Basic Biographical Details

Name: Brown & Wardrop
Designation:  
Born: 1849
Died: 1874
Bio Notes: Thomas Brown was the son of Thomas Brown, the City Superintendent of Works in Edinburgh. He was articled to his father and probably spent some time in the office of William Burn as an improver, some of his early houses being very much in Burn's style. In 1837 he was appointed architect to the Prison Board of Scotland and by 1838 had an office at 3 North Charlotte Street independent of his father's.

In 1849 Thomas Brown II entered into partnership with James Maitland Wardrop. Wardrop was born in London on 16 March 1824, the son of James Wardrop MD, surgeon to George IV, and Margaret, widow of Captain Burn RN and daughter of George Dalrymple of North Berwick. He had been an apprentice to Brown prior to being taken into partnership. The practice of Brown & Wardrop was based at 19 St Andrew Square.

Wardrop gradually took over the design work relating to Brown's position as architect to the Prison Board of Scotland, including at the county buildings of Wigtown (1862), polychrome Franco-Italian Gothic and Alloa, Clackmannan (1863), Forfar, Angus (1869) and Stirling (design 1866, built 1874), all 15th/16th-century Franco-Scottish of the same school as David Bryce's Fettes. Indeed he may have spent some time in the office of David Bryce on whose work his domestic style and planning was closely based. In 1848 he had prepared a neo-Tudor scheme for completely remodelling Clifton Hall, Midlothian which was superseded by the executed scheme for complete rebuilding by Bryce in 1850.

Brown's daughter was born on 23 September 1853. On 28 September of the same year Wardrop married at Dundas Castle Anna Maria, 5th daughter of James Dundas, 24th and last of Dundas, a financially unsuccessful inventor. This widened the already extensive landed connections he had inherited from his mother. Much of his work consisted of modernising older houses, but in 1861 he secured the commission for the huge Scottish Baronial Lochinch, built for the 10th Earl of Stair as a setting for the collections of his countess, daughter of the Duc de Coigny. With a big tower as its dominant feature, well organised plan and indoor bowling alley and extensive formal gardens, it established him as a serious rival to Bryce, a position consolidated by the equally large and stylish Franco-Scottish Stitchill, Roxburgh (1866) and the remodelling of Callendar Park, Stirlingshire (1869-77) as a vast symmetrical Francois Ier chateau. Glenternie, Peeblesshire (1863), Ardwell, Wigtownshire (1869), Udny (1874) and Fairburn, Ross-shire (1877) were all of a similar school to Bryce's houses, but his substantial enlargement of the 16th-century Z-plan tower house of Nunraw, East Lothian (1868) in its own style with thick walls, small openings and convincing detail was by far the most accomplished essay in pure revivalism then achieved in Scotland, anticipating R S Lorimer's work much later; in similar vein was his rebuilding from ruins of Barnbougle, Dalmeny, Edinburgh (1881).

At Kinnordy, Angus (1879), Wardrop again broke new ground, the house being large and picturesquely composed in an early-17th-century Scots style but with a studied avoidance of towers, turrets, parapets and other baronial compositional features. At his largest and finest house, Beaufort, Inverness-shire, (1880) Wardrop again demonstrated, as at Stitchill, that he could handle the asymmetrical composition of a really enormous house better than Bryce by concentrating the design into large, simple masses. While Wardrop's classical work was usually subdued Italianate, he became a pioneer of neo-Georgian through his association with the London decorators Wright and Mansfield's Adam-inspired refit of Haddo, Aberdeenshire (1879) and the rebuilding of Barskimming, Ayrshire (1882) in a convincing late-18th-century idiom. Wardrop also rebuilt a large number of country parish churches in a distinctive early decorated style, notable Cumnock, Ayrshire (1864), Methlick, Aberdeenshire (1865), Stow, Midlothian (1862), and Ayton (1867) and Langton (1871) in Berwickshire; he was also a tactful restorer, as can be seen at Mid Calder, West Lothian (1863).

