Architects

Name:

Alexander Black

Designation :

Architect

Date of Birth:

Circa (Year)

Exact DOB:

24/06/1926

Year of Birth :

Circa Year of Birth :

1797

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Date of Death:

Exact Date

Exact DOD:

19/02/1858

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Bio Notes :

Alexander was born early in 1798 in Newton-Stewart, Penninghame, Wigtownshire, the second son of John Black (1769-1855) and his wife Dunmore McHarg. He was baptised on November 28th 1798. His father was a Commercial traveller who later remarried Janet Scott in Leith in 1838 and had four further children born in Fife.

According to the Edinburgh Architectural association handbook of 1907 he originally trained as a carpenter.

In 1821 he studied architecture at the ‘The School of Arts for Edinburgh for the education of Mechanics and such branches of Physical Science as are of Practical Application in their Several Trades’, renamed the Watt Institution and School of Arts in 1852. Whilst there he received their silver medal, alongside bootmaker James Dowie, for the invention of a machine to assist the comfort of shoemakers and bootmakers. He also served the School as their Librarian for nine years until 1832. He later claimed his success in life was due to the education he had received at the school. Later Black would assist in the erection of a statue of Watt in Adam Square and later served as a Director of the School and President of the Watt Club.

In 1832 he was appointed Surveyor of Works to the George Heriot’s Trust. The following year he masterminded the re-facing the three sides of George Heriot’s Hospital (or school) in Craigleith stone following the main entrance to the school being relocated to Lauriston Place. Only the North facing façade of the school had previously been built in ashlar, the remaining three sides being in harled rubble. This was a complicated and extensive procedure which required the rubble walling to be removed whilst retaining the decorative window architraves, quoins and pediments in situ.

On 3rd March 1836 he was elected to devote himself exclusively to the works of Heriot’s as the Trust’s Superintendent of Works. To celebrate this appointment around sixty friends held a dinner in his honour at the Café Royal where, as the Scotsman recounts; ‘Mr Black happens to be a universal favourite – he requires only to be known to be loved and respected’

In 1836 an Act of Parliament was passed that allowed the George Heriot’s bequest to be used to erect and maintain free day-schools throughout the city. This led to several ‘Foundation schools’ being constructed by Heriot’s throughout the city, designed by Black. The first of these opened at Heriot Bridge, immediately to the south of Heriot’s school in October 1838. The Scotsman describes it as ‘an excellent specimen of the architecture of Inigo Jones’, thought by many at that date to be the original architect of Heriot’s Hospital or School. The foundation schools followed closely the architecture of the main school with buckle quoins and pediments. Black went on to design several schools for the Trust including those in the Cowgate, Old Assembly Close, High School Yards, Brown’s Square (Society Buildings), West Rose Street (Young Street), Broughton Street and Borthwick Close. Within these schools he introduced improvements to ventilation including open arcades at ground floor level allowing playgrounds and shelter on urban sites. This innovation was later carried on by E.R. Robson in his early London Board schools, and was also used by a later Superintendent of Works John Anderson in his 1911 Heriot’s School Chemistry block (later infilled).

In October 1840 a dinner of 80-90 gentlemen was held in his honour at the Café Royal to celebrate the design of five ‘splendid schools’ for Heriot’s four of which had by then opened. The dinner was a compliment to him as ‘a man of genius, taste and integrity and as a useful member of the community’.

Besides the Heriot’s foundation schools the EAA records his practice as being primarily a few mansions and office blocks. Colin MacWilliam suggested Bonnington House in Kirknewton as one of these. The new offices for William Chambers designed in 1851 in Warriston’s Close would also appear to be by Black, being very similar to his designs for the Heriot’s Foundation Schools.
Known as Sandy, he never married, and by 1851 he had moved to 19 Lauriston Place, adjacent to Heriots Hospital. His 82 year old father and his half-siblings John (12) and Jean (9) were then living with him.

He seems to have occupied a busy professional life being a Treasurer of the High Constables of Edinburgh and a Councillor in the Architectural Institute of Scotland along with his work for the Watt Institute and School of Arts. He was also President of the Mechanics Library, founded in 1826, and had adapted their premises in Victoria Street.

As Superintendent of Works he would have had several pupils and members of staff. Three of his pupils were the artists Hugh Cameron (1835-1918), George Hay (1831-1912) and John James Laing. One of the last of these pupils appears to have been Thomas Gibson (1838-96) who was later taken on by John Chesser (1819-92) who succeeded Black in his post at Heriot’s. Chesser continued the foundation schools in a similar style to Black’s.

