Basic Biographical Details

Name: Haig & Low
Designation:  
Born: 1859
Died: 1875 or 1876
Bio Notes: John Haig was born in Glasgow c.1830, the son of Thomas Haig, tallow merchant and his wife Johan McFarlane. Thomas Haig had moved his business to Glasgow from Leith where John's two elder sisters were born.

It is not yet known to whom Haig was articled but in 1859 he formed a partnership, perhaps a tentative one, with David Paton Low, their office being at 149 West George Street, Glasgow. Low had been born at Kirkton Mains Farm or Mains of Strathmartin, near Dundee, in 1827, the son of David Low, farmer and Margaret Paton. He worked in the office of an unspecified Dundee architect and in either 1858 or 1863 (sources vary) won the Soane Medallion - only the second Scot to do so (James Maclaren, also from Dundee had been the first in 1850) - with a design for a marine sanatorium. This award enabled him to study classical architecture in Italy, commemorated by an ambitious watercolour, 'The Cosmical Development of Gothic and Classic Architecture during the Pagan and Christian Eras'.

Haig & Low immediately achieved prominence when they won third place in the Wallace Monument competition in that year. In 1862 Low took leave of absence from the partnership to gain experience in London with the object of challenging comparison with any of the leading architects in Scotland, obtaining a place in the office of 'Mr Godwin' (presumably George rather than Edward William).

Although the partnership's East Campbell Street Church, Glasgow of 1862-64 was an extremely accomplished cinquecento design, its early success was not sustained. They had few clients and Low's ambitious proposal to rebuild St Mary's Church ni Buchanan Street as municipal buildings as an alternative to Clarke & Bell's Ingram Street scheme does not seem to have been taken seriously. A misreading of the practice title appears to have caused the firm to be misrecorded as Hay & Son in the 'Architect's, Engineer's and Building Trades' Directory' of 1868, when they were still at 149 West George Street; the following year they were based at 94 West Regent Street.

In 1875 they moved their practice to Alexander Thomson's building at 122 Wellington Street but within a year the partnership had been dissolved, Haig returning to their former office at 108 Hope Street to continue practice there and Low opening another office at 219 Hope Street.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 4149, West George Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1859 *1868 or 1869 
Item 2 of 494, West Regent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1868 or 18691872 
Item 3 of 4108, Hope Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1874 *  
Item 4 of 4122, Wellington Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1875 * This is in Alexander Thomson's building

* earliest date known from documented sources.


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 2David Paton Low18591875 or 1876Partner 
Item 2 of 2John Haig18591875 or 1876Partner 

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 91858Elmbank Place  GlasgowScotland 
Item 2 of 91859Elmbank Place  GlasgowScotland 
Item 3 of 91859Manchester Assize Courts  ManchesterEnglandCompetition design - unplaced
Item 4 of 91859Wallace MonumentAbbey Craig StirlingshireScotlandCompetition design - placed third
Item 5 of 91860Kirkcudbright Public RoomsKirkcudbright KirkcudbrightshireScotlandPlaced first in competition (£20 premium) but not built
Item 6 of 91862East Campbell Street UP Church  GlasgowScotland 
Item 7 of 91862Lansdowne UP Church  GlasgowScotlandUnsuccessful competition design
Item 8 of 9c. 1870St George's Tron Church  GlasgowScotlandProposal by Low to reconstruct it as a municipal building
Item 9 of 91872Dick & Stevenson Building (Scottish Lands and Buildings Company)  GlasgowScotlandDesigns drawn

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder31 December 1910  p813 - obituary of Low