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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

Arthur Clyne
Architect
Year Only
1853
Exact Date
01/06/1924
Arthur Clyne was born in Aberdeen in 1853 and was the son of Norval Clyne, an advocate (i.e. solicitor) there. He was articled to James Matthews c.1868 and at the end of his apprenticeship moved to become an assistant in the office of Andrew Heiton of Perth. He commenced independent practice c.1876, sharing an office at 177 Union Street Aberdeen with John Bridgeford Pirie, a former colleague from Matthews's practice, and in 1881 they merged their practices as Pirie & Clyne (although some letters addressed to them as 'Pirie & Clyne' predate this) and moved to 123 1/2 Union Street which was to remain their address. In 1882 they had some kind of link with Frederick Pilkington, with whose work their own had some affinities, as W T Johnston has established that Pirie shared Pilkington's address at 2 Hill Street Edinburgh in that year.

Pirie's connections with John Morgan the builder provided the practice with a steady flow of commissions for villas and terraced housing, but the practice was otherwise dependent on success in competitions and Clyne's strong Episcopal church connections. It did not reach the final tier in the Glasgow Municipal Buildings competition, was unpremiated in the Aberdeen Art Gallery and Gray's School of Art competition and came only third in that for Aberdeen Public Library but it did initially have significant successes in local competitions for churches, all of which were designed in a very original muscular early Gothic style. While Morgan's own house was gothic of the same school their few commercial buildings and their villas tended to be in a highly original variation of Alexander Thomson's style.

Pirie died of tuberculosis on 24 February 1892 at his house at 24 Hamilton Place, leaving no moveable estate and a widow and five children. Morgan was involved in raising money for them; there may have been some difficulty with Clyne as Pirie's son, Bridgeford MacDougall Pirie (born 1877), did not join Clyne's practice, and the Pirie family withdrew Pirie's drawings from the practice.

After Pirie's death Clyne's work became less unconventional, his church work being strongly influenced by the Aberdeen Ecclesiological Society of which he and Morgan were founder members. His Episcopal Church of St Devenick at Bieldside (1902) was pure late Scots Gothic, close in style to Alexander Marshall Mackenzie's work of the same vintage. There seems to have been no difference of any kind with Morgan after Pirie's death as he was to remain an important client. Clyne removed the practice to 33 St Swithin Street and was President of the Aberdeen Society of Architects in 1900, being admitted FRIBA in April 1901 by virtue of that office. He stood down as President in 1904 but was re-elected for the years 1909-13. He retired in 1914 when the practice, then back in Union Street at no 375, was closed. He died at Charlwood House, Charlwood, Surrey on 6 January 1924.

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
Cholmley Lodge Surrey EnglandPrivate
Charlwood House Charlwood Surrey EnglandPrivate

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
2 Glover Street Perth Perthshire ScotlandBusiness1874While still an apprentice with Heiton
177 Union Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessc. 18761881
123 1/2 Union Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessLate 1881After 1909
33 St Swithin Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusiness1900
375 Union Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusiness1914

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
Pirie & Clyne200045In year 1881In year 1892Partner
Matthews & Lawrie100130c. 1868c. 1873ApprenticeIn Aberdeen office, under James Matthews
Andrew Heiton (junior)201086c. 1873c. 1876Assistant

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
David Colville2034601904/041906/11Assistant
Harvey Mennie202018In year 1895In year 1902Chief Assistant

RIBA Proposals

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

RIBA PROPOSALS2 classic

PersonDate ProposedNotes
John Ross McMillan1907/03/04for Fellowship
George Watt1907/03/04for Fellowship
Harvey Mennie1910/07/04for Licentiateship
James Augustus SouttarLate 1910sfor Licentiateship
Thomas Harold Hughes1911/03/27for Associateship
David Colville1911/06/12for Associateship
William Liddle Duncan1911/07/20for Licentiateship
James Lowson1911/12/04for Licentiateship
John Alexander Ogg Allan1912/06/24for Licentiateship
William Edgar Gauld1913/06/09for Fellowship
John Alexander Ogg AllanIn year 1915for Fellowship
John Kirkwood Currie1919/03/03for Associateship

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
AltarpieceIn year 1874'Suggestion' fopr altarpiece
Craigmillar Steam LaundryAfter 1876CraigmillarEdinburghScotlandDate unknown
Parish HomeAfter 1876PeterheadAberdeenshireScotland
Skene ManseIn year 1878SkeneAberdeenshireScotlandAdditions
St Margaret's Episcopal ChapelIn year 1879BraemarAberdeenshireScotland
Queen's Cross Free ChurchIn year 1879AberdeenScotlandWon competition and secured job
24 Rubislaw Den SouthIn year 1879AberdeenScotland
Design for a small houseIn year 1879AberdeenshireScotland
Town and County Bank1880sEchtAberdeenshireScotland
Glasgow Municipal BuildingsIn year 1880GlasgowScotlandCompetition design, not successful
Victoria HallIn year 1880Castleton, BraemarAberdeenshireScotland
York Street SchoolIn year 1881AberdeenScotland
Robertson Memorial ChurchIn year 1881PeterheadAberdeenshireScotland
Central SchoolIn year 1881FraserburghAberdeenshireScotlandHeadmaster\'s House - perhaps by Pirie & Clyne
ViewbankIn year 1881PitfodelsAberdeenScotland

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Who's Who in Architecture1914
British Architectural Library, RIBADirectory of British Architects 1834-19142001
Who's Who in Architecture1923
Ball, Victoria ReynerSome interiors by John Bridgeford Pirie and Arthur Clyne, Architects, Aberdeen1997Journal of the Decorative Arts Society, no 21

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIBA Journal1924/02/09v31p226 - obituary
Builder1924/01/11v126p72 - obituary

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 Museum100005F v13 p138 no841 (microfilm reel 11)
J B Pirie CollectionNational Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS200720
Collection of plans, manuscripts etcRobert Gordon's University Archive200743Has a set of 20 drawings and plans of St Devenick's Church, Bieldside