Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Plaw | Designation: | | Born: | c. 1745 | Died: | 24 May 1820 | Bio Notes: | John Plaw was born about 1745 and was probably the John Plaw who was apprenticed to Thomas Kaygill who was a member of the Tylers’ and Bricklayers’ Company. In 1763 he is described as an architect and builder when he won a prize awarded by the Society of Arts for a drawing of the Banqueting House at Whitehall. He was a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists and had exhibited with it in 1773, 1790 and 1791 and held the post of President at the time it was dissolved in the latter year. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1775.
In about 1795 he moved to Southampton where he drew up plans for a development of houses in Albion Place and Brunswick Place. Little of none of this was executed. Plaw emigrated to Canada in 1807 and settled in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island where he designed several buildings before his death on 24 May 1820. He had several pupils including John Buonarotti Papworth.
Plaw designed a few buildings in Scotland. His best known works are the circular house on an island in Lake Windermere and a church at Paddington.
Plaw published books on cottages, farms and villas in which a number of his designs were illustrated. These were amongst the earliest of the popular cottage and villa architecture pattern books and show his liking for vernacular materials. His publications are listed below.
‘Rural Architecture; or Designs from the Simple Cottage to the Decorative Villa’ (1785, 1794, 1796, 1800, 1802, 1804)
‘Ferme Ornée or Rural Improvements’ (1785, 1813)
‘Sketches for Country Houses, Villas and Rural Dwellings’ (1800, 1803)
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | London, England | Private/business | | | | | Prince Edward island, Canada | Private/business | 1807 | 1820 | |
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 | | | Glenfiddich Lodge | | | Banffshire | Scotland | Rebuilt John Baxter building | | 1790 | Wedderburn Castle | Duns | | Berwickshire | Scotland | The Lion Gate | | Before 1795 | Seacliffe House and cottage | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | APSD | | The Dictionary of Architecture | ed Wyatt Papworth | The Architectural Publication Society (8v 1852-1892) | | | Colvin, Howard | 2008 | A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 | | London: YUP. 4th edition | | | DNB | | Dictionary of National Biography | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Gentleman's Magazine | 1820 | ii | | p376 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Guildhall Library | Manuscripts Collection | MSS. 3053/3, 1768, 3053/4, p7 | MSS. 3053/3, under 1768, 3053/4, p7. Records of the Tylers' and Bricklayers' Company. |
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