Basic Biographical Details Name: | Wardrop & Reid | Designation: | | Born: | 1874 | Died: | 1883 | Bio Notes: | James Maitland 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 served his apprenticeship with Thomas Brown II of Edinburgh and was taken into partnership in 1849, the practice of Brown & Wardrop being 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, his style and planning being closely based on that of David Bryce, in whose office he may have spent some time.
Wardrop married on 28 September 1853 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. The firm's chief draughtsman, Charles Reid, was then taken into partnership. Born in 1828, Charles Reid was a much younger brother of Alexander and William Reid of Elgin. The practice does not seem to have adopted the title of Wardrop & Reid until 1874. In 1876 the firm succeeded the ailing David Cousin as architects to the British Linen Bank. Wardrop's son, Hew M Wardrop, born on 25 February 1856 and an assistant in George Edmund Street's office from 1874, rejoined the practice in the mid-1870s, subsequently merging it with that of Robert Rowand Anderson and George Washington Browne as Wardrop, Anderson & Browne. In his brief career the younger Wardrop proved a skilful exponent of a William Eden Nesfield-derived neo-Jacobean at Ballochmyle, Ayrshire (1885) and of Arts and Crafts vernacular at the restoration and enlargement of Tilliefour, Aberdeenshire (1885). His assistant Robert Stodart Lorimer was profoundly influenced by him.
James Maitland Wardrop died on 27 June 1882 at Lydney Lodge, 2 Forbes Road, Edinburgh, a house designed and built for himself in 1865-66. Charles Reid died in 1883. Wardrop's son Hew M Wardrop (born 1856) merged the business with Robert Rowand Anderson and George Washington Browne's business as Wardrop, Anderson & Browne, with its address still at 19 St Andrew Square. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 19, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1873 | 1883 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils* earliest date known from documented sources.
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 | | 1849 | West Hall, farmstead and farm offices, cottages etc | Monimail | | Fife | Scotland | Five cottages | | 1864 | Unidentified farmhouse, Hopetoun estate | | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1874 | Ancrum House | Ancrum | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Rebuilt after fire | | 1874 | Chapel of Ease | Selkirk | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | | | 1874 | Craigsanquhar House and stables | | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1874 | Crawford Parish Church | Crawford | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1874(?) | Kilkerran House | Maybole | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Dining room, office court and stable block | | 1874 | Philiphaugh House and West Lodge | | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1874 | Stirling Courthouse | Stirlingshire | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Scheme executed - based on Brown & Wardrop design of 1864 | | 1874 | Stow Church | Stow | | Midlothian | Scotland | Begun under Brown & Wardrop, completed under Wardrop & Reid | | 1874 | Udny Castle with lodge and gates | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | New building incorporating earlier castle. Also south lodge | | 1874 | University of Edinburgh, Medical School and McEwan Hall | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Competition design - not successful | | 1875 | Cranston Parish Church | Cranstoun Riddel | | Midlothian | Scotland | Interior alterations | | 1875 | Fettercairn House | Laurencekirk | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | New wing and alterations | | 1875 | Heriot Church | Heriot | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1875 | Linlithgow Old County Buildings, with courthouse and police station | Linlithgow | | West Lothian | Scotland | Additions | | 1875 | Rosebery House | | | Midlothian | Scotland | Designs for alterations - apparently unexecuted | | 1875 | Royal Bank of Scotland | Wishaw | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1875 | Sleat Parish Church | Sleat | Skye | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Design - church executed by John Mackenzie of Isleornsay, 1877 | | 1875 | St Nicholas Parish Church | Uphall | | West Lothian | Scotland | Alterations and additions. | | c. 1875 | Aros House | | Mull | Argyll | Scotland | Additions | | 1876 | British Linen Bank | Langholm | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1876 | British Linen Bank | Carluke | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Alterations | | 1876 | Dalhousie Fountain | Brechin | | Angus | Scotland | | | 1876 | Harleyburn House, stables and lodge | Melrose | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Gate lodge | | 1876 | Hassendean Burn | | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Alterations | | 1876 | House | Trinity | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1876 | School | Lochgair | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1876 | William Simpson's Asylum | Plean/Quarter/Cushen Quarter | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | South addition and alterations | | 1877 | Arniston House | | | Midlothian | Scotland | Alterations to north