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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

Francis William Deas
Architect
Year Only
1862
Exact Date
13/11/1951
Francis William Deas was born in 1862 at Haslar, Hampshire, the son of Sir David Deas KCB MD RN, naval surgeon, and his wife Margaret Hepburn. He was a grandson of Francis Deas of Falkland. Sir David died in 1876 and his brother Lord Deas, a lawlord, assumed responsibility for Francis's education at Charterhouse and at Edinburgh University where he graduated MA. In 1890 Deas was articled to Robert Rowand Anderson, attending the School of Applied Art under Professor Frank Worthington Simon for three years. He left Anderson's office in 1896 and spent the following eighteen months travelling, spending his time chiefly on measured drawings. He commenced practice at 63 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, on his return home in 1897, sharing an office with another Anderson pupil, Victor Daniel Horsburgh. By 1902 he had moved to 15 Rutland Square with a house at 12 Magdala Place.

Deas and Horsburgh were both friends of Lorimer, whom Deas first met in 1893. From a letter of Lorimer's to Deas we learn that Lorimer joined in part of Deas's study tour, accompanying him on his visit to Norman Shaw's Dawpool, and that he persuaded Deas to become an architect rather than an interior decorator - presumably on the Scott Morton-Whytock and Reid model - as had been his original intention. After Dods emigrated to Australia, Deas became Lorimer's closest friend; both were musical and frequently went to concerts together. Deas also enjoyed travelling, walking, lawn tennis, squash and gardening. His practice was never extensive and depended on a few very rich clients of whom the most important was the Earl of Moray. His best work at Braehead, Fyndynate and Kellas has a refined Lorimerian arts-and-crafts quality.

Deas was nominated FRIBA by Lorimer, Harold Ogle Tarbolton and Alexander Hunter Crawford and admitted on 4 March 1907. Although he never married, in 1908-10 he built for himself The Murrel near Aberdour a remarkable pantiled Arts and Crafts house and garden on which Gertrude Jekyll is said to have advised, and received considerable publicity from its inclusion in Sir Lawrence Weaver's 'Small Country Houses of Today' and Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Lawrence Weaver's 'Gardens of Small Houses'. In 1915 he was obliged to sell it as his investments were mainly in Austria and Turkey and the practice was at a very low ebb. He then bought a house in Greenhill Gardens, Edinburgh where he lived for the remainder of his life.

Deas's finances recovered after the First World War as did his practice with a major reconstruction of Toward Castle for Andrew Coats in 1921-28. At the conclusion of the work there he became semi-retired, assisting Christopher Hussey with his study of Lorimer's work, a task the latter had inherited from Sir Lawrence Weaver. On 13 February 1931 he gave a paper at the RIBA on Lorimer's work, which was published in the RIBA Journal on 21 February 1931. Hussey acknowledged his debt to Deas in his biography of Lorimer, writing that Deas 'placed his knowledge, his house, and much time at my disposal in such a way that all were as delightful as invaluable,'

A pencil portrait of Deas at the piano by John Henry Lorimer records his slight build. He retired completely in 1937. In his retirement he gardened at Greenhill Gardens and took an interest in the careers of Lorimer's sons. Hew Lorimer remembered him as kind and affable…'enjoyed a joke - provided it was in good taste' and that he never had any regrets about having to give up The Murrel. 'I enjoyed doing it, and that was all that mattered to me… It did not have the same interest once the thing was done and the planting was as good as it could be.'

Deas died on 13 November 1951 in his eightieth year and in his obituary he is described as a landscape painter as well as an architect. His collection of T'ang pottery and other objets d'art were gifted to the Royal Scottish Museum.

