Architects

Name:

Moffatt & Aitken (or Moffat & Aitken)

Designation :

Architectural practice

Date of Birth:

Year Only

Exact DOB:

24/05/1926

Year of Birth :

1873

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:

Circa (Year)

Exact DOD:

24/05/1926

Year of Death:

Circa Year of Death:

1880

Date of Death Before (Year):

Date of Death After (Year):

DOD (1st 'Or' Year):

DOD (2nd 'Or' Year):

Town of Birth :

Bio Notes :

William Lambie Moffat was born on 31 October 1807, the son of John Moffat, clerk of works and Sarah Couch. At some stage, for unknown reasons, he adopted the spelling of Moffatt which is continued by his descendents, although his brother Henry retained the single 't' as Moffat throughout his life. William Lambie was articled to William Burn who was probably his father's employer and appears to have remained as an assistant: his subsequent career suggests he was engaged on the institutional side of the practice. In 1836 he won the competition for Wakefield Corn Exchange with a very original Greek Revival design which induced him to settle in Doncaster. In 1838 William Hurst of Doncaster invited him to become a partner, his previous partner John Woodhead having died, and for the next six years Hurst and Moffat had a flourishing practice, particularly for churches financed by The Incorporated Church Building Society.

On 8 December 1844 Hurst died. Moffat continued the Doncaster practice, but was increasingly dependent on winning competitions for business. As a number of his competition wins were for hospitals and poorhouses in Scotland, he closed his Doncaster practice in 1858, the catalyst probably being the new asylum at Montrose (1856). He returned to Edinburgh, his house being at 4 Fettes Row, and he subsequently remodelled 13 Queen Street for his own occupation. By about 1874 he was so busy with school board work, probably mainly won in competition, that James Aitken, of whom nothing is as yet known, was taken into partnership.

Moffat was equally skilled in Greek, Italianate, Gothic and neo-Jacobean, his work in the last of those being strongly influenced by William Burn's houses of the mid to late 1820s and early 1830s: in the past some writers conflated him with G G Scott's partner, the English William Bonython Moffatt, and in the earlier 'Buildings of England' volumes he is sometimes wrongly given as W B Moffatt.

Moffat died on 5 June 1882 at 23 Minto Street, survived by his widow Wilhelmina Crystal. Information on the subsequent career of James Aitken - if any - is not yet available.

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
13 Queen Street Edinburgh Scotland	Private					Moffat's private address

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Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From	Date From Type	Date To	Date To Type	Notes
12 North St David Street Edinburgh Scotland	Business	c. 1873		c. 1882

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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
William Lambie Moffatt (originally William Lambie Moffat)	200048	c. 1874		Partner
James Aitken	100074			Partner
William Knox (or Wilm Knox?)	206117		Before 1882	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
Infant School	In year 1873	Fountainbridge	Edinburgh	Scotland	Upgrade of accommodation
Portobello Public School and janitor's house	In year 1873	Portobello	Edinburgh	Scotland
School	In year 1873	Dalkeith	Midlothian	Scotland
Balcurvie School	In year 1873	Markinch	Fife	Scotland	Proposed enlargement - uncertain if this was executed
Free Church schools	In year 1873	Roseburn	Edinburgh	Scotland	Upgrade of accommodation
St Paul's Free Church Schools	In year 1873	St Leonards	Edinburgh	Scotland	Upgrade of accommodation
Milton of Balgonie Board School	In year 1873	Milton of Balgonie	Fife	Scotland	Plans for additions to old school and for new school on the old site - uncertain which executed, if either
Public School	In year 1874	Burntisland	Fife	Scotland
11-13 Queen Street	In year 1874		Edinburgh	Scotland	Palace front.
Lovers' Loan School	In year 1874		Edinburgh	Scotland	Alterations and upgrade
Arbroath Public School	In year 1874	Arbroath	Angus	Scotland
Montrose Asylum	In year 1875	Hillside, Montrose	Angus	Scotland	Additions - dining hall, recreation room, enlargement of stores, extension of washhouse and laundry offices, new washhouse
Prestonhall Board School	In year 1875	Glenrothes	Fife	Scotland
Bristo Public School	In year 1875		Edinburgh	Scotland
Leith Walk School and lodge	In year 1875		Edinburgh	Scotland	Original building

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The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

Author	Title	Date	Publisher	Part	Notes
Post Office Directories

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The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive Name	Source	Source Cat No	Building Id	Item Name	Notes
Death Register	H M Register House	100027			Death of Moffatt
William Lambie Moffatt Cash Book 1859-1881 GD 1/412/1	National Archives of Scotland (formerly SRO)	200659			GD1/421

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Basic Biographic Details

Addresses

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

Employees or Pupils

Employees or Pupils2 classic

Buildings and Designs

Buildings and Designs2 classic

References

Bibliographic References

Bib ref classic

Archive References

Arc ref classic