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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

Jenkins & Marr
Architectural practice
Date Not Known
After (Year)
1982
George Gordon Jenkins was born in 1844 and commenced practice as architect and surveyor at 115 Union Street, Aberdeen in or before 1874, his earliest work being concerned with the layout of cemeteries. In the summer of 1878 he took into partnership George Marr who had begun practice as an architect and civil engineer at Campbell of Udny from 1855, concentrating almost exclusively on school and farm work. His practice had moved to Ellon in the mid-1860s and became G & G Marr in 1872. Throughout their early careers, the work of Jenkins & Marr was of a simple and strictly practical nature, but with Mannofield Church (1882), for which an experienced assistant was probably brought into the practice, moved to a rather higher plane. From the earlier 1880s there was briefly a loose partnership with William Davidson in Ellon, the connection with him being through Marr.

Around 1886 Harbourne Maclennan joined the firm as apprentice. Maclennan was born in 1871, the son of John Maclennan, land surveyor of Ellon, and educated at Elgin Academy and Dunfermline High School. He stayed on as an assistant for one further year and subsequently made a study tour in Europe: as an academic architect, he was essentially self-taught. When his father was appointed Road Surveyor and Master of Works for East Fife in 1895, he moved to Dunfermline to commence practice but was subsequently invited by Jenkins to return to the Jenkins & Marr practice, Marr having died in 1899. The catalyst was probably the commission to design the Masonic Hall in Crown Street, Aberdeen, which he carried out on his own account in 1908-1910. He was belatedly made a partner in 1915, and became sole partner in 1921. Jenkins had retired by then and died two years later. In 1935 Maclennan took William Alexander (or Arthur?) Davidson, and his own son John Maclennan, into partnership. He was a specialist in paper-making factories and was responsible for designing several distilleries in the north-east, many Local Authority housing schemes, and extensive water supply and drainage schemes throughout Scotland. The practice continued to undertake a wide range of commissions including private houses, work for the Union Bank of Scotland and Aberdeen Savings Bank, alterations and redecoration of churches in Aberdeen and the conversion of building for an old people's home.

Harbourne Maclennan died on 27 August 1951. In the 1950s the firm opened a branch office in Wick.

Addresses

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

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
115 Union Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessIn year 1878
16 Bridge Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessBefore 1880After 1934
3 Bon-Accord Crescent Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessBefore 1937After 1956
Mirren House/6 Maxwell Street Paisley Renfrewshire ScotlandBusiness1970sBranch office
102 High Street Wick Caithness ScotlandBusinessIn year 1981

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
William ('Bill') Alexander McKimmieSenior Partner
Ian AnnandArchitect
Gordon David DiackPartnerIn year 1971
Charles William Lewis ParslowPartnerIn year 1970
George Gordon JenkinsPartnerMid 1878sIn year 1921
George MarrPartnerMid 1878sIn year 1899
George Bennett MitchellAssistantIn year 1885In year 1887
John Bruce MersonApprentice1886/10/281890/10/28
Harbourne MaclennanApprenticec. 18861891 or 1892Returned as assistant, becoming partner in 1915, and continuing the practice in 1923.
Charles Alexander LawrenceApprenticeIn year 1890In year 1895
Harbourne MaclennanAssistant1891 or 18921892 or 1893
James GreigAssistantAfter 1892
Harbourne MaclennanIn year 1900In year 1915
Edith Mary Wardlaw Burnet Hughes (née Burnet)AssistantIn year 1914Before 1915
William Alexander DavidsonChief Assistant1914/061916/03

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
Paper MillsALancashireEnglandDate unknown
Talisman HouseArchitectural practiceIn year 2000AberdeenScotland
Regency CourtArchitectural practiceIn year 2000AberdeenScotland
Multi-storey housing, BannermillArchitectural practiceIn year 2004AberdeenScotland
FactoryAArchitectural practiceIn year 1967OgilvieAberdeenScotland
SlaughterhouseAArchitectural practiceIn year 1967BanchoryKincardineshire/AberdeenshireScotland
Thomson newspaper works and officesAArchitectural practiceIn year 1967AberdeenScotland
Old People's HomeAArchitectural practiceIn year 1967AberdeenScotland
Aberdeen University Students' UnionAArchitectural practiceIn year 1967AberdeenScotland
DrumnageskABrackleyAberdeenshireScotlandDate unknown
Pier and breakwaterAArchitectural practiceIn year 1878In year 1883Cove BayAberdeenshireScotlandConstructed in 1878 and improved in 1883
Coffee HouseAIn year 1879InverurieAberdeenshireScotland
Huntly Cemetery and LodgeAc. 1879HuntlyAberdeenshireScotland
Mains of Pitrichie Farm houseAIn year 1880EllonAberdeenshireScotland
Auction MartAIn year 1880AberdeenScotland

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architectural practice:

Bib ref

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Bailey, Rebecca MScottish architects' papers: a source book1996Edinburgh: The Rutland Pressp92
RIBADirectory of Practices 19811981

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architectural practice:

Arc ref

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuildingItem NameNotes
RIBA Nomination PapersRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumIvor Llewelyn Bowman Hopkins: A no7917 (combined box 200) - attached note of resignation from RIBA on retirement is on Jenkins & Marr headed paper, giving names of partners and associates at the time.