Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Smith | Designation: | | Born: | 2 February 1793 | Died: | 28 October 1877 | Bio Notes: | George Smith was born in Aberdeen on 2 February 1793, the son of George Smith and Jean Watson. In 1808 he was articled to David Hamilton for five years and spent four 'seasons' (summers?) lining out their new streets in Aberdeen. In 1818 he advertised his services as an architect there and opened a drawing academy, but finding it impossible to compete with John Smith and Archibald Simpson he moved to Edinburgh to work for William Burn as principal clerk in 1823. At that stage his lack of actual building experience showed; Burn sacked him at the end of 1826 as 'ignorant and useless' and Smith set up practice on his own account in Edinburgh on 1 January 1827 with David Rhind as a pupil, Smith's 'Elements of Architecture' for the students at the Edinburgh School of Arts being published in that same year. It was followed by a second related publication 'Essay on the Durability of Scottish Building Stones' and as a further piece exhibited a picture of Egyptian ruins and a design for a new infirmary at the RSA.
The contacts Smith made working for Burn in Dundee proved useful and he was successful at once, securing commissions there for a coffee room and a hotel, while his street planning experience in Aberdeen brought that for the layout of Woodlands Hill in Glasgow. Following the dismissal of Thomas Hamilton he applied for the salaried post of architect to the Edinburgh Improvement Commissioners on 1 April 1833 and was appointed in 1834. In that same year he won a competition sponsored by the Highland Society for the design of 'Cottages for the labouring classes' and published his designs as 'Essay on the Construction of Cottages suited for the Dwellings of the labouring Classes illustrated by Working Plans'. From about 1860 Smith was in partnership with Henry Hardy. He retired in the mid-1870s and died at Burley Lodge, Trinity, on 28 October 1877. He was buried in Warriston Cemetery. His wife Catherine Erskine survived him, dying on 6 November 1884 in Jedburgh. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 36, Albany Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1828 * | c. 1833 | | | 8, Wemyss Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1834 | c. 1844 | | | 18, Great King Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1846 | c. 1855 | | | 7, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1863 | c. 1875 | | | Burley Lodge, Trinity, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1873 | 2 October 1877 | Place of death |
* 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 | | Smith & Hardy | c. 1860 | c. 1875 | Partner | |
Employees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Walter Scott | | | Apprentice | | | David Rhind | 1827 or 1828 or 1829 | c. 1830 | Apprentice | |
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 | | | Royal Medical Society | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Central Section | | 1820 | Music Hall | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Plans for music hall - not selected | | 1828 | Exchange Coffee Room | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1828 | New Infirmary for Edinburgh | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Design exhibited (design presumably speculative) | | 1828 | St Mary's Parish School | Canonmills | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1829 | Johnston Cottage | Anstruther | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1829 | Tayfield House | Newport-on-Tay | | Fife | Scotland | Reconstructed and much enlarged | | 1829 | Union Bank Headquarters | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1829 | Watt Monument | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Design exhibited | | 1830 | Layout of the lands of South Woodside and Clairmont | Woodlands Hill | | Glasgow | Scotland | In collaboration with John Baird Primus | | 1831 | Schaw's Hospital | Preston | | East Lothian | Scotland | Superseded design by William Burn | | 1831 | Woodside Crescent | Woodlands Hill | | Glasgow | Scotland | In collaboration with John Baird Primus | | 1832 | Bazaar and market, Wemyss Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Original building | | November 1832 | Straiton House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Drawings dated | | Before 1833 | Union Hotel | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1835(?) | Greenknowe Farmhouse | Duns | | Berwickshire | Scotland | | | 1835 | Kimmerghame House, and lodge | Duns | | Berwickshire | Scotland | North Lodge built | | 1835 | St Paul's Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1835 | St Stephen's School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1835 | Tenement, 104 St Stephen Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1835 | Woodside Terrace | | | Glasgow | Scotland | In collaboration with John Baird Primus | | 1837 | Caledonia Place | | | Glasgow | Scotland | In collaboration wih John Baird Primus | | 1837 | Garden Cemetery | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Competition design (?) exhibited | | 1837 | Melbourne Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1838 | St John's Church and School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1838 | Woodside Place | | | Glasgow | Scotland | In collaboration with John Baird Primus | | 1839 | Buccleuch School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1840 | Riddle's Court and Close, 322-328 Lawnmarket and 5-6 Victoria Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1840 | Victoria Street and Terrace, Upper Section, Mechanics Library | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1843 | 38-46 Victoria Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1844 | Normal School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1845 | Commercial building, 186-188 High Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1845 | Lynedoch Place and Lynedoch Crescent | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1845 | Victoria Street and Terrace, lower section | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | c. 1845 | Moses Jacob's shop | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | c. 1845 | Tenement, 21-25 George IV Bridge | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1848 | 37-65 Lothian Road | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Designs made - executed in the 1860s | | 1848 | Middle Meadow Walk gatepiers | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1850 | 87 West Bow | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | c. 1850 | 31-39 George IV Bridge | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | HS List gives Smith & Hardy but this partnership is not believed to have commenced until c.1860 | | 1852 | 22 Queen Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1853 | Rentons, 10-15 Princes Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Proposal for erection of a large new building on West Register Street to expand existing building | | 1856 | Kirkcaldy Old Parish Church Manse | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | Structural repairs, including underpinning of walls | | 1857 | Aberdeen Grammar School | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Competition design - first premium (£100), but commission went to James Matthews | | 1862 | Houses, 1-13 Johnston Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | The first three bays to left at Johnston Terrace | | 1864 | 16 Johnston Terrace and houses on Castle Wynd | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Perhaps overall reponsibility as Hardy & Smith were the architects to the City Improvement Trust, who controlled the feus | | 1877 | Newport Bowling Clubhouse | Newport-on-Tay | | Fife | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Post Office Directories | | | | | | | Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p151 | | Scotlands People Website | | Wills & Testaments | | | Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventories Sc70/1/232 and Sc70/1/186 and Wills Sc70/4/170 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Edinburgh City Archives | Letter from George Smith to Sir James Gibson Craig of Riccarton 1 April 1833 | | |
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