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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

John Bennie Wilson
Architect
Year Only
1848
Exact Date
01/03/1923
John Bennie Wilson was born in Glasgow in 1848, the son of Archibald Wilson, mechanical engineer, and his wife Janet Wilson. Educated at St Enoch's School and Anderson's Institution, he was articled to John Honeyman in 1864 and remained with him as an assistant from 1869 until 1873 when he transferred to the office of David Thomson. He moved again to John Burnet's in 1875, and remained there until he commenced independent practice on his own account in 1879 at 227 West George Street, Glasgow. He was, unusually for a Scot at that date, admitted ARIBA on 22 March 1882, his proposers being Honeyman, Thomson and Burnet. In that same year he moved office to 112 Bath Street.

Wilson had a very large church building practice, mainly won through open and limited competitions. In addition to the larger churches listed below, Wilson was said by A G Lochhead and W A P Jack to have designed a number of very small and very plain churches in the Highlands and Islands, but these do not appear in either the 'Buildings of Scotland' Highland or Argyll volumes.

Wilson's earlier churches tended to be Early English, perhaps influenced by his two years with the younger Burnet as well as by his apprenticeship with Honeyman, but in the later 1880s he adopted a late Gothic style ultimately derived from the free Gothic of Sedding and his circle in London, adapted to Presbyterian plan forms. His classical work similarly derives from London rather than Honeyman or Burnetian models, notably at the Collcutt-inspired Motherwell Town Hall, but moved into more Palladian influenced forms later.

In 1897 Wilson moved office to 92 Bath Street and in 1909 the practice became John B Wilson & Son when his son and pupil John Archibald Wilson was taken into partnership. The elder Wilson was admitted FRIBA on 28 February 1910, his proposers being George Bell, Burnet and John Keppie. As a very active president of the Glasgow Institute of Architects, he became a member of the RIBA Council in the following year.

Wilson was awarded the Gold Medal of Honour at the Vienna Health Congress for the plans of the County Asylum at Ayr. He was an enthusiastic volunteer, joining the 3rd Lanarkshire Scottish Rifles as a private in 1868. He was commissioned in 1880 and promoted to Major in 1894 and to Lieutenant Colonel in 1903. He succeeded Colonel Howie as commander in 1905 and marched 700 men past Edward VII at the Edinburgh Review of 1906, but severe illness brought his military career to a close in the following year. He was awarded the Volunteer Decoration.

Wilson was a member of the Trades House and a prominent mason in Kilwinning Mother Lodge and the Cathedral RA Chapter. He was also a football enthusiast, becoming President of the Glasgow Football Charity Cup Committee. He married twice, first to Sarah Harrison and secondly to a widow, Mary Gilmour Paton or Barclay and survived both, dying of cardiac masarca on 3 January 1923 at 45 Fotheringay Road, Pollokshields, aged seventy-three. He left a moveable estate of £7,782 4s 11d. His son was admitted FRIBA in 1925 but survived his father by only three years, dying on 1 May 1926. The practice was taken over by James M Honeyman, initially under the style of Honeyman, John B Wilson & Son.

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
376 Crown Street Glasgow ScotlandPrivate
16 Regent Park Terrace Strathbungo Glasgow ScotlandPrivate
45 Fotheringay Road Pollokshields Glasgow ScotlandPrivate

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
227 West George Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness18791882
112 Bath Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness18821895
92 Bath Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness18951923

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
John Honeyman200245In year 1864In year 1869Apprentice
John Honeyman200245In year 1869In year 1873Assistant
David Thomson200784In year 1873In year 1875Assistant
John Burnet (senior)100033In year 1875In year 1879Assistant
John B Wilson & Son202306In year 1909In year 1923Partner

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
William Reid2024571883/06/161888/07/02Apprentice
James Smith2035921894/101898/12Apprentice
Thomas Anderson Moodie2025881897/02/161899/06/01Draughtsman
John Bothwell Steel2035301902 or 19031903 or 1904Assistant
William Dick206690After 1879Assistant
James Hoey Craigie200284Before 1894Before 1894Assistant
John Dall200628In year 1886In year 1890Junior Assistant
Hamilton Neil201478In year 1904c. 1905Assistant
John Archibald Wilson202305Before 1909Apprentice

RIBA Proposers

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

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

ProposerProposer LinkDate ProposedNotes
John Burnet (senior)1000331882/03/20for Associateship
David Thomson2007841882/03/20for Associateship
John Honeyman2002451882/03/20for Associateship
(Sir) John James Burnet2000881910/02/28for Fellowship
George Bell I2001351910/02/28for Fellowship
John Keppie2008381910/02/28for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

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

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

PersonDate ProposedNotes
James Stirling Boyd1910/07/18for Licentiateship
James LochheadIn year 1911for Fellowship
James Montgomerie Alexander1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
James Jackson Wilson1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
Alexander Hamilton Scott1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
James Wright (junior)1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
James Thomson (junior)1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
Alexander Young1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
Hugh Dykes Simpson1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
David Salmond1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
John Watson1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
David Valentine Wyllie1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
George Simpson1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
Eric Alexander Sutherland1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects
Robert Thom Ross1911/07/20for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects

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
Design for a country churchIn year 1872
Livingstone Masonic Hall and Public HallIn year 1878BlantyreLanarkshireScotland
New Free ChurchIn year 1878NitshillGlasgowScotland
KilcadzowIn year 1879CarlukeLanarkshireScotland
Law Free ChurchIn year 1879LawLanarkshireScotland
Yieldshiells SchoolIn year 1880CarlukeLanarkshireScotland
ByldeneIn year 1880EssexEngland
Oatlands UP ChurchIn year 1881OatlandsGlasgowScotland
Whifflet Free ChurchIn year 1882Whifflet, CoatbridgeLanarkshireScotland
Leadhills Free ChurchIn year 1883LeadhillsLanarkshireScotland
Established ChurchIn year 1883QuarterLanarkshireScotland
FingarryIn year 1883Milton of CampsieStirlingshireScotland
Drill Hall, Coplaw RoadIn year 1884GlasgowScotland
Mother LodgeIn year 1884KilwinningAyrshireScotland
LillyburnIn year 1884Milton of CampsieStirlingshireScotlandAdditions

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Pride, Glen LThe Kingdom of Fife1999The Rutland Press2nd Editionp46
Who's Who in Glasgow1909
Bailey, Rebecca MScottish architects' papers: a source book1996Edinburgh: The Rutland Presspp144-155

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
RIBA Nomination PapersRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum100005A v8 p96 (microfiche 32/A1); F v20 no1428 (microfilm reel 13)
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive materialProfessor David M Walker personal archive100041Additional information from research by Iain Paterson