Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | Henry Francis Kerr | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 15 February 1855 | Died: | 2 November 1946 | Bio Notes: | Henry Francis Kerr was born in Edinburgh on 15 February 1855, the son of Andrew Armstrong Kerr, banker, 4 Broughton Place, and was educated at Hunter's School and thereafter at Edinburgh Academy from 1866 to 1871 and at Edinburgh University from 1871 to 1872. In the following year he was articled to Pilkington & Bell, and he remained with Pilkington as a draughtsman until 1878, continuing to attend classes at the University of Edinburgh and the Government School of Design. In 1879 he obtained a place in the office of John Lamb Murray of Biggar where he seems to have remained until commencing practice on his own account in Edinburgh in 1881, initially from his parents' house in Broughton Place. In 1889 he passed the qualifying exam and was admitted ARIBA his proposers being Rowand Anderson, John Slater and Arthur Cates. By this time he had made various sketching tours in Scotland and while in London to Norwich and Newcastle.
Kerr had Fife connections and for many years a second residence at St Colm's, Inverkeithing. He was a prominent antiquary and architectural historian and published extensively in the 'RIAS Quarterly', 'The Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries' and the 'Transactions of the Scottish Ecclesiological Society', and in the 'Book of the Old Edinburgh Club'. He was elected to the Parish Council in 1898, was a member of the Board of Managers of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum and was President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association in 1900.
During World War I Kerr took charge of the practice of Alexander Hunter Crawford and Henry Rochead Williamson and ran it from his home at 12 East Claremont Street: Crawford at this time was in Liverpool overseeing the rebuilding of the Fairfield Biscuit Works and Williamson was on active service. Kerr had previously shared Crawford & Williamson's office at 10 Randolph, perhaps with the intention of merging the practices.
Kerr died at his daughter's house at 12 East Claremont Street, Edinburgh on 2 November 1946 where he had lived after the death of his wife but his daughter also predeceased him. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 4, Broughton Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | c. 1881 | c. 1884 | |  | 20, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1885 | c. 1890 | Possibly longer |  | 2, London Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1887 | 1889 | Possibly longer |  | 36, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1891 | c. 1902 | |  | 56, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1895 | | |  | 22, East Claremont Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1901 | | |  | 62, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1905 | c. 1913 | |  | 12, East Claremont Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1912 | 1946 | From 1916 until 1922 as office as well. Then office moved to 16 Duke Street. Practised from home again from 1938c |  | 10, Randolph Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | c. 1914 | c. 1915 | Sharing office with Crawford & Wlliamson sometime before this date |  | 12, Duke Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1923 * | | Who's who in Archit4ecture 1926 says this was number 16 Duke Street |  | 16, Duke Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1923 | c. 1938 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or Pupils
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | (Sir) Robert Rowand Anderson | 3 June 1889 | for Associateship |  | (Professor) Gerald Baldwin Brown | 3 June 1889 | for Associateship - as President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association |  | G Fairbairn | 3 June 1889 | for Associateship - as Secretary of the Edinburgh Architectural Association |
RIBA ProposalsThis architect proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | David Alexander Crombie | 20 March 1911 | for Licentiateship |  | John Dall | 20 March 1911 | for Licentiateship |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Edinburgh Academy | 1982 | Edinburgh Academy Register | | | |  | McKinstry, Sam | 1982 | What factors influenced the design of Dalziel UF Church, Motherwell | | Open University A 305. K0037636 | |  | Pike | | Edinburgh and the Lothians at the turn of the 20th century | | | |  | Post Office Directories | | | | | |  | Scottish Biographies | 1938 | | | E J Thurston (pub.) | |  | Who's Who in Architecture | 1926 | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Architect and Building News | November 1946 | | | Obituary |  | Builder | 15 November 1946 | | | Obituary |  | RIBA Journal | 29 January 1947 | v54 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p203 - obituary |  | Scotsman | 4 November 1946 | | | p6 - obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | RIAS Collection, NMRS, RCAHMS | Henry Francis Kerr Press Cuttings Book | | |
Images © All rights reserved. Edinburgh and the Lothians at the opening of the twentieth century / by A. Eddington. Contemporary biographies / edited by W.T. Pike |