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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

Burn & Bryce
Architectural practice
Year Only
1844
OR (2 Years Selected)
1849
1850
The partnership of William Burn and David Bryce was a legal entity from 1844 to July 1850 although in design terms it had begun much earlier and had effectively ended in 1849. It was managed by David Bryce from what had been William Burn's house and office at 131 George Street, Edinburgh and was confined to Scotland, Burn's London practice at 6 Stratton Street, Piccadilly being conducted in his name only. The practice differed in that the Edinburgh Burn and Bryce office continued Burn's pre-1844 general practice, whereas Burn's London office accepted commissions only for country houses, related estate work, gentleman's clubs and business arising from his Office of Works role as consulting architect to the Government of Scotland following the retirement of Edward Blore in 1849.

David Bryce's connection with Burn began with the death of his older brother William on 5 December 1823. William was one of Burn's senior clerks and David was given his post to help provide for his widow and three young children. By at least 1829 Bryce was Burn's chief clerk: he had been allowed to continue conducting his brother's architectural academy from his house in Hermitage Place, Stockbridge and from about 1828 was allowed to have a small independent practice, mainly small parish buildings with which Burn did not want to be troubled. But in April 1829 Bryce received and accepted the commission for a small country house at Newton Hall at Kennoway in Fife and his private practice, in the early 1830s based at Great Stuart Street and from 1835 at 53 Castle Street, grew steadily throughout the 1830s, mainly with church, manse and school work. In parallel Bryce became increasingly important to Burn's practice through his mastery of neo-Mannerist, neo-Baroque and Scottish Jacobean detail.

But by 1839-1840 Bryce had received commissions for several Edinburgh insurance offices and for the Edinburgh & Leith Bank's head office, buildings too prominent to be consistent with the position as Burn's chief clerk. Matters came to a head in March 1841 when Bryce not unreasonably sought full membership of the Institute of architects in Scotland which Burn had founded in the previous year. His application was unfavourably received as he was still regarded as an employee rather than a principal by the other members of the committee. Burn then formally proposed him as a Fellow at the beginning of May, but as his admission was still opposed by the committee, Burn resigned from the Institute on the 15th, bringing about the collapse of the Institute.

The reason why Burn and Bryce ultimately merged their practices were, however, more because of practical considerations. In 1839-44 Burn had an altogether exceptional number of major commissions on his hands which were geographically widely spread from Ross and Cromarty in the north to Lincolnshire in the south and across the Irish Sea to Muckross and Dartrey. Early in 1844 he had a short breakdown in health similar to that which afflicted him for a longer period in 1824 and later in that same year he moved house to 6 Stratton Street, Piccadilly, London as a more convenient address from which to deal with his English and Irish clients and his grander Scottish ones during the winter season. No copy of the partnership agreement has been found, but it appears to have been provided for Bryce still managing all Scottish business from Burn's house and office at 131 George Street into which Bryce then moved.

Within a year the partnership became strained as a result of problems with the slating of the Duke of Buccleuch's Episcopal chapel at Dalkeith where the Ducchess's enmity made Burn particularly sensitive of his reputation. Bryce's friendship with Robert William Billings, whose publishing partnership with Burn ended acrimoniously in October 1848, and his feud with the Free Church faction in Edinburgh's Town Council over the rebuilding of Trinity College Church, probably did not help matters but the primary cause of the break-up of the partnership was Bryce's increasing habit of dealing directly with most of the Scottish clients and designing their houses without much reference to Burn in London. Burn's acceptance of the commission for Poltalloch which was both designed and supervised from Stratton Street, probably marked the final breaking point. At the time the break suited the interests of both partners. Bryce's Edinburgh practice was by then busier than Burn's in London and he no longer needed Burn to introduce business; and Burn was by then relatively short of commissions for completely new houses and Scottish business was again welcome. The partnership was formally dissolved shortly before 11 July 1850 when Burn wrote to the published John Blackwood: 'I have closed my partnership with Bryce it being utterly impossible to go on with him'.

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architectural practice:

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
131 George Street Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate/businessIn year 18441849 or 1850

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
131 George Street Edinburgh ScotlandPrivate/businessIn year 18441849 or 1850

Partners, Employees and Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architectural practice (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2

NamePositionDate FromDate ToNotes
David BrycePartnerIn year 1844In year 1849
James Campbell WalkerAssistantIn year 1844In year 1849Initially still an apprentice
William BurnSenior PartnerIn year 1844In year 1849
John StarforthApprenticeIn year 1844Exact dates unkown
John StarforthAssistantAfter 1844Starforth is believed to have remained in the practice after his apprenticeship
Andrew Heiton (junior)Assistantc. 1844c. 1848
Charles George Hood KinnearApprenticeIn year 1849In year 1850

Buildings and Designs

This architectural practice was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs

BuildingPartnership GPRoleDate FromDate ToTown DistrictIslandCity CountyCountryNotes
Roslin ChapelBArchitectural practiceIn year 1837c. 1845Roslin/RosslynMidlothianScotlandSupervised repairs
Ladykirk HouseAIn year 1843LadykirkBerwickshireScotlandMinor alterations and additions
BalcaskieEArchitectural practiceIn year 1844PittenweemFifeScotlandWest (Carnbee) Lodge
Mertoun HouseDIn year 1844MertounBerwickshireScotlandAlterations and additions, including new south wing, reusing old pavilion
Fife Arms Hotel and adjoining premises for the Trustees of Lord FifeAIn year 1844c. 1845BanffBanffshireScotland
WhitehillAIn year 1844RosewellMidlothianScotlandHouse, lodge etc
Preston HouseAIn year 1844LinlithgowWest LothianScotlandHouse, lodge and gateway
Trinity ChurchAIn year 1844In year 1849EdinburghScotlandBuilding dismantled under Bryce's supervision and various schemes prepared
Thirlestane CastleAArchitectural practiceIn year 1844LauderBerwickshireScotlandCompletion of additions - begun by Burn, probably partly designed by Bryce; may have been completed in partnership
Town's Churches, St Mary's Church and church hallAIn year 1844In year 1845DundeeScotlandDesigns drawn up for new church following rejection of scheme for rebuilding the medieval church, burnt 1841.
Carradale HouseAIn year 1844CarradaleArgyllScotland
Bamff HouseAIn year 1844AlythPerthshireScotlandAdditions
Norton House and ancillary buildingsAc. 1844c. 1845MidlothianScotlandHS- 'style of David Bryce'
Riccarton Estate LodgeAc. 1844West LothianScotlandHS - 'style of William Burn and David Bryce'
ArmadaleAIn year 1845MelvichSutherlandScotland

References