Basic Biographical Details Name: | Pirie & Clyne | Designation: | | Born: | Late 1881 | Died: | 1892 | Bio Notes: | John Bridgeford Pirie was born in Aberdeen in 1848 (christened 26 December, St Nicholas Parish) the son of John Pirie, a sea captain with George Thomson's line, and his wife Ann Bridgeford. He was educated at Ledingham's Academy in Aberdeen. About 1863 he was articled to Alexander Ellis, also the son of a sea captain. There he worked under Robert Gordon Wilson and it was probably through Wilson's subsequent period as an assistant with Alexander Thomson from c.1866 that Pirie was to develop an interest in Thomson's work. At the end of his articles c.1866, Pirie spent a short time as an improver with David Bryce in Edinburgh, returning to Aberdeen as leading draughtsman to James Matthews c.1867. He exhibited a design for a screen at the RSA in 1870 and by March 1871 he was living at 6 Brown Street, Woodside, from which he exhibited at the RSA in 1871-73.
After ten years with Matthews, Pirie went into independent practice at 177 Union Street Aberdeen with the encouragement of the builder John Morgan who was seven years older. He was immediately successful, winning in 1878-79 the competitions for two major churches, one in Fraserburgh and one in Aberdeen, both in a very original, predominantly early French, idiom. Both Morgan and Pirie were founding members of the Aberdeen Philosophical Society and enthusiasts for the teaching of John Ruskin with whom Morgan corresponded. They travelled together in Britain to see the latest developments, and Morgan's travels in America and the Far East were to have a considerable influence on the decorative arts aspect of the practice through the books and prints he brought home.
When Pirie opened his office at 177 Union Street he shared it with Arthur Clyne, a former colleague at Matthews's practice. In 1881 they merged their practices as Pirie & Clyne and moved to 123 ½ Union Street which was to remain their address. Clyne was five years younger, born in Aberdeen in 1853 and the son of Norval Clyne, an advocate (i.e.solicitor) there. He had been articled to Matthews c.1868 and had been an assistant in the office of Andrew Heiton of Perth since the end of his apprenticeship c.1873-1876. In 1882 they had a link of some kind with Frederick Thomas Pilkington with whose work their own had some affinities as W T Johnston has established that Pirie shared Pilkington's address at 2 Hill Street, Edinburgh, in that year.
While Morgan provided the practice with a steady flow of commissions for villas and terraced housing, it was otherwise dependent on success in competitions and on Clyne's strong Episcopal church connections. It did not reach the final tier in the Glasgow Municipal Buildings competition, was unpremiated in the Aberdeen Art Gallery and Gray's School of Art competition and came only third in that for Aberdeen Public Library but it did initially have significant successes in local competitions for churches, all of which were designed in a very original muscular early Gothic style. Morgan's own house at 50 Queen's Road was Gothic of the same school but their few commercial buildings and their villas were designed in a highly original variation of Alexander Thomson's style, with motifs drawn from a wide range of sources.
Pirie died of tuberculosis on 24 February 1892 at his house at 24 Hamilton Place. During his last months he occupied himself with the design of the monument to James Saint which relieved ' many a weary hour of illness' and the writing of a paper 'The Beauty of Art' which was never given. He left a widow and five children but no moveable estate, John Morgan observing: 'He died early in years, yet he left abiding monuments of his taste, skill, and genius, and it gives some idea of his genius when one finds some of his details all over town. No company would insure his life, he died poor, and left a young family unprovided for.' Morgan was involved in raising money for them, and there may have been some difficulty with Clyne as Pirie's widow withdrew her husband's drawings from the practice archive and stored them in the attic of their house in Hamilton Place. The more important of these were retained by the family when the Hamilton Place house was closed and are now in the NMRS. Pirie's son Bridgeford MacDougall Pirie, born 1877, became an architect but practised only briefly in Aberdeen in 1897-99, later emigrating.
