Architects

Name:

Robert Reid Raeburn

Designation :

Architect

Date of Birth:

Exact Date

Exact DOB:

04/08/1819

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DOB (2nd 'Or' Year):

Date of Death:

Exact Date

Exact DOD:

07/02/1888

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Bio Notes :

Robert Reid Raeburn was born on 4 August 1819, the son of James Raeburn, principal clerk to the Scottish Office of Works from 1827, and his first wife Mary Ann Petrie: his forenames were evidently a tribute to his father's employer. Robert was however articled to Thomas Brown Junior, architect to the Prison Board for Scotland, rather than to Reid, and while in Brown's office he exhibited a scheme for a monument to Knox (1837), his competition design for the Scott Monument (1838), and a proposal for the refacement of the George IV Bridge frontage of the County Buildings (1838). All of these were sent from his father's house at 9 South East Circus Place.

From 1841 onwards Raeburn worked for his father who had been pensioned off in 1839 and had commenced practice on his own account. Robert's exhibits at the RSA were thereafter sent in his father's name from his house and office at 3 Warriston Place and, from the late 1840s, 4 Warriston Crescent. These followed similar themes of civic improvements, a testimonial to Wellington, the improvement of the North Bridge and Parliament Square and a competition design for the Free Church College on the Mound, the Raeburns having 'come out' (left the Established Church) at The Disruption.

On 30 September 1851 James Raeburn died. Robert announced that he was carrying on his father's business in the RSA catalogue of 1852, although he did not appear as an exhibitor in that year: surprisingly he did not exhibit again until 1865, by which date he had moved office to Pitt Street.

In 1858 Raeburn took over the feuing of the Grange estate where many of the villas are in the same distinctive freestyle Renaissance as his Ashbrook and Rosetta, Wardie in the Inverleith area; and by the 1880s he had moved to 44 Charlotte Square, indicating a fair degree of commercial success. He died on 7 February 1888 and was buried with his parents and step-mother in St Cuthbert's Churchyard. His practice was continued by George A Lyle as Raeburn & Lyle.

'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	Notes
3 Warriston Place Edinburgh Scotland	Private/business
4 Warriston Crescent Edinburgh Scotland	Private/business	From the late 1840s
44 Charlotte Square Edinburgh Scotland	Private	By 1880s

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Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From	Date To	Notes
3 Warriston Place Edinburgh Scotland	Private/business	c. 1843	c. 1846
4 Warriston Crescent Edinburgh Scotland	Private/business	c. 1848	c. 1851	From the late 1840s
21 Pitt Street Edinburgh Scotland	Business	c. 1855	c. 1877	With John P Raeburn after 1879 at this address

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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
James Raeburn	202289	In year 1841	In year 1851	Assistant
Thomas Brown II	200146	c. 1835	c. 1841	Apprentice

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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
George Alexander Lyle	202112		1888/02/07	Chief Assistant

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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
Monument to the Memory of John Knox	In year 1837
Scott Monument	In year 1838		Edinburgh	Scotland	Unsuccessful competition design exhibited
Midlothian County Hall	In year 1839		Edinburgh	Scotland	Design for west elevation to George IV Bridge
Elgin Museum	In year 1841	Elgin	Morayshire	Scotland	Plans submitted for new museum - not chosen
Wellington Testimonial	In year 1841				Design using columns of the National Monument on Calton Hill (in James's name)
Design for widening North Bridge	In year 1843		Edinburgh	Scotland	in James's name
Design for improving the entrance to Parliament Square	In year 1844		Edinburgh	Scotland	Under James's name
Free High Church and Free Church College	c. 1844		Edinburgh	Scotland	Competition design (exhibited in James's name)
Davidson's Mains School and Schoolhouse	In year 1845		Edinburgh	Scotland	In James Raeburn's name?
Architectural Design	In year 1845				Exhibited in James's name
Design for Unspecified Monument	In year 1850				In James's name
Grange Estate	In year 1858	Grange	Edinburgh	Scotland	Further feuing in 1858 - extended by Robert R Raeburn - revision of Cousin plan
Shopfront, George Street	In year 1858		Edinburgh	Scotland
Villa, 35 Lauder Road	In year 1860		Edinburgh	Scotland
Grange Estate	In year 1864	Grange	Edinburgh	Scotland	Further feuing in 1864 - extended by Robert R Raeburn - revision of Cousin plan

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The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

Author	Title	Date	Publisher
Architects Engineers and Building Trades Directory	Architect's, Engineer's and Building Trades' Directory	1868	London, Wyman
Post Office Directories
Kelly's Building Trades	Kelly's Building Trades	1886

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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