Monument | Leuchars | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1865 | Westerlee | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1866 | Flisk Manse | Flick | | Fife | Scotland | Repairs | | 1866 | Pittormie House | Dairsie | | Fife | Scotland | Baronial additions and courtyard buildings | | 1867 | Design for a mansion | | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1868 | Dairsie Parish School | Dairsie | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1869 | Duncan Institute | Cupar | | Fife | Scotland | Won competition to secure job | | 1870 | Gordon Lodge | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Perhaps by John Milne? | | c. 1870 | Mayfield | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1870 | Westlands | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1871 | Baxter Institute for Female Education | Cupar | | Fife | Scotland | Begun | | 1872 | Monimail Free Manse | Monimail | | Fife | Scotland | Improvements | | 1873 | Conservative Club | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1874 | East School | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1875 | Tayport School | Tayport | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1880 | The Scores Hotel | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | 'Building for a New Age' attribution | | 1880 | Union Club | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Top floor added | | c. 1880 | Beechwood | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | 'Probably' (HS on stylistic grounds) | | c. 1880(?) | North Cliff | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Completed villa according to 'Buildings of Scotland' but this has been questioned by Dr Robin Evetts who can find no evidence of Milne's involvement. | | c. 1880 | Villa, 24 Bennochy Road | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1882 | Freuchie Parish Manse | Freuchie | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1886 | 25, 27, 29 Marketgate | Crail | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1887 | Melville Terrace | Montrose | | Angus | Scotland | | | 1889 | 89-95 Market Street | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1889(?) | Double villa, Doubledykes Road | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | HS Lists attribute to Milne but Frew attributes to Gillespie & Scott | | 1890s | Building, Pilmour Links | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | 'Building for a New Age' attribution | | c. 1890 | St Helen's, Pilmour Links | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Attribution by John Frew | | 1891 | Fettercairn Public Hall | Fettercairn | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | | | 1892 | Cottages at Longrow | Longrow | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1894 | 20-22 Murray Park | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1894 | 30 The Scores | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1894 | Royal Hotel | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Addition | | 1895 | 23, 25 Murray Park | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1896 | 26 The Scores | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1897 | 12-14 Pilmour Links | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1897 | 28 The Scores ("Hazelbank") | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1898 | 1 Murray Park | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1898 | 4 Murray Park | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1900 | Rusack's Hotel | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Addition of porch | | 1901 | Double villa, Queen's Terrace | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Architects Engineers and Building Trades Directory | 1868 | Architect's, Engineer's and Building Trades' Directory | | London, Wyman | | | Cant, Ronald Gordon | 1991 | St Andrews Architects | | Three decades of historical notes (Revised text), St Andrews | | | Ledgard, Annabel | | John Milne (1823-94) | | Frew, John (ed) 'Building for a new age' | | | Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p96, p109, p114, p115, p122, p132, p135, p137, p144 | | Watkinson, David | 2010 | George Bruce and the Bruce Embankment Part 2 | | St Andrews Preservation Trust Annual Report & Yearbook | | | Westwood, _____ | 1862 | Westwood's Parochial Directory of Fife and Kinross | | Edinburgh: John Menzies | | | Westwood, _____ | 1866 | Westwood's Parochial Directory of Fife and Kinross | | Edinburgh: John Menzies | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | St Andrews Citizen | 20 May 1904 | | | Obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | St Andrews University Library | Milne Ms | | |
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