After Pirie's death Clyne's work became less unconventional, his church work being strongly influenced by the Aberdeen Ecclesiological Society of which he and Morgan were founder members. His Episcopal Church of St Devenick at Bieldside (1902) was pure late Scots Gothic, close in style to Alexander Marshall Mackenzie's work of the same vintage. Although Clyne's relationship with the Pirie family became strained, this seems to have made no difference of any kind with Morgan after Pirie's death as he was to remain an important client. Clyne removed the practice to 33 St Swithin Street and was President of the Aberdeen Society of Architects in 1900, being admitted FRIBA in April by virtue of that office. He stood down as President in 1904 but was re-elected for the years 1909-13. He retired in 1914 when the practice, then back in Union Street at no 375, was closed. He died at Charlwood House, Charlwood, Surrey on 6 January 1924. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 375, Union Street, Aberdeen, Scotland | Business | | Before 1914 | | | 123 1/2, Union Street, Aberdeen, Scotland | Business | 1881 | After 1892 | | | 33, St Swithin Street, Aberdeen, Scotland | Business | After 1892 | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
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 | | | Design for small terraced houses | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Drawing not dated | | 1879 | Design for a small house | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | | | 1879 | Queen's Cross Free Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Won competition and secured job | | 1880s | Town and County Bank | Echt | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | | | 1880 | Glasgow Municipal Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Competition design, not successful | | 1880 | Victoria Hall | Castleton, Braemar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | | | 1881 | Central School | Fraserburgh | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Headmaster's House - perhaps by Pirie & Clyne | | 1881 | Millbrex Established Church | Fyvie | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | | | 1881 | Robertson Memorial Church | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | | | 1881 | St John's School | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Additions | | 1881 | Teacher's House | Fraserburgh | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | | | 1881 | Viewbank | Pitfodels | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1881 | York Street School | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | After 1881 | Advocates Hall, Concert Hall and Court | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Alterations | | After 1881(?) | Arbroath Parish Church | Arbroath | | Angus | Scotland | Uncertain what involvement was | | After 1881(?) | Craigmillar Steam Laundry | Craigmillar | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Exact date unknown - may have been by Clyne alone, before or after partnership | | After 1881 | Denmore | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Addition of rustic porch | | After 1881 | Nether Benholm Farm Steading | | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | Alterations | | After 1881 | Rifle Volunteer Drill Hall | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | c. 1881(?) | Stable House, Rubislaw Terrace | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | After 1882 | Peterhead Academy | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | 'Buildings of Scotland' gives date of 1890-91 but the dates are in conflict with information from Alexander Lorimer's Nomination Paper. | | 1883 | 4 Belmont Street | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Additions | | 1883 | Anderson Library | Woodside | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1883 | New Deer Free Church | New Deer | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Sketch design for new church - did not win competition | | 1883 | St Andrew's Episcopal Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Reredos design | | 1883 | St Leonard's Free Church | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Competition design - not successful (alternative estimates submitted July 1882) | | c. 1883 | Aberdeen Art Gallery | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Competition design - not successful | | c. 1883 | Gray's School of Art | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Competition design - not successful | | 1884 | 108 Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1884 | Design for a 'decorated Gothic' screen (St Mary's ?) | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1884 | Four Houses on Argyll Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1884 | Four Houses on Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1884 | House for John Morgan on Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1884 | Macduff Town Hall | Macduff | | Banffshire | Scotland | Won competition and secured job. | | 1884 | Three Houses on Argyll Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1884 | Two double cottages, Argyll Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1884 | Two Houses on Argyll Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1884 | Two Houses on Argyll Place for John Morgan | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | Before 1884(?) | House on west corner of Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | 46 and 48 Queen's Road | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | 50 Queen's Road | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | 52 and 54 Queen's Road | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | 62 Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | 64-66 Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | 86-88 Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | Fourteen Houses on Burnside Road for John Morgan | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | House for C Robertson on Fountainhall Road | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | St James' Episcopal Church | Stonehaven | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | Chancel and vestry | | 1885 | St Ninian's Chapel | Arbroath | | Angus | Scotland | Pulpit and proposed extension to chapel | | 1885 | St Palladius's Episcopal Church and Parsonage | Drumtochty | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Also designed font | | 1885 | Two Houses for John Morgan on Argyll Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | Two Houses on Argyll Place for John Morgan | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1885 | Whitehall Bowling & Tennis Club Pavilion | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1886 | 68-70 Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1886 | Bayview | Spital | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1886 | Five Houses on Queen's Road | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1886 | Four Houses on Esslemont Avenue for R W Carter | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1886 | House for George M Thompson on Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | c. 1886 | 78-80 Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | c. 1886 | 82-84 Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | c. 1886 | 90, 92, 94, 96 Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | c. 1886 | House for Mr Moir at North east corner of Hamilton Place | | | | Scotland | | | c. 1886 | House on North West corner of Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | c. 1886 | House, Hamilton Road/Whitehall Road corner | | | | Scotland | | | 1887 | 16 Rose Street | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1887 | Argyll Crescent | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1887 | Houses for Robert Murray and John Morgan on Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1887 | St James Episcopal Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1888 | Queen's Cross Free Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Organ chamber added | | 1889 | Central Public Library | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Third premiated competition design | | 1890 | Allenvale Cemetery, James Saint Monument | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1890 | House for Captain Cumine on King Street Road | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1890 | House on Hamilton Place | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1891 | All Saints Episcopal Church | Strichen | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Reconstruction | | 1891 | House on Hamilton Place for John Morgan | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | Before 1892 | House at Rubislaw for James Clyne | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Ball, Victoria Reyner | 1997 | Some interiors by John Bridgeford Pirie and Arthur Clyne, Architects, Aberdeen | | Journal of the Decorative Arts Society, no 21 | | | In Memoriam | 1898 | In Memoriam: an obituary of Aberdeen and Vicinity | | | | | Morgan, John | 1899 | Memoirs | | Aberdeen | | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1914 | | | | | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1923 | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Building News | 11 January 1924 | | | Obituary of Clyne | | RIBA Journal | 9 February 1924 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | Obituary of Clyne p266 |
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