Basic Biographical Details

Name: Freeman & Ogilvy
Designation:  
Born: c. 1898
Died: c. 1915
Bio Notes: Percy Benjamin French Freeman was born in 1859 and articled to Robert Henry Burden in London from 1879 until 1883. Thereafter he obtained an appointment as clerk to George Gilbert Scott, Junior, and together with Temple Moore coped with Scott's mental breakdown in 1883-84. When Scott's practice closed he became assistant to Bodley & Garner, setting up his own practice at 3 Staple Inn, London c.1885. The arrangements there were highly unusual as a large part of his business was acting as office manager for Temple Moore. As Giles Gilbert Scott later wrote, 'Moore did not have an office in the ordinary sense as he always worked in his private office at his own home in Well Walk, Hampstead. I did not therefore work under his immediate supervision, but in an office in Staple Inn under the rule of Mr P B Freeman, who was associated with five other architects, all carrying on their own practices.'

In or about 1898 Freeman took Gilbert Francis Molyneux Ogilvy into partnership. Ogilvy was born in 1868, the fourth son of Sir Reginald Ogilvy, 10th Baronet of Inverquharity and Baldovan and his wife the Hon Olivia, daughter of the 9th Baron Kinnaird. He was educated at Glenalmond and at University College, Oxford, before being articled to Hippolyte Blanc in Edinburgh: his nomination paper does not give dates, but the connection presumably came through All Souls Church at Invergowrie, built in 1890-93 for Lady Frances Kinnaird.

Ogilvy's practice consisted principally of estate work and private houses. The estates on which he worked comprised Baldovan, which his elder brother, Sir Herbert Kinnaird Ogilvy 12th Bt WS of the Dundee legal firm of Shiell & Small inherited from their nephew in 1914; the Guthrie estate of Craigie, Angus (now Dundee) for which Sir Herbert was factor; Winton, East Lothian which was owned by his aunt Mrs Nisbet Hamilton Ogilvy; Landguard, Isle of Wight; Sudbury, Derbyshire; Langford, Oxfordshire; Greystoke Castle, Cumberland; Hatherop Castle, Gloucestershire; and the Duchy of Lancaster.

Freeman and Ogilvy were both admitted LRIBA in 1911, Freeman on 27 February and Ogilvy on 20 July. Freeman's proposers were Temple Moore, William Dunn and William Bonner Hopkins, also from Bodley's office; Ogilvy's were Henry Martineau Fletcher, Godfrey Pinkerton and William Dunn, all of London. By that date, some time after 1904, the firm had moved to 6 Gray's Inn Square.

In 1912 Ogilvy married Marjory Katharine Clive, the daughter of Meysey Clive of Whitfield, Herefordshire. He was then living at 17 Kent Terrace, Regent's Park; after his marriage he moved to The Glade House, Burgh Heath, Surrey, but in the early years of the First World War the London practice closed, and Ogilvy returned to Dundee in 1919 to develop the Baldovan estate, setting up practice within his brother Herbert's office at 5 Bank Street.

The practice of Freeman & Ogilvy returned to business after the war and was still active in the mid-1920s; it is not clear whether Ogilvy retained an interest in it or whether it was only the practice title itself that was continued.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 23 Staple Inn, London, EnglandBusinessc. 1898After 1904 
Item 2 of 26, Gray's Inn Square, London, EnglandBusinessBefore 1911c. 1915 

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 2Gilbert Francis Molyneux Ogilvyc. 1898c. 1915Partner 
Item 2 of 2Percy Benjamin French Freemanc. 1898c. 1915Partner 

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 19After 1898House(s)Welwyn HertfordshireEngland 
Item 2 of 19After 1898HousesKingswood  England 
Item 3 of 19After 1898Landguard ManorShanklinIsle of WightHampshireEnglandAdditions
Item 4 of 19After 1898Langford Manor  GloucestershireEnglandAlterations
Item 5 of 19After 1898Sudbury HallSudbury DerbyshireEnglandRepairs and minor alterations
Item 6 of 19After 1898The Deanery, MallingLewes SussexEnglandAdditions
Item 7 of 191901St Luke's Episcopal Church and RectoryStrathmartine DundeeScotland 
Item 8 of 191902Church of St ThomasWarlies/Upshire EssexEngland 
Item 9 of 191904Pair of houses   England 
Item 10 of 191904Vicarage  EssexEngland 
Item 11 of 1919081 and 2 Croft TerraceErrol PerthshireScotlandHS - 'probably Ogilvy & Freeman'
Item 12 of 19Before 1908The WyckStannergate DundeeScotland 
Item 13 of 191909Donnington HallLedbury HerefordshireEnglandExtensive additions and alterations
Item 14 of 191909Stirling House  DundeeScotlandConversion from Craigie Stables to house
Item 15 of 19c. 1911Gardener's House, 62 Old Craigie Road  DundeeScotland 
Item 16 of 19c. 1911Semi-detached cottages, East Haddon Road  DundeeScotland 
Item 17 of 191912All Souls Episcopal ChurchInvergowrie Perthshire/AngusScotlandChoir stalls, side screens and organ case
Item 18 of 191913Chapel at Girls' SchoolBognor SussexEnglandProposed - design exhibited
Item 19 of 191926All Saints ChurchGobowen ShropshireEngland 

References

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Personal information from Sir David Ogilvy, Mr Peattie of Shiell & Small and Henry Pearce Robbie