Basic Biographical Details Name: | Hew Maitland Wardrop (later Hew Montgomerie Wardrop) | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 24 February 1856 | Died: | 4 November 1887 | Bio Notes: | Hew Maitland Wardrop was born in Edinburgh on 24 February 1856 (Johnston gives 3 March; perhaps this was the date of his christening), the second son of James Maitland Wardrop, architect, and his wife Anna Maria Dundas, 5th daughter of James Dundas of Dundas Castle. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy from 1866 to 1870 and articled to his father and his partner Charles Reid c.1870-74. He then obtained a place in the office of George Edmund Street in London. While at Street's he probably studied at the Royal Academy Schools, though this has still to be checked. While in Street's office he appears to have become acquainted with the John James Stevenson - George Gilbert Scott Junior circle as he returned to his father's office a skilful exponent of 'Queen Anne' and an Aesthetic Movement version of neo-Jacobean.
Wardrop's father died on 27 June 1882. Either then, or perhaps slightly earlier, he became a partner in the firm. Although Reid had now become senior partner, the practice title of Wardrop & Reid was retained. Reid died in the following year when Wardrop was only twenty-seven, causing him to merge his practice with that of Robert Rowand Anderson and George Washington Browne, the latter of whom he had probably known in London. The practice title then became Wardrop, Anderson & Browne, based in the former Wardrop & Reid office at 19 St Andrew Square. For reasons not entirely clear, Browne withdrew from the partnership in 1885, the practice title becoming Wardrop & Anderson.
By 1886 Wardrop's work became increasingly Arts and Crafts in character, as can be seen in his sensitive additions to Tillyfour. His site architect there was his favourite pupil, Robert Stodart Lorimer, who was to name his son Hew after him.
Wardrop died suddenly of appendicitis on 4 November 1887 at Udny Castle, Aberdeenshire, where he had been engaged on decorative work. By that date he appears to have changed his middle name to Montgomerie. The reasons for this are not known: it may have been to avoid confusion with his brother and it cannot have related to inheritance, as he left only £1,510 12s 4d, which cannot have represented much more than his share of the Wardrop & Anderson partnership. He never married and was survived by three brothers: James Charles, born 2 August 1854, who became a WS and joint Secretary of the Life Association, settling in London with a house in Buckinghamshire in 1890; Henry Alfred, born 4 May 1858, who settled in New Zealand in 1879 but returned on his father's death to become land agent to the Earl of Suffolk; and Maitland Dalrymple, born 8 October 1859, who was articled as an architect in Edinburgh and worked in an unspecified London office prior to emigrating in 1881 to Virginia. He returned in 1885, but did not resume practice, becoming an Anglican clergyman. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | The Lodge, Forbes Road, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | | | Check to see if this remained in his hands after the death of his father |  | 19, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1870 | 1887 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployers
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 |  | 1882 | Houses, Hermitage Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1882 | St Mary's Parish Church | Hawick | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Rebuilding after fire - apparently begun under Wardrop & Reid and completed under Wardrop, Anderson & Browne |  | 1883 | Beaufort Castle | Beauly | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Completion of building |  | 1883 | Freeland House | | | Perthshire | Scotland | Additions |  | 1883 | Lady Flora Hastings Homes | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1883 | Moredun Crescent | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1883 | Normand Memorial Hall | Dysart | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1883 | The Hirsel | Coldstream | | Berwickshire | Scotland | Alterations and additions |  | 1884 | 41-53 Nile Grove | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1884 | Biel | Beesknowe | | East Lothian | Scotland | Alterations |  | 1884 | Catholic Apostolic Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Completion of West end |  | 1884 | Houses, Nile Grove | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1884 | Kirkliston Parish Church | Kirkliston | | West Lothian | Scotland | Restoration and additions. |  | 1884 | Preston House | Linlithgow | | West Lothian | Scotland | Alterations? |  | 1884 | St Margaret's Episcopal Church | Biel | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1884 | Stornoway Parish Church | Stornoway | Lewis | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Alterations |  | 1884 | Whitekirk Church | Whitekirk | | East Lothian | Scotland | New nave ceiling and alterations (drawings dated) |  | 1885 | Ballochmyle House | Mauchline | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Reconstruction and extension - believed to have been responsible for design |  | 1885 | Braid UP Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Begun in partnership, completed by Browne in independent practice |  | 1885 | Buccleuch and Queensberry Memorial | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1885 | Crichton Mains farmhouse and stables | | | Midlothian | Scotland | |  | 1885 | Crichton Village, farm workers' cottages | Crichton | | Midlothian | Scotland | |  | 1885 | Hamilton Parish Church Halls and Schools | Hamilton | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1885 | Morningside Toll House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1885 | National Portrait Gallery and Museum of Antiquities | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Anderson responsible for design |  | 1885 | Pitmedden House | Udny | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Proposed reconstruction - not executed; exhibited as Harry Wardrop's work |  | 1885 | Place of Tillyfour | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Reconstruction |  | 1885 | Queen's Hall | Charlestown | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1885 | St James' Episcopal Church | Goldenacre | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | c. 1885 | Cassillis House | Maybole | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Addition of new wing with library (employed there 1886-7 according to Buildings of Scotland) |  | 1886 | Airfield Farm | Cousland (near) | | Midlothian | Scotland | Received payment for work at Airfield (though practice had changed to Wardrop & Anderson in 1885) |  | 1886 | All Saints Episcopal Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Scheme to add Lady Chapel with organ loft above (on site of original chamber) |  | 1886 | Beesknowe Farmhouse | | | | Scotland | |  | 1886 | Biel estate, cottages for upper servants | Biel | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1886 | Biel House | Stenton | | East Lothian | Scotland | Completion of work on chapel in partnership - porch |  | 1886 | Hoddom Castle | Ecclefechan | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Additions (also piers to south of Castle & probably estate buildings and west lodge) |  | 1886 | Udny Castle with lodge and gates | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Interior work |  | 1886 | University of Edinburgh, Old College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Dome - Anderson responsible for design |  | c. 1886 | St Anne's Episcopal Church | Dunbar | | East Lothian | Scotland | Design |  | 1887 | 1-11 Inverleith Place | Inverleith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Commissioned by Sutherland & Sons, builders; completed by Anderson after Wardrop's death |  | 1887 | British Linen Bank | Peebles | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Construction |  | 1887 | Burnbrae House | Currie | | Midlothian | Scotland | |  | 1887(?) | Double Villas, Braid Avenue | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Possibly involved initially |  | 1887 | Easter Coates House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension at north end |  | 1887 | Ford Cottages | | | | | |  | 1887 | Holy Trinity Episcopal Church | Pitlochry | | Perthshire | Scotland | Extensions of nave proposed but not built |  | 1887(?) | Selkirk Episcopal Parsonage | Selkirk | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Reconstruction and enlargement |  | 1891 | Freeland House | | | Perthshire | Scotland | Lodge |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Colvin, H M | 1995 | A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 | 3rd edition | New Haven and London: Yale University Press | Entry for Thomas Brown |  | Johnston, W T | 2003 | Artists of Scotland | | Officina Publications CDROM | |  | The Edinburgh Academy Register | 1914 | | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | NMRS Photographic Archive | | Pencil portrait by J H Lorimer at Kellie - copied by NMRS Acc N0 2001/17 (illustrated in Architectural Heritage XIII, p157 |  | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Personal information from the Wardrop family. |
Images © All rights reserved. © courtesy of RCAHMS. Licensor www.rcahms.gov.uk |