Basic Biographical Details Name: | Robert Samson Ingram | Designation: | | Born: | 5 May 1841(?) | Died: | 6 October 1915(?) | Bio Notes: | Robert Samson Ingram was born at Kilmarnock on 5 May 1841, the eldest son of James Ingram of Kilmarnock and his wife Mary Samson: he was the younger brother of William Ingram. Robert was sent to London to gain experience. He seems to have studied under Professor Thomas Leverton Donaldson (who had Ayrshire connections at Williamshaw) at University College as he proposed him for associate membership of the RIBA, for which he was admitted on 26 March 1866 (lapsed c.1883). At that date Robert's address was 1 Westminster Chambers, indicating that he was an assistant of Charles Barry Junior who was another signatory to his nomination paper, the third being James Thomson. By 1868 he had joined his brother William at West Regent Street, Glasgow, but subsequently moved to Kilmarnock to join his father, the Kilmarnock practice becoming J & R S Ingram. In July 1879 James died, the firm being restyled W & R S Ingram by August 1879, although some jobs were being carried out under the name of J & R S Ingram in the 1880s. Although the practice built for all denominations, the RC archdiocese of Glasgow was an important client in the 1880s.
Robert Samson Ingram was probably responsible for the design of his father's Kilmarnock Corn Exchange even though he was in London at the time as its sophisticated Renaissance treatment is clearly related to the Venetian Renaissance blocks he later built in John Finnie Street in partnership with his father. He was a very competent Gothic architect but his late work is somewhat perplexing as the work of one of the best-educated architects of his generation. In the Dick Institute, Kilmarnock, built in 1897-1901, he returned to his farther's neo-classical style of the 1840s and 1850s, the portico having the same narrow proportions as Craig House of 1835. His later baronial work was equally old fashioned but much less happily proportioned, his Ladykirk House of 1903 being still in the style of the 1870s.
William Ingram died at 6 Walmer Terrace, Govan on 4 February 1898: in 1906 Robert took David Morton Brown into partnership, the practice becoming Ingram & Brown. Robert Samson Ingram married Frances Hay Torrance. He died of heart disease on 6 October 1915 at The Grove, Mauchline, leaving moveable estate of £357 14s 6d. His death was reported by his partner David Morton Brown suggesting he had no near relatives left. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland | Private | | | | | 1, Westminster Chambers, London, England | Business | 1866 * | | | | 154, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1868 | 1870 | At least for these dates | | 114, King Street, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland | Business | 1887 * | | | | The Grove, Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland | Business | 1915 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Charles Barry (junior) | 1866 * | | Assistant | | | J & R S Ingram | After 1868 | 1878 or 1879 | Partner | | | W & R S Ingram | August 1879 | Before 1906 | Partner | Did Ingram and Brown practice under this name? | | Ingram & Brown | 1906 | 1915 | Partner | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
RIBARIBA Proposers
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 | | | Dean Castle | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Restoration | | After 1868 | 14 London Road | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Remodelling? - attribution by Craig McLelland, South Ayrshire Council. | | 1869 | Bellgrove UP Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Perhaps involved? | | Late 1860s(?) | Woodstock Cottage | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | HS attribution; HS gives date of m 65 but if attributiom is correct, the date must be slightly later (the partnership was not formed until between 1866 and 1868) | | 1873 | Commercial building, John Finnie Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1874 | Garallan School | Skares | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1874 | Hurlford Parish Church and manse | Hurlford | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1874 | Lairdsland Primary School | Kirkintilloch | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | | | 1874 | Operetta House | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1875 | Bargeddie Parish Church, Manse and Hall | Bargeddie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1875 | New Cumnock Primary School | New Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1875 | Our Lady and St Ninian RC Church | Newton Stewart | | Wigtownshire | Scotland | Executant architect | | 1875 | St Margaret's | Johnstone | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | c. 1875 | Office building, West George Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | HS attribution | | 1876 | Cumnock Public School | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1876 | Smith's Building, John Finnie Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | HS attribution | | 1876 | Symington School | Symington | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1876 | Torrance Board School | Torrance | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | 1877 | Chapel behind Wellpark House (formerly St Peter's Seminary) | Partick | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1877 | Crosshouse Established Church and Manse | Crosshouse, Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Unsuccessful competition design? | | 1877 | Grange Free Church | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1877 | RC School, East Shaw Street | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | ? | | 1878 | St Ninian's RC Church and School | Gourock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1879 | Bourtreehill House | | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Reconstruction after fire | | 1879 | Burns Monument | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1879 | Burns Museum | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1879 | Galston Parish Church | Galston | | Ayrshire | Scotland | SW porch | | Before 1879 | Dalmore House | Stair (near) | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Attribution