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Basic Biographical Details
| Name: | Walter Wood Robertson |
| Designation: | Architect |
| Born: | 1845 |
| Died: | 23 April 1907 |
| Bio Notes: | Walter Wood Robertson (who appears incorrectly as Walter Wybrown Robertson in the 'Builder' and Building News obituaries) was born in Elie, Fife, in 1845, the son of James Robertson, cloth weaver and Ann Nelson. In 1858 he was articled to John Chesser, then in the Edinburgh City Superintendent's Office, probably the origin of the 'Scotsman' report that he was articled to Robert Morham. He studied at the Edinburgh School of Art. At the end of his apprenticeship in 1863 he spent three months gaining wider experience in the office of Peddie & Kinnear, with whom Chesser was then closely associated in various property transactions, following which he returned to Chesser as assistant for a further two years. Thereafter he spent two years with Brown & Wardrop before moving to Manchester as draughtsman first with J Holden & Son for two years, and then for a further two with Speakman & Charlesworth, during which period he studied at Owens College. He moved to London in 1871 and joined H M Office of Works as technical assistant to Sir Douglas Galton, H M Director of Works. After that post was abolished he remained in the same office as assistant to Sir John Taylor, who appointed him principal architect and surveyor for Scotland on Robert Matheson's death in 1877. Robertson married Alice Nesbit Alcorne. They had four sons and two daughters. Alan Keith, the youngest son, born 1881, became an architect. Robertson senior took a prominent part in the work of the London Architectural Association during his stay in that city and was vice-president from 1876-77. In 1883 Robertson was admitted to the Merchant Company of which he was successively assistant treasurer, treasurer, and in 1895-97 master. He was also a prominent mason, being for a time RWM of the Lodge of Edinburgh (St Mary's Chapel) No 1. He also served a term as President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association. Robertson's most prominent works were the large post offices built at Perth, Greenock and Dundee in 1897-98. Although their free northern European Renaissance manner reflected Sir Henry Tanner's Birmingham Post Office of a decade earlier and were described as French at the time, the details were more Flemish and seem to have been influenced by the work of the Antwerp City Architect Pieter Jan Auguste Dens in the earlier 1880s. Although his architecture was somewhat conservative for its date, Robertson commanded considerable respect in the profession. He was a man of immense acumen whose advice was widely sought in valuations and arbitrations. In 1904 he had a slight paralytic stroke and had to retire from his post as principal architect, commencing practice with his son Alan Keith Robertson and becoming consulting architect to the Scottish Education Department. At the end of October 1906 he had a major stroke from which he never recovered. Only then did he seek admission to the RIBA, perhaps for his son rather than himself, his proposers being Sir Henry Tanner, Sir John Taylor and Hippolyte Jean Blanc. Robertson died at his home, Wardie Bank, Trinity, Leith on 23 April 1907, as a result of his stroke six months and twenty-two days earlier. His practice was continued by his son Alan Keith Robertson. Reference Building News 26 April 1907 p580 We regret to announce the death of Mr Walter Wybrow Robertson, lately architect to H.M. Office of Works, Parliament-square, Edinburgh, and a former Master of the Edinburgh Merchant Company. For more than twenty years Mr. Robertson, who died on Tuesday at the age of 61 years, was principal architect under H.M. Board of Works in Scotland, and although he retired from that office three years ago owing to a slight paralytic stroke, he did some professional work since his retirement, and at the time of his death was consulting architect to the Scottish Education Department. About the end of October last he had another paralytic stroke, from which he never in any large measure recovered. He resided at Wardie Bank, Boswell-road, Trinity, where his death took place. Mr. Robertson received his early professional training under the late Mr Morham, city architect, Edinburgh, and afterwards he had professional experience with the firm of Messrs Holden and Sons, Manchester. His connection with HM. Office of Works dates from 1871. In that year he became technical assistant to the late Sir Douglas Galton, who then occupied a post that has since been abolished—that of H.M. Director of Works. Subsequently Mr. Robertson acted as assistant to Sir John Taylor, one of the architects of the Office of Works. While occupying these posts his work was mainly in London. His services and ability, however, were soon further recognised by his being appointed head of H.M. Office of Works in Scotland. During his tenure of this office he superintended many important Government buildings in different parts of Scotland, including the erection of Glasgow General Post Office, Glasgow Inland Revenue Office, the Blackford Hill Observatory, Edinburgh: new Post Offices at Dundee, Inverness, Perth, and other towns: the extension of the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh (then allied the Industrial Museum): and the extension and alteration of the Register House, Edinburgh. About the end of March, 1904, after he had had a paralytic stroke, he gave up his post under the Board of Works, and was succeeded by Mr W T Oldrieve, FRIBA. He