elevation - raising of links between central part and pavilions to 2 storeys | | 1877 | Balerno Board School and Schoolhouse | Balerno | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1877 | Braehead House | Cramond | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction | | 1877 | Culzean Castle | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | New nursery wing and interior remodelling - Reid responsible | | 1877 | Culzean Castle Estate, Fountain Court, walls, orangery and shelter | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Unclear of role | | 1877 | Fairburn Estate, Aultgowrie Lodge and gates | | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1877 | Fairburn House | | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | | | 1877 | Freeland House | | | Perthshire | Scotland | Additions, including great hall | | 1877 | Hardhill farmhouse, farm offices and houses (for farm workers?) | Armadale | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1877 | Lochinch House | Wigtown | | Wigtownshire | Scotland | Cottages built | | 1877 | Ormiston Church | Ormiston | | East Lothian | Scotland | Additions | | 1877 | Ormiston School | Ormiston | | East Lothian | Scotland | | | 1877 | Philiphaugh House and West Lodge | | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Gates and West Lodge | | 1877 | Three Mile Town Farmhouse | | | West Lothian | Scotland | Addition | | 1878 | British Linen Bank | Brechin | | Angus | Scotland | Alterations | | 1878 | Chirnside Parish Church | Chirnside | | Berwickshire | Scotland | Repairs and alterations | | 1878 | Hoddom Castle | Ecclefechan | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Additions - Tudor range at east side | | 1878 | Inverquharity Castle | | | Angus | Scotland | Scheme for new house incorporating existing tower house (alternative to rebuilding Kinnordy House, not executed) | | 1879 | Bank of Scotland | Newton Stewart | | Wigtownshire | Scotland | Remodelling | | 1879 | British Linen Bank | Haddington | | East Lothian | Scotland | Alterations | | 1879 | Cambo House | | | Fife | Scotland | New house built: ruins of previous house demolished | | 1879 | Camphill House | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Additions | | 1879 | Culzean Castle cottages | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1879 | Dalquharran Castle | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Two schemes for additions - not built to their designs | | 1879 | Duns Parish Church | Duns | | Berwickshire | Scotland | Rebuilding after fire | | 1879 | Haddo House | Haddo/Methlick | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Major alterations | | 1879 | House for Mr Turnbull | Selkirk | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | | | 1879 | House for Mr Waddell | Selkirk | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | | | 1879 | Kinnordy House | | | Angus | Scotland | | | 1879 | Villa, Ettrick Road | Selkirk | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | | | 1880s | Douglas Castle | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Scheme for Chapel and Hall (last digit of date missing) | | 1880 | Barnbougle Castle | Dalmeny Park | | West Lothian | Scotland | Restoration as library - begun 1880 and continued onwards | | 1880 | Beaufort Castle | Beauly | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Work begun 1880 and continued (including chapel) | | 1880 | British Linen Bank | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | | | 1880 | British Linen Bank | Peebles | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Design | | 1880 | British Linen Bank | Thornhill | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1880 | Carnell | Hurlford | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Additions to house, including chimneypieces in main rooms | | 1881 | Dailly New Parish Church | Dailly | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Unexecuted scheme | | 1881 | Nether Parkley | Linlithgow | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1882 | Ardgowan House | Inverkip | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Scheme for alterations (not executed) | | 1882 | Barskimming House | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Rebuilding of main block after fire | | 1882 | Commercial Bank of Scotland, Dunfermline Branch | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Large extension | | 1882 | High Church | Bathgate | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1882 | St Mary's Parish Church | Hawick | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Rebuilding after fire - apparently begun under Wardrop & Reid and completed under Wardrop, Anderson & Browne | | 1882 | St Thomas's Church of England | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Refacing of Rutland Street elevation, new porch | | 1882 | The Hirsel | Coldstream | | Berwickshire | Scotland | Several schemes for remodelling, not built | | 1886 | Biel Cottage | Biel | | East Lothian | 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 | | | Colvin, H M | 1995 | A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 | 3rd edition | New Haven and London: Yale University Press | | | Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p141 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | H M Register House | Death Register | | |
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