Basic Biographical Details

Name:	Tobias Bachop, Bauchop or Baak
Designation:
Born:
Died:	26 April 1710
Bio Notes:	Tobias Bachop, Bauchop or Baak whose birth date is not known (although an individual by the name of Tobias Bachop was baptised in 1673 or 1674 which means either he was baptised as an adult or this is the wrong baptismal record) was probably the son of Bachup [sic in Colvin] of Alloa and apprenticed to his father. They were members of the prominent family of masons who worked in the area of Alloa in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The first reference to the younger Bachop is in 1680 when he was involved with repairs on Alloa Church. This and other work of the early 1680s is traditional in style. However in the late 1680s he came into contact with Sir William Bruce who employed him on Kinross House and subsequently on a number of his commissions. In Bruce’s estimation he was clearly an excellent craftsman and he recommended him to the 3rd Duke of Hamilton when the latter was about to embark on the building of Hamilton Palace. However Bachop did not secure this job which went to James Smith. Bachop was involved in building projects over a large area of Scotland between Dumfriesshire in the south, Greenock in the west and Perthshire in the north. In 1690 he worked in his home town while in 1705 he was working on the town hall and steeple in Dumfries. After John Moffat of Liverpool, who supplied the designs, declined to execute them, Bachop was summoned as he was ‘said to be of good skill’. In connection with this building he is described as ‘architect’ and as ‘architect and builder of the steeple and council house’. Bachop died on 26 April 1710. The house which he built for himself bears the date 1695 and the initials of himself and his wife Margaret Lapsley. It stands in Kirkgate, Alloa. It is symmetrical and has classical detailing. It shows an understanding of the new classical style promulgated by Bruce.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
	Address	Type	Date from	Date to	Notes
	Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland	Private/business

Buildings and Designs

This 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
	1680	Alloa Church	Alloa		Clackmannanshire	Scotland	Repairs
	1684	Logie Church	Logie		Stirlingshire	Scotland	Was contracted to 'conforme to an draught drawn by the said Tobias himself'.
	1686	Kinross House and Home Farm			Kinross-shire	Scotland
	1687	Argaty House	Doune		Perthshire	Scotland	Alterations?
	1689	Stirling Castle	Stirling		Stirlingshire	Scotland	Three gun battery
	1689	Stirling Castle, Palace of James V	Stirling		Stirlingshire	Scotland	Alterations
	1690s	Panmure House and ancillary estate buildings	Carnoustie		Angus	Scotland	Alterations
	c. 1690	Old Cross	Alloa		Clackmannanshire	Scotland	Built and probably designed the cross.
	1692	Hamilton Palace	Hamilton		Lanarkshire	Scotland	Was recommended to the 3rd Duke of Hamilton but James Smith was given the job.
	1696	Cortachy Castle	Kirriemuir		Angus	Scotland	Alterations
	1697	Kinloch House	Meigle		Perthshire	Scotland	Enlargement of house.
	1698	Hopetoun House	Abercorn		West Lothian	Scotland
	c. 1698	Church of the Holy Rude, Graveyard, Monument to Provost J McCulloch	Stirling		Stirlingshire	Scotland
	1699	Craigiehall	Cramond		Edinburgh	Scotland
	1702	Mansion for Sir John Shaw	Greenock		Renfrewshire	Scotland	Drew up plan with intention of rebuilding the house, but Bachop died before this could be executed.
	1703	Mertoun House	Mertoun		Berwickshire	Scotland
	1705	Town Hall and Steeple	Dumfries		Dumfriesshire	Scotland	John Moffat of Liverpool had supplied 'a modall' but declined to execute it. The committee therefore 'resolved to send for one Tobias Bachup, a master builder now at Abercorn...who is said to be of good skill'. He is referred to as 'our architect' and as 'architect and builder of the steeple and council house'. He also claimed to have spent six week making drawings and moulds for the building. Hiowever the building was actually executed to John Moffat's designs which were based on the steeple of the College of Glasgow.
	1708	Duke of Montrose's House			Glasgow	Scotland	Gave advice to the Duke

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
	Author(s)	Date	Title	Part	Publisher	Notes
	Colvin, Howard	2008	A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840		London: YUP. 4th edition
	Crawfurd, J	1874	Memorials of the Parish of Alloa
	MacGibbon and Ross		Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland			volume v, pp127-8
	Scottish History Society	1893	Masterton Papers			p483