was a member, and at one time President of Edinburgh Architectural Association, and in earlier years took a prominent part in the work of the London Architectural Association, of which he was vice-president in 1876-77. In the work of some of the corporate bodies in Edinburgh he took a considerable interest. Joining the Merchant Company in 1883, he passed successively through the offices of assistant and treasurer, and in 1895 was appointed Master of the company, an office which he filled with acceptance for the usual term of two years. At the close of his term as Master he was presented with his portrait in oil, which has now a place on the walls of the offices of the company in Hanover-street. He was at one time R.W.M. of the Lodge of Edinburgh (St. Mary's Chapel), No. 1, which is one of the oldest lodges in the United Kingdom. Mr. Robertson is survived by a widow, four sons, and two daughters. Of his sons, two are in Edinburgh—one of them an advocate and the other an architect. Image Portrait of W W Robertson, Master of the Merchant’s Company of Edinburgh 1895-1897 by Sir George Reid RSA Exhibited 1901 Glasgow International Exhibition 1904 Universal Exposition St Louis (included in Official Catalogue of Exhibitors - lent by Merchabts Company of Edinburgh Reference D S MacColl. “Nineteenth Century Art with illustrations from the Fine Art Loan Collection of Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901" published 1902. next p124 |
Private and Business Addresses
| The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | |||||
| Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | |
 | Manchester, England | Business | c. 1866 | c. 1870 | |
| London, England | Business | c. 1870 | 1877 | |
| Wardie Bank, Boswall Avenue, Trinity, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1884 | 23 April 1907 | |
| 122, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1904 * | 1907 | In partnership with his son as Robertson & Son |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and Training
Employers
| The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details): | |||||
| Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | |
| John Chesser | 1 May 1858 | May 1863 | Apprentice | |
| Peddie & Kinnear | c. May 1863 | c. August 1863 | Assistant | |
| John Chesser | c. August 1863 | 1865 | Assistant | |
| Brown & Wardrop | 1865 | 1867 | Assistant | |
| J Holden & Son | 1867 | 1869 | Assistant | |
| Speakman & Charlesworth | 1869 | 1871 | Assistant | |
| H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) | 1871 | 1877 | Clerk | Working first under Sir Douglas Galton, then under Sir John Taylor. Described as 'technical clerk' in obituary |
| (Sir) Douglas Strutt Galton | 1871 | Before 1877 | Assistant | Technical assistant, in H M Office of Works, London |
| (Sir) John Taylor | After 1871 | 1877 | Assistant | In H M Office of Works, London |
| H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) | c. 1877 | c. 1904 | Chief Architect | |
| Robertson & Son | 1904 | 1907 | Senior Partner | |
Employees or Pupils
| The following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details): | |||||
| Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | |
| James McLellan Fairley | After 1881 | Before 1886 | Assistant | In Edinburgh branch of H M Office of Works |
| William Thomas Oldrieve (sometimes William Thomas Oldgrieve) | c. 1881 | 1904 | Assistant | in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh |
| James Cumming Wynnes | 1899 | 1904 | Assistant | in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh |
| John Barbour | 1905 | Assistant | Assistant to Robertson in the Office of Works | |
RIBA
RIBA Proposers
| The following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | |||
| Name | Date proposed | Notes | |
| Hippolyte Jean Blanc | 3 December 1906 | for Fellowship |
| (Sir) Henry Tanner | 3 December 1906 | for Fellowship |
| (Sir) John Taylor | 3 December 1906 | for Fellowship |
Buildings and Designs
| This architect 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 | |
| c. 1870 | Chepstow House | Manchester | England | May have assisted on this job | ||
| 1877 | Inverleith House | Inverleith | Edinburgh | Scotland | Interior re-finishing after fire - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1881 | Dunfermline Abbey Churchyard, Queen Margaret's tomb | Dunfermline | Fife | Scotland | Repairs and enclosure with wrought iron railing - as Architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works | |
| 1881 | King's College | Old Aberdeen | Aberdeen | Scotland | Library extended - as archtect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh) | |
| 1882 | Advocates' Library | Edinburgh | Scotland | New reading room - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works | ||
| 15 November 1882 | King's College Chapel | Aberdeen | Scotland | New tracery for two east windows (drawing initialled 'JT' and signed by Robertson 15 November 1882) | ||
| 1885 | Edinburgh Industrial Museum | Edinburgh | Scotland | West wing | ||
| 1885 | Inland Revenue Offices | Glasgow | Scotland | As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | ||
| 1885 | Parliament House, Supreme Courts of Scotland | Edinburgh | Scotland | Conversion of telling room into court no iv | ||
| 1886 | St Andrews Castle, sea defences | St Andrews | Fife | Scotland | Sea wall at south-east corner - as Architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works | |
| 1886 | The Old Observatory, Calton Hill | Edinburgh | Alterations 'recently' completed | |||
