Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Truefitt | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 1824 | Died: | 11 August 1902 | Bio Notes: | George Truefitt was born in 1824 and articled to Lewis Nockalls Cottingham c.1839-44. He was subsequently an assistant with Sancton Wood in London and Hervey Eginton in Worcester before commencing practice on his own account c.1850 as a distinctly eccentric designer. About this time he went with his friend Calvert Vaux on a walking holiday in France and Germany and returned with 400-500 sketches. He published 'Designs for Country Churches' in 1850 and was admitted FRIBA in 1860. The prosperity of his practice was largely dependent on his surveyorship of the Tufnell Park estate in London and on the patronage of the banker Sir William Cunliffe-Brooks in Manchester and on the Glentaner and Aboyne estates in Scotland which he bought in 1869 an 1888 respectively. Some of the later work was carried out in collaboration with the landscape gardener T H Mawson.
In 1890 GeorgeTruefitt retired to Shelsey Lodge, Worthing, Sussex where he died on 11 August 1902.
Truefitt was twice married, firstly on 23 September 1852 to Mary, the eldest daughter of Charles Haywood, of Broughton Fields Worcester by whom he had two sons George Haywood and Lewis Haywood and one daughter Mary Louisa. Following her death on 16 September 1896 he married secondly Constance (1870 - ) on 16th December 1896 by whom he had one daughter, Connie Georgie Truefitt.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 1, New Bond Street, London, England | Business | 1842 | 1843 | |  | 5, Burwood Place, London, England | Business | 1845 | | |  | 5 (or 6), Bloomsbury Square, London, England | Business | 1848 | 1886 | |  | Shelsey Lodge, Worthing, Sussex, England | Private | 1892 | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes |  | Lewis Nockalls Cottingham | c. 1839 | c. 1844 | Apprentice | |  | Hervey Eginton | After 1844 | | Assistant | |  | Sancton Wood | After 1844 | | Assistant | |
Employees or Pupils
RIBARIBA ProposalsThis architect proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | George Haywood Truefitt | 9 January 1882 | for Associateship |
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 |  | 1869 | Glen Tanar Estate, Lodge, Stables, etc. | Glentanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1869 | Glen Tanar House | Aboyne | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1869 | St Lesmo's Chapel | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | c. 1869 | Aboyne Castle | Aboyne | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Additions |  | 1871 | Borrowstone House | Kincardine O’Neil | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Extension (1871) and partial rebuilding after fire (1874) |  | 1874 | Aboyne Public School | Aboyne | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | original building |  | 1874 | Cambus O'May House with stables, kennels and walled garden | Glenmuick | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | HS attribution |  | Before 1874 | Glen Tanar Estate Bush Cottages and Kennels | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Kennels |  | Before 1874 | Glen Tanar Estate, game larder | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1874 | Glen Tanar Estate, Home Farm | Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Alterations to farmhouse and new dairy |  | Before 1874 | Glen Tanar Estate, Tower Lodge | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1874 | Glen Tanar Estate: Gardner’s Cottage | Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | c. 1885(?) | Glen Tanar Estate Bush Cottages and Kennels | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Nos 3-5 |  | c. 1885 | Glen Tanar School | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | c. 1885 | Greystone Cottage | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1889 | Aboyne Castle, South Lodge | Aboyne | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | HS attribution |  | 1889 | Mains of Aboyne | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | Late 1800s | Aboyne Castle, West Lodge | Aboyne | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | Late 1800s(?) | Charleston Cottages | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | HS attribution on stylistic grounds |  | Late 1800s | Glen Tanar Estate, Little Tulloch | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | Late 1800s | Glen Tanar Estate, Millfield Farmhouse and steading | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | 'Probably' (HS) |  | Late 1800s | Glen Tanar Estate, Porphary Bridge | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | Late 1800s | Netherton, kennel | Glentanar/Glen Tanar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | c. 1874 | Fasnadarach House | Ballater | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Original building |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | DNB | | Dictionary of National Biography | | | Chris Brooks, Oxford University Press, 2004
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Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Builder | 16 August 1902 | | | Obituary |  | Building News | 22 August 1902 | | | Obituary |  | RIBA Journal | 30 August 1902 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p461 - obituary |
Images © All rights reserved. Building News 1 August 1890 |