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Basic Biographic Details

Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott
Architect
Exact Date
Exact Date
02/10/1945
Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott was born on 23 October 1865 at Beard's Hill, St Peter's, near Ramsgate in Kent, the second of the ten children of Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott Senior and his wife Martha Waters. His father was Scottish with extensive sheep farming interests in Australia and his mother was of Huguenot descent. The family subsequently moved to Worthing where Baillie Scott was sent to school with a view to going to Cambridge University, but in the event his father sent him to the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester in October 1883 with the aim of sending him out to Australia to look after the family interests there. He graduated in December 1885 with honours in science and drawing, but during a spell in London arranging his passage he decided to become an architect rather than a farmer. He was articled to Major Charles E Davis of Bath from 1886 to 1889, in which year he married Florence Nash and made a wedding trip to the Isle of Man. There he found employment with a local surveyor Frederick Saunderson who was planning a large housing development at Onchan. This was never realised but from 1892 Baillie Scott established a significant domestic practice which received extensive coverage in 'The Studio' from 1895. These resulted in numerous commissions by mail from clients all over England and a significant number from continental clients.

He moved his practice to Fenlake Manor, Bedford, in 1901, the year in which he won the Haus eines Kunstfreundes ('House for an Art Lover') competition, giving him a still wider European reputation for highly sophisticated arts and crafts houses. In 1905 the volume of business caused him to take on as assistant Arthur Edgar Beresford, born in 1881 near Alderley Edge, Cheshire, who had been articled to Massey Thompson in that town in 1895 and had remained with them as an assistant: according to Beresford's own account he was selected from a number of applicants because of his experience in restoring old houses.

In 1906 Baillie Scott spread his fame still wider by publishing 'Houses and Gardens', in which he illustrated his best work and set out his ideas on house planning and design with a marked emphasis on function and materials: it was followed in 1910 by 'Garden Suburbs, Town Planning and Modern Architecture' with Raymond Unwin. The timing of the publications was fortunate as in 1911 all his practice records were destroyed in a fire at the Bedford office.

In 1919 Baillie Scott re-established his practice in London in partnership with Beresford. Although to some degree modernised, his later houses remained faithful to the arts and crafts ideals and were the subject of a completely new and much larger 'Houses and Gardens' volume published in 1933.

The London office of Baillie Scott and Beresford was destroyed in the Blitz in 1941, together with all the later practice records. Baillie Scott died at Brighton on 10 February 1945.

Information on Baillie Scott and his siblings (courtesy of descendant Mr Hamish Wilson)

Katherine Helen Scott born 19.12.1864, married 14.06.1900 to Michael J. Tighe, died 1949

Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott born 23.10.1865, married 16.02.1889 to Florence K.
Nash, died 10.02.1945

Annie Martha G. Scott born 24.04.1867, married 1905 to Major Pritchard

William Samuel Scott born 1868, died 21.03.1959

Roderick Mackenzie Scott, born 1870 married 17.01.1903 to Hellen Llewelyn, died 25.04.1954

Evelyn Jane Mackay Scott born 1872, married 1916 to Harold B. Richings, died 25.02.1954

Georgina Barbara Maud Scott born 1875, died 18.11.1957

Mary Sarah Caroline Scott born 00.09.1877, married to Arthur Bridges, died 30.10.1954

Martha Jessie Scott born 1879, died the same year.

Esme Margaret Agnes Scott born 28.03.1881, married 1916 to J. Gilbert Harvey, died 01.06.1964

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
Red House Douglas Isle of Man EnglandPrivateBuilt for himself
Fenlake Manor Bedford Bedfordshire EnglandPrivate/business

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
Fenlake Manor Bedford Bedfordshire EnglandPrivate/business19011904

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
Charles Edward Davis202625In year 1886In year 1889Apprentice
Frederick Saunderson203717In year 1889In year 1892Assistant
Baillie Scott & Beresford203719In year 1919In year 1941Partner

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
Arthur Edgar Beresford203718In year 1905In year 1919Assistant

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
Red HouseIn year 1892DouglasIsle of Manfor himself
The White HouseIn year 1899HelensburghDunbartonshireScotland
House for an Art LoverIn year 1900GlasgowScotlandCompetition designs - second prize
Sandford CottageIn year 1902WormitFifeScotlandOriginal building, in brick and thatch
Sandford Cottage1909 or 1910WormitFifeScotlandAddition of west wing
Sandford CottageIn year 1912WormitFifeScotlandComplete reconstruction following fire: house roughcast with red tile roof
Country house, Valley DriveIn year 1928LeslieFifeScotland
Proposed housec. 1933TroonAyrshireScotland
Sandford CottageIn year 1936WormitFifeScotlandConsultant for alterations (T L Gray as executant architect)

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
British Architectural Library, RIBADirectory of British Architects 1834-19142001
Baillie Scott, Mackay HughHouses and Gardens1906(Second edition, Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1933)
Unwin, Raymond and Baillie Scott, Mackay HughGarden Suburbs, Town Planning and Modern Architecture1910
Haigh, DianeBaillie Scott: The Artistic House1995London: Academy Editions
Kornwolf, James DM H Baillie Scott and the Arts and Crafts Movement1975Baltimore and London: John Hopkins PressThis states that Baillie Scott was the eldest of fourteen children but this is incorrect. The error has been repeated in other publications.
Slater, John GregoryMackay H B Scott: an architectural history1995

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIBA Journal1945/03*Obituary p143 (by A Edgar Beresford)
Builder1945/02/16*Obituary
The Studio1945/07*Obituary
The Studio1938*Article by John Betjeman

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
CensusesCensus records online201011
Information sent via \'Contact Us\' on websiteCourtesy of Mr Hamish C Wilson, descendant of Baillie Scott201664Sent 16 December 2015