by Davis | | 1880 | 14-28 John Finnie Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1880 | Blackwood RC Church | Blackwood | | Lanarkshire? | Scotland | | | 1882 | Glenbuck Parish Church | Glenbuck | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1882 | RC Church | Muirkirk | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1882 | St Mary's RC Church, Irvine | Irvine | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1882 | St Paul RC Church | Hurlford | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Original building | | 1882 | St Thomas RC Church and Presbytery | Muirkirk | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Presbytery | | 1882 | Wilson Hall | Catrine | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1883 | 1 Aitken Street | Dalry | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1883 | Balgreen Farm | Dalrymple | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1883 | Public Halls | Dalry | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1883 | Tenements, Park Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1883 | Terrace of tenements, North Hamilton Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1884 | Ossington Coffee Tavern | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1884 | Our Lady and St Anne RC Church | Cadzow | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1885 | Cumnock Town Hall | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1885 | Reformers' Monument | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1885 | St Marnock's Parish Church | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Restoration | | 1885 | Uddingston School | Uddingston | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | c. 1885 | Villas, Dundonald Road | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1886 | Kilmarnock Corn Exchange | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Alterations and additions (8 bay addition to left of London Road facade) | | 1886 | St Andrews Free Church | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | New façade and tower interior largely rebuilt | | 1887 | Arnsheen Church | Barrhill | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1887 | Conservative Club | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1887 | Darvel Central Church | Darvel | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1887 | Maybole Town Hall | Maybole | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1887 | Victoria Halls | Helensburgh | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | | | 1888 | Building for the Kilmarnock Equitable Co-operative Society | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1888 | Caldwell Church | Caldwell | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1888 | Kilmaurs Church | Kilmaurs | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Reconstruction | | 1889 | Baird Institute | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Mainly responsible | | 1890 | Ossington Coffee Tavern | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Addition of 3 plainer pedimented bays | | 1890 | St Andrews Church | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Church hall added | | 1891 | Cumnock Graveyard, Monument to Prophet (Rev) Alexander Peden | Cumnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Robert responsible for design | | 1891 | Springside Institute | Springside | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1891 | Winton Place EU Church and hall | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Hall added | | 1892 | Kilmarnock Infectious Diseases Hospital, Bellefield | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1892 | Kirklandside Hospital | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1892 | Weir Institute | Lugar | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1894 | Kilmarnock Cemetery, memorial to Walter Low | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1894 | Unionist Club | Troon | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1895 | 11 (Glen Rosa), 13 and 15 High Glencairn Road | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1895 | 30-38 John Finnie Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1895 | Corporation Stables | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1896 | Kilmarnock Academy | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1897 | A M Brown Institute | Catrine | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1897 | Auchinleck Barony Church | Auchinleck | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Tower and transepts. Also pews. | | 1897 | Darnconner Parish Church | Darnconner | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1897 | Dick Institute | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Rebuilt after 1910 fire | | 1897 | Fullerton Public School | Troon | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1899 | Kilmarnock Club | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | Late 1800s | Double villa, 2,4 Loanhead Street | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | HS attribution | | Late 1800s | Semi-detached villas, Portland Road | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | HS attribution | | 1901 | Kames Parish Church | Kames | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1902 | Kames Institute | Muirkirk | | Ayrshire | Singapore | | | 1902 | Loanhead Primary School | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | 1903 | Ladykirk House | Monkton (near) | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Mansion house, and estate work | | 1904 | Dundonald Parish Church | Dundonald | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Chancel added | | 1907 | Villa, Dundonald Road | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Studio added to house | | 1910 | Dean Castle | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | New lodge | | 1911 | Chirk Castle | Chirk, Wrexham | | Denbighshire | Wales | Restoration and alterations | | c. 1912 | Dean Castle | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Later stages of restoration in consultation with J S Richardson |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Post Office Directories | | | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v4 p8 (microfiche 9/G3) |
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