Basic Biographical Details Name: | Robert Reid | Designation: | | Born: | 1774 | Died: | 1856 | Bio Notes: | Robert Reid was born on 8 November 1774, the son of Alexander Reid, a prosperous developer and builder in Edinburgh’s New Town and his wife Mae or May Cochrane. Reid learnt his trade in his father’s firm. Alexander Reid seems to have worked from premises in Rose Street in the 1780s moving to 1 South Castle Street in about 1794-5 and 14 South Castle Street in 1797 but by about 1799-1800 both Alexander and Robert Reid were listed as being at 18 South Castle Street. The building is said to have been developed by Alexander Reid. At this time Alexander Reid is styled as builder although Robert Reid as architect. Charles McKean states in the DNB that both Reid and his father are described as ‘builders’ in about 1800 but this is not the case at least in Post Office directories. His father did however occasionally style himself as ‘architect’ and in his death notice (he died 7 February 1822) which appeared in the Caledonian Mercury on 1 April 1822 is noted as ‘architect and builder’.
Alexander Reid feued several properties in the New Town to prominent Edinburgh lawyers and it may be through this connection that Reid was appointed to design the new Law Courts in Parliament Square, Edinburgh. In 1808 on the back of this job he obtained a warrant authorising him to use the title ‘King’s Architect and Surveyor in Scotland’. This was not a salaried post. In 1807 Reid had been elected a burgess of Edinburgh. However when James Brodie of Brodie, the Master of Works to the Scottish Crown died in 1824, Reid succeeded in getting that office merged with his own becoming ‘Master of Works and Architect’ to the King in Scotland with a salary of £200 p.a.. Reid then persuaded the government to establish a proper Scottish Office of Works. He was to head this up and to receive a salary of £500 p.a.. However as an economy measure this office and title were abolished in 1839.
Reid acted as arbiter in a number of disputes. He was asked to report on the contract dispute at Taymouth of 1811 and the Calton Hill plans in 1813 and he was the arbiter between John Paterson and the Eglinton Trustees in 1821 in a dispute over the construction costs of Eglinton Castle.
Reid retired on full pay after the demise of the Scottish Office of Works and went to live in a house called Lowood which he acquired near Melrose. He died at his town house, 44 Charlotte Square on 20 March 1856. His was survived by his wife Sarah Wisdom. A monument to Reid is in Dean Cemetery.
Reid followed the style of the Adam brothers. His façades in Parliament Square were inspired by the University Old College building but were slightly coarsened versions. Reid’s work at the Law Courts met generally with opprobrium especially his re-fronting of Old Parliament Hall. Both the Advocates and the Writers to the Signet preferred to employ William Stark to design the interiors of their libraries. St George’s Church and the Custom House at Leith were also criticised. An Aberdeen professor expressed the opinion that it was fortunate that Archibald Simpson designed the new Marischal College instead of Reid who was ‘a dull staid personage who had acquired much discredit by the plans for the new Custom House at Leith and his repairs at St Andrews’. It is generally agreed that Reid's best work was at Paxton House with an ambitious neo-classical interior. This was his only country house commission as his official duties left little time to develop that side of his practice. Charles McKean notes that Reid effectively saved a number of Scottish monuments and without him some might not have survived. He was a pioneering conservationist: ‘I conceive that in all cases of this kind, restoration or embellishment should not be the object … but that Repairs..should be executed…with a view solely to their preservation’.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | | | | | 18, South Castle Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1800 | | In about 1799 he shared this address with 'Alexander Reid builder' who was his father. | | 14, South Castle Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | 1811 * | | | | 72, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1819 | | | | 44, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | Before 1830 | 1856 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | James Raeburn | Before 1819(?) | 1827 | Assistant(?) | Probably there in 1819. Became principal clerk of works at Scottish Office of Works in 1827 | | James Millar | Before 1839 | 1840 | Second Clerk | In H M Office of Works, Edinburgh |
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 | | 1801 | Bank of Scotland Headquarters, The Mound | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Original building - jointly with Richard Crichton | | 1801 | Terraced houses, Marshall Place | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1802 | New Town, northern extension | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Plans drawn up - in conjunction with William Sibbald. Reid designed the main elevations including Heriot Row. | | 1803 | Luffness House | Drem | | East Lothian | Scotland | Addition | | 1803 | Old Academy | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1804 | Parliament House, Supreme Courts of Scotland | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | New law courts including facade to square. Also gaol. | | 1806 | New Town | Dunkeld | | Perthshire | Scotland | Plans drawn up - not executed | | 1807 | 33-34 Charlotte Square | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1807 | 46 Charlotte Square | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Amended Robert Adam's design | | 1807 | Court House | Inveraray | | Argyll | Scotland | Abortive scheme | | 1807 | Tenement, Queensferry Street and Randolph Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1809 | Edinburgh Royal Lunatic Asylum | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Courtyard scheme initially planned; only east range built. Provided plans free. | | 1810 | General Prison | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Original military prison | | 1810 | George Watson's College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Design of hospital | | c. 1810 | Gosford House | | | East Lothian | Scotland | Design for rebuilding | | c. 1810 | Valleyfield House | Penicuik | | Midlothian | Scotland | Conversion to single house | | 1811 | Custom House | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1811 | St George's Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1812 | Paxton House | | | Berwickshire | Scotland | East wing containing Library and Picture Gallery | | 1812 | Perth County Buildings | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Plans drawn up - not executed. | | 1812 | Signet Library | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | External shell of the Sigent and Advocates' Library (now the Upper and lower Signet Library).