Black died at his home at 19 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh on 19th February 1858, with his stepbrother John Black in attendance. He had just turned 60.

His funeral procession on the 23rd was attended by 400-500 mourners, (many Heriot’s schoolchildren) and he was buried in Dean Cemetery. An extremely handsome classical monument was erected there.

An obituary in the Scotsman newspaper notes that ‘Few men were better known or respected than the late architect to George Heriot’s Hospital, and the feeling tribute paid to his professional abilities, sound judgement and active benevolence by an eminent member at a recent meeting of the Architectural Institute must have been extremely gratifying to his numerous friends. Possessed of a kind heart, and ever ready to oblige, Mr Black was a great favourite in general society’.

His will, proved on 9th December 1858 left an estate valued at almost £1100, with gifts to his step-siblings, nephews and nieces.

His valuable library of books, works of art, prints and drawings were sold at auction by Dowells & Lyon in George Street in April 1858, raising over £600.
The Architectural Institute of Scotland managed to acquire Black’s impressive collection of architectural casts, principally from Chartres Cathedral for the cost of £12.

In 1859 Mr James Ballantyne, of the Edinburgh stained-glass makers Ballantyne & Allan, and an ‘old and intimate friend’ of Blacks, gifted a portrait of Black painted by William Bonnar RSA to the Governors of the Hospital. The portrait is now held in the NMRS.

'Biography authored by the Dictionary of Scottish Architects Compilation Team.'

Bio Notes continued...

Additional Notes

The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:

Private Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From Char	Date From Type	Date To Char	Date To Type	Notes
19 Lauriston Street Edinburgh Scotland	Private

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Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From	Date From Type	Date To	Date To Type	Notes
48 North Frederick Street Edinburgh Scotland	Business	1836

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The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this person (click on an item to view details):

Employers2 classic

Name	Name Link	Date From	Date To	Position	Notes
George Heriot's Trust Works Department	205265	1836/03/03		Surveyor

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The following individuals were employed or trained by this person (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2 classic

Name	Name Link	Date From	Date To	Position	Notes
James Strang	203021	c. 1870		Apprentice

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This person was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2 classic

Building Name	Date Started	Town, District or Village	City or County	Country	Notes
George Heriot's Hospital	In year 1833	Old Town	Edinburgh	Scotland	Refacement of south, east and west elevations in Craigleith ashlar (they were originally harled rubble)
Bellevue Terrace	In year 1834		Edinburgh	Scotland	Carried out Bonnar's design
Layout of new roads between Stockbridge, Canonmills and Henderson Row	In year 1834		Edinburgh	Scotland
Royal Terrace Gardens House and associated greenhouses	1834/06		Edinburgh	Scotland
Glasite Meeting House	In year 1835		Edinburgh	Scotland
George Heriot's Hospital, Heriot Bridge, Primary School (later Science Wing)	In year 1838		Edinburgh	Scotland	Primary school
George Heriot's School, Old Assembly Close, High Street	In year 1839		Edinburgh	Scotland
George Heriot's High School Yards	In year 1840		Edinburgh	Scotland
Site plan, Warriston, Ferry Road and Bangholm	c. 1840		Edinburgh	Scotland
George Heriot's School, Borthwick's Close	c. 1840		Edinburgh	Scotland
George Heriot's School, Brown's Square	c. 1840		Edinburgh	Scotland	Remodelled from an 18th century house
George Heriot's School, Rose Street	c. 1840		Edinburgh	Scotland
Royal Terrace, reallignment of approach	In year 1842		Edinburgh	Scotland
Barony Street	In year 1847		Edinburgh	Scotland	Black continued south side of street begun by Thomas Bonnar.
Leith Walk, Site plan	In year 1848		Edinburgh	Scotland

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The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

Author	Title	Date	Publisher	Part	Notes
Edinburgh Architectural Association	Edinburgh Architectural Association Exhibition Catalogue	1907	Edinburgh
Scotlands People Website	Wills & Testaments				Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventroies SC70/1/99

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Basic Biographic Details

Addresses

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

Employment and Training

Employers2 classic

Employees or Pupils

Employees or Pupils2 classic

Buildings and Designs

Buildings and Designs2 classic

References

Bibliographic References

Bib ref classic