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Dictionary of Scottish Architects (1660 - 1980)
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Basic Biographic Details
Name:
George Smith
Designation :
Architect
Date of Birth:
Exact Date
Exact DOB:
02/02/1793
Year of Birth :
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:
28/10/1877
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 :
George Smith was born in Aberdeen on 2 February 1793, the son of George Smith and Jean Watson. In 1808 he was articled to David Hamilton for five years and spent four 'seasons' (summers?) lining out their new streets in Aberdeen. In 1818 he advertised his services as an architect there and opened a drawing academy, but finding it impossible to compete with John Smith and Archibald Simpson he moved to Edinburgh to work for William Burn as principal clerk in 1823. At that stage his lack of actual building experience showed; Burn sacked him at the end of 1826 as 'ignorant and useless' and Smith set up practice on his own account in Edinburgh on 1 January 1827 with David Rhind as a pupil, Smith's 'Elements of Architecture' for the students at the Edinburgh School of Arts being published in that same year. It was followed by a second related publication 'Essay on the Durability of Scottish Building Stones' and as a further piece exhibited a picture of Egyptian ruins and a design for a new infirmary at the RSA.
The contacts Smith made working for Burn in Dundee proved useful and he was successful at once, securing commissions there for a coffee room and a hotel, while his street planning experience in Aberdeen brought that for the layout of Woodlands Hill in Glasgow. Following the dismissal of Thomas Hamilton he applied for the salaried post of architect to the Edinburgh Improvement Commissioners on 1 April 1833 and was appointed in 1834. In that same year he won a competition sponsored by the Highland Society for the design of 'Cottages for the labouring classes' and published his designs as 'Essay on the Construction of Cottages suited for the Dwellings of the labouring Classes illustrated by Working Plans'. From about 1860 Smith was in partnership with Henry Hardy. He retired in the mid-1870s and died at Burley Lodge, Trinity, on 28 October 1877. He was buried in Warriston Cemetery. His wife Catherine Erskine survived him, dying on 6 November 1884 in Jedburgh.
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
Burley Lodge Trinity Edinburgh Scotland
Private
Place of death
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Business Addresses
Business Addresses2 classic
Address
Class
Date From
Date From Type
Date To
Date To Type
Notes
36 Albany Street Edinburgh Scotland
Business
c. 1828
c. 1833
8 Wemyss Place Edinburgh Scotland
Business
c. 1834
c. 1844
18 Great King Street Edinburgh Scotland
Business
c. 1846
c. 1855
7 St Andrew Square Edinburgh Scotland
Business
c. 1863
c. 1875
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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
Smith & Hardy
201372
c. 1860
c. 1875
Partner
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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
David Rhind
100331
1827 or 1828 or 1829
c. 1830
Apprentice
Walter Scott
202117
Apprentice
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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 Name
Date Started
Town, District or Village
Island
City or County
Country
Notes
Music Hall
In year 1820
Aberdeen
Scotland
Plans for music hall - not selected
St Mary's Parish School
In year 1828
Canonmills
Edinburgh
Scotland
Exchange Coffee Room
In year 1828
Dundee
Scotland
New Infirmary for Edinburgh
In year 1828
Edinburgh
Scotland
Design exhibited (design presumably speculative)
Tayfield House
In year 1829
Newport-on-Tay
Fife
Scotland
Reconstructed and much enlarged
Union Bank Headquarters
In year 1829
Glasgow
Scotland
Johnston Cottage
In year 1829
Anstruther
Fife
Scotland
Watt Monument
In year 1829
Edinburgh
Scotland
Design exhibited
Layout of the lands of South Woodside and Clairmont
In year 1830
Woodlands Hill
Glasgow
Scotland
In collaboration with John Baird Primus
Woodside Crescent
In year 1831
Woodlands Hill
Glasgow
Scotland
In collaboration with John Baird Primus
Schaw's Hospital
In year 1831
Preston
East Lothian
Scotland
Superseded design by William Burn
Bazaar and market, Wemyss Place
In year 1832
Edinburgh
Scotland
Original building
Straiton House
1832/11
Edinburgh
Scotland
Drawings dated
Union Hotel
Before 1833
Dundee
Scotland
St Stephen's School
In year 1835
Edinburgh
Scotland
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References
Bibliographic References
The following books contain references to this person:
Bib ref classic
Author
Title
Date
Publisher
Part
Notes
Post Office Directories
Scotlands People Website
Wills & Testaments
Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventories Sc70/1/232 and Sc70/1/186 and Wills Sc70/4/170
Pride, Glen L
The Kingdom of Fife
1999
The Rutland Press
2nd Edition
p151
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Archive References
The following archives hold material relating to this person:
Arc ref classic
Archive Name
Source
Source Cat No
Building Id
Item Name
Notes
Letter from George Smith to Sir James Gibson Craig of Riccarton 1 April 1833
Edinburgh City Archives
200166
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