| 1887 | Dumfries Post Office | Dumfries | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1888 | Aberdeen University, Marischal College | Aberdeen | Scotland | SE wing added | ||
| 1889 | Dunfermline Post Office | Dunfermline | Fife | Scotland | Original building | |
| 1889 | University of St Andrews, St Mary's College | St Andrews | Fife | Scotland | Executed detached south addition to Library (later Department of Psychology) to designs by Jesse Hall (cost: £8,000) | |
| 1890 | General Post Office | Edinburgh | Scotland | Large extension as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | ||
| 1890 | Register House | Edinburgh | Scotland | Front wall of entrance moved back - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | ||
| 1891 | Inverness Post Office | Inverness | Inverness-shire | Scotland | ||
| 1892 | Glasgow General Post Office | Glasgow | Scotland | Rebuilding of central part facing Ingram Street, on site of Atheneum (with Oldrieve as architect with particular responsibility for Post Office buildings, working under Walter Wood Robertson, Architect for Scotland) | ||
| 1892 | Post Office | Ayr | Ayrshire | Scotland | With Robertson as Architect for Scotland in the Office of Works | |
| 1892 | Royal Observatory | Blackford Hill | Edinburgh | Scotland | As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1893 | Falkirk Post Office | Falkirk | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Front block? - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1893 | Head Post Office | Paisley | Renfrewshire | Scotland | As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1893 | Post Office | Helensburgh | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1894 | Post Office | Galashiels | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Architect responsible is not known, but Robertson was in charge of H M Office of Works at this time. | |
| 1894 | Stirling Post Office | Stirling | Stirlingshire | Scotland | As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1898 | Dundee Post Office | Dundee | Scotland | |||
| 1898 | Inland Revenue Offices | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction and extension of existing buildings as Inland Revenue Offices - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | ||
| 1898 | Post Office | Greenock | Renfrewshire | Scotland | As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1898 | Post office, Hill Street | Arbroath | Angus | Scotland | As Chief Architect | |
| 1899 | Perth Post Office | Perth | Perthshire | Scotland | ||
| 1900 | Kirkcaldy Post Office | Kirkcaldy | Fife | Scotland | By H M Office of Works (presumably Robertson?) | |
| 1902 | Dunfermline Post Office | Dunfermline | Fife | Scotland | Extension | |
| 1902 | Parcel Post Office building | Glasgow | Scotland | Supervisory role only, as Architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works at beginning of project: Oldrieve was responsible for the design | ||
| 1902 | Post Office | Melrose | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Architect responsible is not known, but Robertson was in charge of H M Office of Works at this time. | |
| 1903 | Dunfermline Abbey, South African War Memorial | Dunfermline | Fife | Scotland | Designed monument - executed by Stewart McGlashen & Son | |
| 1903 | Inverness Prison | Inverness | Inverness-shire | Scotland | By H M Office of Works (presumably under Robertson) | |
| 1903 | Linlithgow Post Office | Linlithgow | West Lothian | Scotland | As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1904 | Head Post Office | Aberdeen | Scotland | As Architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works (completed under William Thomas Oldrieve after he succeeded Robertson) | ||
| 1904 | Portobello Post Office | Portobello | Edinburgh | Scotland | as Architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1904 | Post office | Dunbar | East Lothian | Scotland | As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh | |
| 1905 | Post Office | Airdrie | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Alexander Buchanan Gardner cliams he worked under W M Robertson but other sources indicate that it was W W Robertson of HM Office of Works who designed this building. | |
| 1906 | Garage for Western Motor Company | Glasgow | Scotland | |||
| c. 190(?) | Post Office | Duns | Berwickshire | Scotland | May be by Robertson as architect in Scotland in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh, depending on date | |
References
Bibliographic References
| The following books contain references to this architect: | ||||||
| Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | |
| British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | |||
| Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p124 |
Periodical References
| The following periodicals contain references to this architect: | |||||
| Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | |
| RIBA Journal | 1 June 1907 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p511 | |
| Scotsman | 24 April 1907 | |||
Archive References
| The following archives hold material relating to this architect: | ||||
| Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | |
| Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | Research on family history, birth, death and addresses by Iain Paterson | |
| RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | F v18 p9 no1179 (microfilm reel 12) | |
Images
© All rights reserved. Edinburgh Architectural Association 1907 Exhibition Catalogue
© All rights reserved. © The Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh