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Dictionary of Scottish Architects (1660 - 1980)
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Basic Biographic Details
Name:
Frank Burnet
Designation :
Architect
Date of Birth:
Year Only
Exact DOB:
15/04/1926
Year of Birth :
1846
Circa Year of Birth :
Date of Birth Before (Year):
Date of Birth After (Year):
DOB (1st 'Or' Year):
DOB (2nd 'Or' Year):
Date of Death:
Exact Date
Exact DOD:
02/06/1923
Year of Death:
Circa Year of Death:
Date of Death Before (Year):
Date of Death After (Year):
DOD (1st 'Or' Year):
DOD (2nd 'Or' Year):
Town of Birth :
Bio Notes :
Frank Burnet was born in 1846 in Melrose in Roxburghshire, the son of a builder, Francis Burnet, and his wife Janet Learmonth. He was educated at Melrose Parish School and Glasgow School of Art. He learned the business of building with his father, but in 1871 he joined the office of John Carrick, the City Master of Works in Glasgow, dealing with Dean of Guild and the New Buildings Department there and gaining experience of tenement design for the City Improvement Trust and forming contacts which were to be useful later. In or about 1877 he spent a year abroad travelling as far as Egypt and the Holy Land. In 1878 he commenced practice on his own account, his main business being tenements of which the firm built 540 between 1884 and 1906 in Dalmarnock, Parkhead, Alexandra Place, Queen's Park, Battlefield and Woodside, many of them were for himself and other members of the Burnet family. Others were for private clients, often in the licensed trade together with a number of schemes erected under the Artisans Dwelling Act. Their output was exceeded only by J C McKellar who built 640 between 1890 and 1910. Burnet also did considerable work as a valuator and witness in railway and property compensation cases and also as an arbiter and oversman in arbitration cases.
In August 1889 Burnet took into partnership his assistant, William James Boston, born in Tradeston on 9 June 1861 the son of Thomas Boston, artist seal-engraver, but the character of the practice did not significantly change except for a marked growth in industrial clients in the engineering, baking and printing trades. The firm moved rapidly into the premier league in 1897-98, largely as a result of distilling and licensed trade connections, but the actual design work was by then mainly in the hands of James Carruthers who designed in a manner influenced by John James Burnet - to whom Frank was not related - and Burnet's partner John A Campbell; Carruthers had entered the firm as an apprentice in 1886, studied at Glasgow School of Art and subsequently travelled in France, Itlay, Canada and the USA. He was briefly a partner from 1901 until 1908 when a sudden decline in the volume of business seems to have brought about his leaving to set up practice on his own account at 147 Bath Street. The practice then reverted to being Frank Burnet & Boston.
Frank Burnet married Mary Russell McGregor, and their son Frank Russell Burnet was born on 26 June 1891 in Kilmacolm. He was educated at Fettes College from 1906 to 1909 and subsequently at Glasgow School of Architecture, and served his articles in his father's firm. He served as a Major in France with the Royal Garrison Artillery from 1916 to 1918, and commenced practice as a partner in his father's firm in 1919. He married Margaret Roxburgh Taylor, daughter of the former architect, later politician, Sir Andrew Thomas Taylor, in 1920.
Neither Burnet nor Boston ever sought membership of the RIBA; Carruthers sought election as a Licentiate in 1911 after he left the practice. Frank Burnet died on 6 February 1923 at Earlston, Kilmacolm. Boston continued the practice with Burnet's son Frank Russell Burnet under the existing title of Frank Burnet & Boston.
Bio Notes continued...
Additional Notes
Addresses
The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:
Private Addresses
Private Addresses2 classic
Address
Class
Date From Char
Date From Type
Date To Char
Date To Type
Notes
2 Cecil Street, Paisley Road Paisley Renfrewshire Scotland
Private
Barlogan Kilmacolm Renfrewshire Scotland
Private
Earlston Kilmacolm Renfrewshire Scotland
Private
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Business Addresses
Business Addresses2 classic
Address
Class
Date From
Date From Type
Date To
Date To Type
Notes
65 West Regent Street Glasgow Scotland
Business
1878
After 1880
69 West Regent Street Glasgow Scotland
Business
1887
c. 1893
180 Hope Street Glasgow Scotland
Business
1897
1911
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Employment and Training
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
John Carrick
200160
In year 1871
In year 1876
Apprentice
Frank Burnet & Boston
100237
In year 1889
In year 1901
Partner
Burnet, Boston & Carruthers
100240
In year 1901
1907 or 1908
Partner
Frank Burnet & Boston
100237
In year 1908
In year 1923
Partner
row(s) 1 - 4 of 4
Employees or Pupils
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
John Campbell McKellar
200402
In year 1881
In year 1882
Assistant
William James Boston
100238
In year 1889
Assistant
Later partner
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RIBA Proposals
This person proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic
Person
Date Proposed
Notes
William Hill Smith
1948/06/22
For Licentiateship
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References
Bibliographic References
The following books contain references to this person:
Bib ref classic
Author
Title
Date
Publisher
Part
Notes
Hume, John R
Industrial Archaeology of Glasgow
1974
Glasgow & London: Blackie
Worsdall, Frank
The Tenement
1979
Kenna and Mooney
People's Palaces
1983
McKean, Charles
The Scottish Thirties: An Architectural Introduction
1987
Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press
Who's Who in Architecture
1914
Who's Who in Architecture
1926
Glasgow Contemporaries
Glasgow Contemporaries at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century
1901
Johnston, W T
Artists of Scotland
2003
Officina Publications CDROM
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Periodical References
The following periodicals contain references to this person:
Period ref classic
Periodical Name
Publisher
Date Circ
Edition
Notes
Glasgow Herald
1923/02/07
*
p9
row(s) 1 - 1 of 1