Reid originally designed interiors for these libraries whoich form two storeys of the same building, but both the Writers to the Sigent and the Faculty of Advocates commissioned William Stark to design the interiors. Reid as the government architect supervised the execution of Stark's designs.
Staircase design? | | 1812 | The Orphans' Hospital | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additional buildings | | 1813 | Greenlaw Military Prison | Penicuik | | Midlothian | Scotland | Addition of timber buildings | | 1814 | 60 Great King Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | With William Sibbald | | 1814 | 75 Great King Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | With William Sibbald | | 1814 | 79 Great King Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | With William Sibbald | | 1818 | New building for the University of Edinburgh | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1819 | Edinburgh Royal Lunatic Asylum | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | North and south additions | | 1819 | National Monumental Church for Scotland | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Design drawn up and exhibited | | 1822 | Palace of Holyroodhouse, Abbey Court House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1822 | Register House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Rear portion completed | | Before 1822 | Royal Botanic Garden, Great Stove | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Before 1822 | Royal Botanic Garden, Professor's classroom | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Before 1822 | Royal Botanic Garden, screenwall with two pedimented foortgates | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1823 | New street through Grassmarket | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1824 | Downpatrick Gaol | | | Co. Down | Northern Ireland | | | 1824 | Glasgow Cathedral | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Overhauled east parts | | 1824 | Palace of Holyroodhouse | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Repairs and redecoration. Rebuilding of the south east quarter which had been damaged by subsidence and refaced the south front (originally rubble) in ashlar. Parliamentary grant of £24,755 toward this. | | 1825 | Parliament House, Supreme Courts of Scotland | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Eastern extensions | | 1825 | Sea wall, north of St Andrews Cathedral | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1825 | Town Hall | Wick | | Caithness | Scotland | | | 1828 | University of St Andrews, St Salvator's College | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | East range built; also unexecuted designs for new north range | | 1829 | University of St Andrews, St Mary's College | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | Gateway; two bays to west of Library ('remodelling' according to Colvin) | | 1833 | Royal Botanic Garden, Old Palm Stove | Inverleith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reid's authorship can be assumed although no published reference. | | 1835 | Arbroath Abbey and abbey buildings | Arbroath | | Angus | Scotland | Repair and clearing out rubbish and fallen masonry - as architect to the Scottish Office of Works | | Before 1856 | Dunfermline Abbey | Dunfermline | | Fife | Scotland | Restoration - as Head of Scottish Office of Works | | Before 1856 | Elgin Cathedral | Elgin | | Morayshire | Scotland | Restoration as Chief Architect in Scottish office of Works | | Before 1856 | Fortrose Cathedral | Fortrose | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Restoration work | | Before 1922 | Royal Botanic Garden, Head Gardener's House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Colvin, H (ed.) | 1982 | History of the King's Works | | | volume vi, pp251-3 | | Colvin, H M | 1995 | A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 | 3rd edition | New Haven and London: Yale University Press | | | New DNB | | New Dictionary of National Biography | | | | | Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p122, p124 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Courtesy of Henry J Noltie, Royal Botanic Garden | Information set to Professor DM Walker | | Sent June 2016 | | NAS | SC Archives (Sc) | 21971/2 Cft.1 MW/1/342 | | | NAS | SC Archives (Sc) | 70/91 | | | NAS | SC Archives (Sc) | SC 70/4/45, p678 | |
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