Brown appears to have retired or died in 1872 or 1873 (somewhat confusingly Thomas Brown II of Uphall died in that year but he does not appear to be related). Charles Reid, who had been chief draughtsman in the firm and was a brother of A & W Reid of Elgin, was then taken into partnership, although the practice does not seem to have adopted the title of Wardrop & Reid until 1874.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 119, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1849Before 1873 

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 10Thomas Brown II18491872 or 1873Partner 
Item 2 of 10James Maitland Wardrop18491874Partner 
Item 3 of 10Charles ReidAfter 18491872 or 1873DraughtsmanLatterly chief assistant
Item 4 of 10Francis Drummond Greville Stanley18551859Apprentice 
Item 5 of 10Francis Drummond Greville Stanley1860Late 1861 or early 1862Draughtsman 
Item 6 of 10Francis Usher Holme18621866Apprentice 
Item 7 of 10James Milne Monroc. 1862c. 1865Assistant 
Item 8 of 10Walter Wood Robertson18651867Assistant 
Item 9 of 10Hew Maitland Wardrop (later Hew Montgomerie Wardrop)c. 18701874Apprentice 
Item 10 of 10Charles Reid1872 or 18731874Partner 

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 1321848Craighall, farmstead and farmbuildingsCeres FifeScotlandAdditions and alterations to farm builldings
Item 2 of 1321849Easthall, Steading and cottagesMonimail FifeScotlandFive cottages
Item 3 of 1321849West Hall, farmstead and farm offices, cottages etcMonimail FifeScotlandFive cottages
Item 4 of 1321850Hartwood Hill House   Scotland 
Item 5 of 1321850Springwood ParkKelso RoxburghshireScotlandExtensive alterations and additions
Item 6 of 1321850St Roque's House   Scotland 
Item 7 of 132185133 Princes Street  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 8 of 1321851Dalmahoy House and lodgesRatho EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 9 of 1321852Brechin Castle and gate lodgeBrechin AngusScotlandExtensive alterations and additions and west gate lodge
Item 10 of 1321852Invermark LodgeGlenesk AngusScotland 
Item 11 of 132185331, 32 & 33 Royal Terrace  EdinburghScotland 
Item 12 of 1321853Kinblethmont HouseArbroath (near) AngusScotlandAlterations
Item 13 of 1321853Ormiston ChurchOrmiston East LothianScotland 
Item 14 of 1321853Philiphaugh Farmhouse  SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 15 of 1321855Dalzell HouseMotherwell LanarkshireScotlandAlterations
Item 16 of 1321855Fort George PrisonFort George Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 17 of 1321855Hilderston Farm  West LothianScotlandAddition
Item 18 of 1321855Miss Ivory's House  EdinburghScotland 
Item 19 of 1321855WallhouseTorphichen West LothianScotlandAddition of wings and rear towers
Item 20 of 1321856Kirklands Farmhouse  RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 21 of 1321856Selkirk Episcopal ParsonageSelkirk SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 22 of 1321857Elliston House  RoxburghshireScotlandAlterations
Item 23 of 1321857Kirklands cottages  RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 24 of 1321857M Matheson's shop  EdinburghScotland 
Item 25 of 1321858Carrington ChurchCarrington MidlothianScotlandInterior alterations etc
Item 26 of 1321858Cranston Parish ChurchCranstoun Riddel MidlothianScotlandAlterations
Item 27 of 1321858Ecclesmachan ManseEcclesmachan West LothianScotlandRe-modelling
Item 28 of 1321858Labourers' cottagesShepperton-on-Thames SurreyEngland 
Item 29 of 1321858Lamington House  LanarkshireScotlandMusic Room addition
Item 30 of 1321859Kirkliston Free SchoolKirkliston West LothianScotland 
Item 31 of 1321859New Parish ChurchSelkirk SelkirkshireScotlandScheme for new building selected and executed
Item 32 of 1321860Dunblane CathedralDunblane PerthshireScotlandRoofs of chancel and north range renewed to a flattened section and south chancel parapet also restored
Item 33 of 1321860Fife and Kinross District AsylumSpringfield, Cupar FifeScotlandCompetition design
Item 34 of 1321860House for LivingstonePortobello EdinburghScotland 
Item 35 of 1321860New Crookston HouseStow (near) MidlothianScotlandReconstruction
Item 36 of 1321860Newton DonKelso RoxburghshireScotlandAdditions including porte cochere
Item 37 of 1321860 or 1862Wilton Parish ChurchHawick RoxburghshireScotlandUnsuccessful competition design
Item 38 of 1321861Linlithgow Old County Buildings, with courthouse and police stationLinlithgow West LothianScotland 
Item 39 of 1321861Lochinch HouseWigtown WigtownshireScotland 
Item 40 of 1321862Barnton HouseCramond EdinburghScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 41 of 1321862Borthwick ChurchBorthwick MidlothianScotlandNew church and alterations to chapel, especially west end
Item 42 of 1321862Hoscote HouseHawick RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 43 of 1321862King's GrangeKirkcudbright KirkcudbrightshireScotlandAlterations
Item 44 of 1321862King's Grange, SteadingKirkcudbright KirkcudbrightshireScotland 
Item 45 of 1321862Stirling Old Town PrisonStirling StirlingshireScotlandMinor alterations
Item 46 of 1321862Wigtown County BuildingsWigtown WigtownshireScotland 
Item 47 of 1321863Alloa County BuildingsAlloa ClackmannanshireScotland 
Item 48 of 1321863Glenternie House and gate lodge  PeeblesshireScotlandHouse and porter's lodge
Item 49 of 1321863Linlithgow School and schoolhouseLinlithgow West LothianScotland 
Item 50 of 1321863Midcalder ChurchMidcalder West LothianScotlandRestoration of medieval choir and addition of transepts
Item 51 of 1321863New Calder Church   Scotland 
Item 52 of 1321863Nunraw, cottagesNunraw East LothianScotland 
Item 53 of 1321863Parson's Green HouseWillowbrae EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 54 of 1321863Town and County Buildings and prisonNairn NairnshireScotlandAlterations to prison
Item 55 of 1321864Ayton CastleAyton BerwickshireScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 56 of 1321864Ayton Parish ChurchAyton BerwickshireScotland 
Item 57 of 1321864CraichlawKirkcowan WigtownshireScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 58 of 1321864Dingwall Prison, Sheriff Court and Police StationDingwall Ross and CromartyScotlandAlterations to courthouse?
Item 59 of 1321864Killiechassie  PerthshireScotland 
Item 60 of 1321864Merecleuch   ScotlandDesigns only
Item 61 of 1321864Old Cumnock Parish ChurchCumnock AyrshireScotland 
Item 62 of 1321864Papillon Hall   Scotland 
Item 63 of 1321864Stirling CourthouseStirlingshire StirlingshireScotlandScheme for new sheriff court adjoining prison in St John Street
Item 64 of 1321865Belton House  East LothianScotlandAddition
Item 65 of 1321865Cockburnspath SchoolCockburnspath BerwickshireScotland 
Item 66 of 1321865Elphinstone Tower FarmhouseTranent East LothianScotland 
Item 67 of 1321865Kirkliston ManseKirkliston West LothianScotland 
Item 68 of 1321865Kirkliston Parish ChurchKirkliston West LothianScotlandAlterations
Item 69 of 1321865Methlick Parish ChurchMethlick AberdeenshireScotland 
Item 70 of 1321865Misterton Hall  LeicestershireEnglandAlterations and addtions
Item 71 of 1321865St Nicholas Parish ChurchUphall West LothianScotlandDesign for new church - not built
Item 72 of 1321865Stirling Old Town PrisonStirling StirlingshireScotlandAlterations
Item 73 of 1321865The Lodge  EdinburghScotlandWardrop for himself
Item 74 of 1321866Arniston House  MidlothianScotlandNew library - with Adam Lumsden
Item 75 of 1321866Bieldside HouseWest Barns East LothianScotlandAdditions
Item 76 of 1321866Cowdenknowes  BerwickshireScotlandScheme to baronialise the house - only simplified scheme executed. Extra storey added to SW wing
Item 77 of 1321866Falkirk CourthouseFalkirk StirlingshireScotland 
Item 78 of 1321866Glamis Castle  AngusScotlandProposals for large new wing - not built - but 3 bays in range to E of kitchen block built. Gateways to walled garden (1866)
Item 79 of 1321866Markree Castle  County SligoEireAlterations
Item 80 of 1321866Melgund FarmRoxburgh RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 81 of 1321866Nunraw Castle  East LothianScotlandLarge additions (various schemes from 1861)
Item 82 of 1321866Stitchel HouseStitchel/Stichill/Stichel RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 83 of 1321866Cuplahills Farm OfficeLeuchars FifeScotland 
Item 84 of 1321867Bracewell House     
Item 85 of 1321867Hopetoun, dovecote  West LothianScotland 
Item 86 of 1321867Lochinch HouseWigtown WigtownshireScotlandLodges
Item 87 of 1321867Lochinch House, Main Lodge  WigtownshireScotland 
Item 88 of 1321867Lochinch House, stable courtInch WigtownshireScotland 
Item 89 of 1321867St John's Episcopal ChurchSelkirk SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 90 of 1321867St Leonard's HallSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 91 of 1321867Villas at West GrangeGrange EdinburghScotland 
Item 92 of 1321867Wigton ManseWigtown WigtownshireScotland 
Item 93 of 1321868Castle Stuart  Inverness-shireScotlandRestoration
Item 94 of 1321868Christ's Kirk on the GreenLeslie FifeScotlandSouth extension (doubling original size) with east tower
Item 95 of 1321868Dalkeith SchoolDalkeith MidlothianScotlandAdditions
Item 96 of 1321868Darnaway Castle, east and west lodges  MorayshireScotland 
Item 97 of 1321868Dunblane PrisonDunblane PerthshireScotlandAlterations
Item 98 of 1321869Ardwell HouseWigtown WigtownshireScotlandLarge additions
Item 99 of 1321869Callendar HouseFalkirk StirlingshireScotlandRemodelling (was Wardrop & Reid from 1872)
Item 100 of 1321869Ederline HouseFord ArgyllScotland 
Item 101 of 1321869Forfar CourthouseForfar AngusScotland 
Item 102 of 1321869Forfar PrisonForfar AngusScotlandAlterations
Item 103 of 1321869House for SteedmanSelkirk? SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 104 of 1321869Melrose District AsylumMelrose RoxburghshireScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 105 of 1321869Penninghame HouseNewton Stewart WigtownshireScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 106 of 1321869Reid HallForfar AngusScotland 
Item 107 of 1321869VillaGrange EdinburghScotland 
Item 108 of 1321870Donibristle Estate, North Lodge  FifeScotland 
Item 109 of 1321870Donibristle House, east lodge  FifeScotlandLodge and gates
Item 110 of 1321870Gospatric HouseDalmeny West LothianScotland 
Item 111 of 1321870Springwood Estate, Springwood Home FarmKelso RoxburghshireScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 112 of 1321870Springwood Park Home FarmKelso RoxburghshireScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 113 of 1321871Bridge CastleTorphichen West LothianScotlandAdditions
Item 114 of 1321871Galashiels ManseGalashiels SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 115 of 1321871House and offices for R R GlenLinlithgow West LothianScotland 
Item 116 of 1321871Langton ChurchGavinton BerwickshireScotland 
Item 117 of 1321871Longnewton Place  RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 118 of 1321872Airdit Cottage  FifeScotland 
Item 119 of 1321872Arniston House  MidlothianScotlandPorch and other alterations
Item 120 of 1321872Darnley HouseMelrose RoxburghshireScotlandAdditions
Item 121 of 1321872Harleyburn House, stables and lodgeMelrose RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 122 of 1321872House for Dr WrightDunfermline FifeScotland 
Item 123 of 1321872Kirknewton Parish ChurchKirknewton MidlothianScotlandReconstruction and addition of tower
Item 124 of 1321872Kirkton Manor ChurchManor PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 125 of 1321872Monument to the 2nd Marquess of AilsaCulzean Bay AyrshireScotland 
Item 126 of 1321872Sheriff CourthouseStranraer WigtownshireScotland 
Item 127 of 1321872Springfield   ScotlandAdditions
Item 128 of 1321872 or 1873Stow ChurchStow MidlothianScotlandBegun under Brown & Wardrop, completed under Wardrop & Reid
Item 129 of 1321873Cromlix HouseDunblane PerthshireScotlandCould possibly be by Wardrop & Reid
Item 130 of 1321873House for Mr LauderLochgelly FifeScotland 
Item 131 of 1321873Kilkerran HouseMaybole AyrshireScotlandDining room, office court and stable block
Item 132 of 1321873Lochgelly SchoolLochgelly FifeScotland 

References

Currently, there are no references for this . The information has been derived from: the British Architectural Library / RIBA Directory of British Architects 1834-1914; Post Office Directories; and/or any sources listed under this individual's works.