Name: | J & W Smith |
Designation: | |
Born: | 1845 |
Died: | 1879 |
Bio Notes: | John Smith was born in 1781, the son of William Smith, architect and builder, Aberdeen. Of the father little is recorded except that he was known as 'Sink'em'; that he had his workshop in Longacre; that he designed and built Gilcomston Chapel of Ease and the houses at the bottom end of Marischal Street, all in Aberdeen. It is not known exactly when he died but it appears to have been between February and November 1812. The son is said to have been sent at an early age to the office of James Playfair (or perhaps he assisted him in some junior capacity at the building of Cairness, Aberdeenshire, but neither the Playfair diary nor the Gordon minutes provide any evidence of it). He cannot have worked long for Playfair who died in 1794, and it is not known which London office he was in thereafter. Around 1804 he returned to Aberdeen with an extensive collection of plans and was nearly lost as his ship entered Aberdeen Harbour in a storm. Circa 1805 Smith designed his first major work in Aberdeen, a large house on Union Street for Patrick Milne of Crimonmogate. Two years later Smith succeeded Thomas Fletcher as engineer to the King Street, Union Street and Union Terrace works and laid out St Nicholas Street to connect it with George Street. By 1860 he had produced the first accurate survey of Aberdeen which was published in the same year. Thereafter he built up the largest business both in architecture and building and cabinet-making in the north-east, with headquarters at his house at 142 King Street, Aberdeen. He was associated with Thomas Telford on the harbour improvements planned from 1824 and was formally appointed superintendent of work for the City of Aberdeen in that same year. In that capacity he attended to such matters as street lighting, cleansing and executions (which are said to have brought gloom to the Smith household for weeks). He was also agent for the Imperial Insurance Company.
John died at Rosebank Hardgate, a pleasant 18th-century mansion with a large garden which he inherited from his father-in-law. He had married Margaret Grant, only child of Colonel George Grant of Auchterblair in Banffshire, a marriage which brought useful landed connections, their first home being at Longacre adjacent to the elder William Smith's house and builder's yard. Near contemporary accounts record that she was tall good-looking and aristocratic in demeanour which a family portrait appears to confirm. Smith himself was 'a shy retiring man as well as an able and diligent official'.
Most members of their family died early but his son William joined the practice after graduating MA at Marischal College and subsequently sought experience in London with Thomas Leverton Donaldson. He appears to have returned to Aberdeen by 1842 and was made a partner in 1845. His eldest daughter Margaret Grant Smith (died 1857) married Alexander Gibb, the civil engineer, on 17 March 1831. Some biographical details will be found in Lettice Milne Rae's 'Story of the Gibbs.'
John Smith's work was in his early years almost exclusively refined neo-Greek, but from 1820 onwards most of his churches and large houses were Tudor Gothic, the latter sometimes with Scottish features as at Balmoral from about 1830. These were closely modelled on William Burn's style with which he had become acquainted at Robert Gordon's, Fintray and Auchmacoy.
