Architects

Name:

George Mackie Watson

Designation :

Architect

Date of Birth:

Year Only

Exact DOB:

08/08/1925

Year of Birth :

1860

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:

05/07/1948

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 Mackie Watson was born in 1860, the fourth son of George Watson, cabinetmaker and house furnisher, and his wife Agnes Shaw. He was the younger brother of John Watson (born about 1855) and the older borther of Arthur John Paul WAtson (born 1869) and Robert James George Watson (born 1871). He was educated at George Watson's College. In 1876, perhaps through the influence of his brother who had been in the office since 1869, he was articled to Robert Rowand Anderson, and remained as an assistant working on the McEwan Hall and the National Museum of Antiquities and Portrait Gallery, being promoted to chief assistant in 1884. During his later years with Anderson he had a financial interest in the business and was given the freedom to carry out his own private work from the office. He left full-time employment in Anderson's office to become the first architectural teacher in Anderson's Edinburgh School of Applied Art in 1892, but his RIBA nomination paper shows that he must have continued to assist Anderson until he commenced practice on his own account in 1899 at 4 Hope Street. In 1902 he brought an action against Anderson regarding fees owed to him when he was an assistant with Anderson while at the same time undertaking his own private commissions.

Although George Mackie Watson was never in partnership with his brother there were close links between them in the later 1880s and 1890s as they competed jointly with McArthy for the SSC library and Midlothian County Buildings in Edinburgh, for Ayr Public Library and possibly others in which they were unplaced. He also entered into a short association with James MacLachlan in 1907 and together they drew up a competition design for the Peace Palace at The Hague.

Watson was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, but differed from most of the others in having proposers of some standing in his brother John, Francis William Deas and Thomas Duncan Rhind. At that date he had travelled in Italy, France and Holland. His office was then at 50 Queen Street. He was elected FRIBA by the RIBA Council on 25 July 1928. He was made an honorary member of the Scottish Arts Club in 1944.

George Mackie Watson married Jean Steedman Mirylees. Their home address was 8 Scotland Street in 1911, but at the time of his death on 7 May 1948 he was living at 17 East Claremont Street. He left estate of £400 2s 5d. He was survived by his wife, who died in London in December the following year.

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
8 Scotland Street Edinburgh Scotland	Private
17 East Claremont Street Edinburgh Scotland	Private

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Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From	Date From Type	Date To	Date To Type	Notes
4 Hope Street Edinburgh Scotland	Business
50 Queen Street Edinburgh Scotland	Business

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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
(Sir) Robert Rowand Anderson	200041	In year 1876	In year 1880	Apprentice
(Sir) Robert Rowand Anderson	200041	In year 1880	In year 1881	Assistant
Anderson & Browne	200076	In year 1881	In year 1883	Assistant
Wardrop, Anderson & Browne	200077	In year 1883	In year 1884	Assistant
Wardrop, Anderson & Browne	200077	In year 1884	In year 1885	Chief Assistant
Wardrop & Anderson	200078	In year 1885	In year 1899	Chief Assistant

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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	Notes
Robert Wemyss Ferguson	207189	1905/10/09	In year 1910	Apprentice
John Myrtle Smith	203567	After 1900	Before 1906	Assistant

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

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

Proposer	Proposer Link	Date Proposed	Notes
(Sir) Thomas Duncan Rhind	100334	1911/07/20	for Licentiateship
Francis William Deas	200140	1911/07/20	for Licentiateship
John Watson	202272	1911/07/20	for Licentiateship
RIBA Council	203612	1928/07/25	for Fellowship

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

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

Person	Date Proposed	Notes
George Patrick Houston Watson	1933/01	for Fellowship

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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	Island	City or County	Country	Notes
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church	In year 1876	Stirling		Stirlingshire	Scotland	As apprentice to Robert Rowand Anderson
University of Edinburgh, Medical School and McEwan Hall	In year 1876			Edinburgh	Scotland	Medical School - as apprentice/assistant/chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
Central Station Hotel	In year 1877			Glasgow	Scotland	As apprentice/assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
Mount Stuart	In year 1879	Rothesay (near)	Bute	Bute	Scotland	Rebuilding - as apprentice/assistant/chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
Conservative Club	In year 1880			Edinburgh	Scotland	New building - as assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
Ballochmyle House	In year 1885	Mauchline		Ayrshire	Scotland	Reconstruction and extension - as chief assistant to Wardrop, Anderson & Browne
St James' Episcopal Church	In year 1885	Goldenacre		Edinburgh	Scotland	As chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
National Portrait Gallery and Museum of Antiquities	In year 1885			Edinburgh	Scotland	As chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
University of Edinburgh, Medical School and McEwan Hall	In year 1887			Edinburgh	Scotland	McEwan Hall - as chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
Library for Solicitors to the Supreme Courts of Scotland	In year 1888			Edinburgh	Scotland	First premiated competition design (entered jointly with McArthy & Watson); James Bow Dunn received commission
Dunblane Cathedral	In year 1889	Dunblane		Perthshire	Scotland	Restoration - as chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
St Margaret's RC Memorial Church	In year 1889	Dunfermline		Fife	Scotland	As chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and hall	In year 1890	Dunfermline		Fife	Scotland	As chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
King's College Chapel	In year 1890			Aberdeen	Scotland	Restoration - as chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson
South Morningside Free Church	In year 1890	Morningside		Edinburgh	Scotland	As chief assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson

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The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

Author	Title	Date
British Architectural Library, RIBA	Directory of British Architects 1834-1914	2001
Who's Who in Architecture		1914
Who's Who in Architecture		1926
Who's Who in Architecture		1923

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The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical Name	Date Circ	Edition	Notes
Builder	1948/06/04	v174	p681 - obituary
Scotsman	1948/05/25	*	p3 - obituary
Scotsman	1949/12/07	*	p10 - death notice of his wife, Jean Mirrylees
Scotsman	1944/08/02	*	p3 - report of AGM of Scottish Arts Club

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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
RIBA Nomination Papers	RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum	100005			L v21 no1659; F no2586 (box 6)
Sketch book (formerly in possession of Esme Gordon)	Edinburgh Architectural Association Library	200393

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Basic Biographic Details

Addresses

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

Employment and Training

Employers2 classic

Employees or Pupils

Employees or Pupils2 classic

RIBA Proposers

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

RIBA Proposals

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

Buildings and Designs

Buildings and Designs2 classic

References

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