Addresses

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

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From CharDate From TypeDate To CharDate To TypeNotes
12 Magdala Place Edinburgh ScotlandPrivateHis mother's house
The Murrel Aberdour Fife ScotlandPrivate
House Greenhill Gardens Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate
West Grange Grange Loan Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate
12 Greenhill Park Edinburgh ScotlandPrivateDied here

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
63 Frederick Street Edinburgh ScotlandBusiness18971902Shared with Victor Daniel Horsburgh
15 Rutland Square Edinburgh ScotlandBusiness1902
23 Rutland Square Edinburgh ScotlandBusinessc. 1903c. 1924Shared with Victor Daniel Horsburgh

Employment and Training

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

Employers2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
Wardrop & Anderson200078In year 1890c. 1894Apprentice
Wardrop & Anderson200078c. 1894In year 1896Assistant

Employees or Pupils

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

Employees or Pupils2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
Alexander Garden Forgie2010821909/02/07In year 1914Apprentice
Charles Edward Tweedie (junior)203746After 1918Before 1921AssistantLatterly Principal Draughtsman
James Alexander Mawson Baxter200138Before 1911In year 1923Manager
J Simpson Fyfe207358Early 1910sLate 1912sAssistant
James Alexander Mawson Baxter200138In year 1900Before 1911DraughtsmanBecame head draughtsman latterly
John Ross McKay202350In year 1903In year 1905Assistant
James Henderson207663In year 1908In year 1913Apprentice
Alexander Garden Forgie201082In year 1914In year 1919AssistantWith the exception of war service, 1915-1919
John Thomas Galletly201295c. 1901c. 1901Junior Assistant

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this person for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

ProposerProposer LinkDate ProposedNotes
Harold Ogle Tarbolton1002131907/03/04for Fellowship
(Sir) Robert Stodart Lorimer2000521907/03/04for Fellowship
Alexander Hunter Crawford2000561907/03/04for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This person proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

PersonDate ProposedNotes
Thomas Aikman Swan1910/12/05for Associateship
George Mackie Watson1911/07/20for Licentiateship
James Alexander Mawson Baxter1912/03/04for Associateship
Victor Daniel Horsburgh1912/12/02for Fellowship
J Simpson FyfeMid 1916sfor Associateship
Alec Nisbet1920/03/01for Associateship
Alexander Garden ForgieEarly 1920sfor Associateship
John Ross McKayMid 1920sfor Associateship

Buildings and Designs

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 NameDate StartedTown, District or VillageIslandCity or CountyCountryNotes
DunlappieIn year 1898EdzellAngusScotlandDesign only, not mentioned in RIBA nomination papers
The Elgin Arms HotelIn year 1899LimekilnsFifeScotland
Apperley DeneIn year 1900StocksfieldNorthumberlandEnglandAdditions (£5,000)
Darnaway CastleIn year 1900MorayshireScotlandAlterations including Dutch garden, gatepiers and interior works, restoration of Randolph's Hall
Two double villasIn year 1901ColintonEdinburghScotland
Newborough HallIn year 1902HexhamNorthumberlandEnglandAlterations, remodelling and new powerhouse in the garden (£10,000)
Kinfauns CastleIn year 1902KinfaunsPerthshireScotlandAlterations, new stair, redecoration, walled garden, gatepiers, etc (£21,000)
HillsideIn year 1902CorstorphineEdinburghScotland
Tofthill FarmhouseIn year 1904KinfaunsPerthshireScotland
Kinfauns Castle, East LodgeIn year 1904KinfaunsPerthshireScotlandsmall addition
Braehead HouseIn year 1905St BoswellsRoxburghshireScotland
23 Rutland SquareIn year 1905EdinburghScotlandRaised by one storey
17, 18 Rutland SquareIn year 1907EdinburghScotlandAlterations, new top floor
Hindley HouseIn year 1907StocksfieldNorthumberlandEngland
Hindley HallIn year 1907StocksfieldNorthumberlandEngland

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Scottish Biographies1938E J Thurston (pub.)
Who's Who in Architecture1914
Post Office Directories

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIBA Journal1952/04*Obituary p230
Builder1951/11/23*
RIAS Quarterly1952/0287p43
The Times1951/11/15p1 - deaths

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
RIBA Biographical FilesBritish Architectural Library, RIBA100004
RIBA Nomination PapersRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum100005F v18 p77 no1212 (microfilm reel 12)
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive materialProfessor David M Walker personal archive100041Personal recollections of Hew Lorimer and Alexander Dunbar
Francis Deas Notes by Simon GreenDMW Archive100147
NMRS Photographic ArchiveNational Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS200159Pencil portrait by J H Lorimer at Kellie, copied by NMRS. Acc No 2001/17