Brief biographical notices with short lists of principal works compiled by John's son William appeared in the Aberdeen Journal' in July 1852, in 'The Builder' and in the 'Architectural Publication Society's Dictionary'. A great many informative references to his career in Aberdeen will be found in G M Frazer's biography of Archibald Simpson (1790-1847), which appeared as a serial in the 'Aberdeen Weekly Journal' of 1918. A collected copy of these articles is available at Aberdeen Public Library. A fragmentary list of plans and some of his accounts (1807-1832) are in the National Monuments Record of Scotland. |
This 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 |
| | Edgehill House | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Date unknown |
| 1845 | Fraserburgh Prison | Fraserburgh | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1845 | Haddo House | Haddo/Methlick | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1845 | Huntly Police Office Prison | Huntly | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1845 | Haddo Estate, Lodges | Haddo | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | 'Probably' (HS) |
| c. 1845 | Haddo House, Butler's Cottage, Gardener's Cottage and Laundry | Methlick | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Laundry |
| c. 1845 | Leochel Cushnie Manse | Leochel Cushnie | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1845 | Manse | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1846 | Kincardine O'Neil Church | Kincardine O'Neil | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Repairs |
| 1846 | Mains of Haddo, farmhouse and office | Haddo | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | If 1845 may be by Smith |
| 1846 | Tarland Manse | Tarland | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1846 | Trinity Hall | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Original building |
| 1847 | Auchaber Manse | Forgue | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1847 | Auchiries School | Cruden | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1847 | Bogbrae School | Cruden | | Aberdeenshire? | Scotland | |
| 1847 | Cluny School | Cluny | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1847 | Forgue Free Manse | Forgue | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1847 | Haddo Estate, monument terminating avenue east south east of house | Haddo | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | 'Probably' (HS) |
| 1847 | King Street Iron Works | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1847 | Kirkville House | Skene | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Additions |
| 1847 | Learney House | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Additions |
| 1847 | Tarves Manse | Tarves | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1847 | Haddo Estate, gates on avenue (the 'golden gates') | Haddo | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | 'Probably' (HS) |
| 1848 | Balmoral I | Balmoral | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Large unexecuted scheme for remodelling and enlargement |
| 1848 | Savoch of Deer Manse | Savoch of Deer | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1849 | Badentoy Mansion House and Offices | Banchory | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | |
| 1849 | Balmoral Castle, ice house | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1850 | Balmoral Castle, venison larder | Balmoral | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1850 | Bridge of Dyce | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Rebuilding |
| 1850 | Fintray School and Schoolhouse | Fintray | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Addition to schoolhouse |
| c. 1850 | Inchmarlo House | | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | Addition of third storey |
| c. 1850 | Kirkhill | Old Meldrum / Oldmeldrum | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1850 | Learney House | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Potting shed |
| c. 1850 | Logierieve House | Pitmedden | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1850 | Waterton House | Ellon | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | On stylistic grounds from similarity to Logierieve. |
| 1851 | Balmoral Castle, pony stables | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1851 | Fintray Manse | Fintray | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1851 | Udny Manse and Offices | Udny | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1852 | Balmoral Castle | Balmoral | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1852 | Medico-Chirurgical Society Hall | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Additions |
| 1852 | Rathen Manse and Offices | Rathen | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Reconstruction |
| Before 1852 | 173 Union Street | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| Before 1852 | Blackhall Castle | Banchory (near) | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | Alterations to previous house on the same site |
| Before 1852 | Brucklay Bridge over the water of Fedderate | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| Before 1852 | Drumside House | | | | Scotland | |
| Before 1852 | Footdee Ropeworks | Footdee | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| Before 1852 | House for Baillie Stewart on Union Street | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Possibly involved |
| Before 1852 | House for Gavin Hadden at Union Grove | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Possibly involved |
| 1853 | 60-62 Bon Accord Street | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1853 | Alexander Scott's Hospital | Huntly | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Original building |
| 1853 | House at Goval | Dyce | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1854 | Town and County Bank | Stonehaven | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | |
| 1855 | Clarence Street Extension, Waterloo Quay to St Clement Street | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1855 | Echt Parish Manse | Echt | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Alterations and additions |
| 1855 | Savoch of Deer School | Savoch of Deer | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1857 | Union Bank | Fraserburgh | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1858 | Aberdeen Town and County Bank | Alford | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1858 | City of Glasgow Bank | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1859 | Drummuir Home Farm | Drummuir | | Banffshire | Scotland | |
| 1859 | Dunecht House (including chapel) | Echt | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Large additions |
| 1859 | Larachmore House | Strachan | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | |
| 1860 | Alexander Scott's Hospital | Huntly | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | West wing |
| 1860 | Anderson Institute | Lerwick | Mainland | Shetland | Scotland | William Smith II responsible |
| 1860 | Educational Institute | Lerwick | Mainland | Shetland | Scotland | |
| 1860 | Methlick Manse | Methlick | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1860 | St Fergus Manse | St Fergus | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Additions |
| 1861 | Brig O' Balgownie over the River Don | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Repairs |
| 1861 | Old Meldrum Parish Church | Old Meldrum / Oldmeldrum | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Additions - mainly in south aisle |
| 1862 | Aberdeen Municipal Buildings and Tolbooth | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Competition design for court house by William Smith II - not successful |
| 1862 | Balmoral Castle, Dairy and Dairy Cottages | Balmoral | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Several revisions of Beaton scheme made. Smith advertised for contractors |
| 1862 | Findrack House | Lumphanan | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Additions |
| 1864 | Offices for Northern Agricultural Lime Company | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1864 | Pumping station of Aberdeen Water Works | Peterculter | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | William Smith II responsible |
| 1865 | Aberdeen Joint Passenger Station | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1865 | Alexander Scott's Hospital | Huntly | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Restoration |
| 1865 | Cottage for Manson of Kilblean | Old Meldrum / Oldmeldrum | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1865 | Gilcomston Free Church | Gilcomston | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1867 | Aberdeen Town and County Bank | Lumphanan | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1867 | Crathie Manse | Crathie | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Alterations and additions (or a different manse?) |
| 1867 | Insch Town and County bank | Insch | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1868 | Alexander Scott's Hospital | Huntly | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Additions |
| 1868 | East Prison | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Additional floor |
| 1868 | Rathen Parish Church | Rathen | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1869 | Boys' and Girls' Hospital | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1869 | Peterhead Court House | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Took over commission from Peddie & Kinnear |
| 1869 | Tarland Parish Church (St Moluag) | Tarland | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1869 | Woodside manse | Woodside | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1870 | Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | East wing |
| 1870 | Eight Houses on Abbey Road for fishermen | Torry | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1871 | Aberdeen Harbour, North Pier | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Harbour buildings |
| 1871 | Aberdeen Royal Infirmary | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Fever wards |
| 1872 | Garthdee House with East and West gatelodges | Peterculter | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1872 | Lodge in New Public Park | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1873 | Three Houses on Pilot's Square | Footdee | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1874 | South Square | Footdee | | Aberdeen | Scotland | West side raised |
| 1874 | Tullynessle Church | Tullynessle | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1875 | Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Additions |
| 1875 | Barthol Chapel Church | Tarves | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1875 | Causewayend School | Old Aberdeen | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1875 | Church at Ferryhill | Ferryhill | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1875 | Norton House | Kincardine O'Neil | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Alterations |
| 1875 | Old Meldrum School | Old Meldrum / Oldmeldrum | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1875 | Rosemount Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1875 | St Nicholas Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Tower and spire, restoration of aisles |
| 1875 | St Nicholas East Parish Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Reconstruction after fire |
| 1875 | Strachan School | Strachan | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | |
| 1875 | Theatre, Marischal Street | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Conversion of theatre to church |
| 1875 | Turriff Parish Church | Turriff | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | New belfry |
| 1876 | Belhelvie Parish School | Belhelvie | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1876 | Finzean School | Finzean | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Alterations |
| 1876 | Lumphanan School | Lumphanan | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1876 | Slains Manse, with offices, doocot and gatepiers | Kirktown of Slains | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Offices etc also probably by Smith |
| 1876 | Tulloch School | | | Aberdeenshire? | Scotland | |
| 1877 | 33-37 Union Street and Exchange Court | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Reconstruction |
| 1877 | Auchterless Parish Church | Auchterless | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | New church incorporating parts of older building - John Smith II mainly responsible, as assistant |
| 1877 | Auchterless Parish Churchyard | Auchterless | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Gatepiers - 'probably' (HS) |
| 1877 | Belhelvie Parish Church | Belhelvie | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1877 | Echt Parish Manse | Echt | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Alterations to dining room and drawing room |
| 1877 | Old Meldrum Town Hall | Old Meldrum / Oldmeldrum | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Alterations - 'Buildings of Scotland' suggsts new build by Smiths |
| Before 1877 | Porte cochere from Dunecht reerected as garden ornament | Loch Skene | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | William Smith II responsible |
| c. 1877 | Brig O' Balgownie over the River Don | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Repairs - with John Willet |
| c. 1877 | Parish Manse | Kirkton of Slains | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |
| 1878 | House in South Stocket Road | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | |
| 1878 | Parish Manse | Oldmeldrum | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Enlargement |