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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

A & W Reid
Architectural practice
OR (2 Years Selected)
1843
1844
Year Only
1893
Alexander Reid, born 1816 or 1817, and William Reid, born 1825, were nephews and pupils of William Robertson of Elgin and inherited his practice following his death on 12 June 1841. The practice was at first in Alexander's name only as William was only sixteen, but the latter became a partner in 1843 or 1844. A third brother, Charles, born 1828, was presumably articled to his brothers in or about 1842 and at some point left them to gain wider experience. He became chief draughtsman with Brown & Wardrop in Edinburgh, and after Thomas Brown retired or died in 1872 or 1873 he was taken into partnership.

In the mid-1840s the Reids moved their practice to Inverness, their address there being 6 Academy Street (and 39 Union Street) in the earlier 1860s when they were in partnership with an unidentified Mackenzie. By 1868 they had moved to 141 High Street and the brothers were on their own again. In late 1874 or 1875 George Melven was taken into partnership as A & W Reid & Melven, but by 1878 the practice was again A & W Reid. By the mid-1880s they had returned to Elgin with an office at Post Office Buildings, Commerce Street, their main clients being the Cawdor and Moray estates.

William Reid died in 1893 and Alexander took their chief assistant John Wittet into partnership. Wittet was born on 5 February 1868 at Bridge of Earn and articled to David Smart of Perth from 1882 to 1888. In the latter year he moved to the office of Hippolyte Jean Blanc in Edinburgh which enabled him to study at Heriot-Watt College and Edinburgh School of Art. By 1892 he had moved briefly to Glasgow to work for Clarke & Bell before joining the Reids as chief assistant in the same year. When he joined the partnership in the following year, the practice title changed to A & W Reid & Wittet.

Addresses

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

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
Market Green, West End Elgin Morayshire ScotlandPrivate/businessIn year 18441844 Elgin Directory

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
Market Green, West End Elgin Morayshire ScotlandPrivate/businessIn year 18441844 Elgin Directory
6 Academy Street Inverness Inverness-shire ScotlandBusinessc. 1845Before 1868
39 Union Street Inverness Inverness-shire ScotlandBusinessc. 1845In year 1873
141 High Street Inverness Inverness-shire ScotlandBusinessBefore 1868Before 1880
175 High Street Elgin Morayshire ScotlandBusinessBefore 1880Before 1885
Post Office Buildings Commerce Street Elgin Morayshire ScotlandBusinessBefore 1885

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
Charles ReidApprenticec. 1843c. 1849
Alexander ReidPartner1843 or 1844In year 1893
William ReidPartner1843 or 1844In year 1893
William James AudsleyApprenticeAfter 1847Before 1863
William James AudsleyAssistantAfter 1850In year 1863
George Ashdown AudsleyApprenticec. 1852In year 1856
James RhindApprenticeIn year 1863
James LedinghamApprenticeIn year 1864In year 1870
William CowieApprentice1883/02In year 1888
William Charles ReidApprenticec. 1890In year 1893William C Reid probably trained and assisted in the firm before being taken into partnership, but this is not certain.
John WittetChief Assistant1892/09In year 1893

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 Designs2

BuildingPartnership GPRoleDate FromDate ToTown DistrictIslandCity CountyCountryNotes
Lochbroom Parish ChurchBIn year 1844In year 1845LochbroomRoss and CromartyScotland
Free ChurchAArchitectural practiceIn year 1844UrquhartMorayshireScotland
Old School HouseAArchitectural practiceIn year 1844RaffordMorayshireScotland
Burghead Free ChurchBArchitectural practiceIn year 1844BurgheadMorayshireScotland
Drummuir House and gatelodgeBIn year 1845DalmuirBanffshireScotlandPorter's lodge and kennels
MillbankAArchitectural practiceIn year 1845In year 1846ElginMorayshireScotland
Secession Church ManseAIn year 1845LossiemouthMorayshireScotland
St Andrews LhanbrydeAIn year 1845Lhanbryde (near Elgin)MorayshireScotlandAlterations
Free Church ManseAIn year 1845ElginMorayshireScotland
Free ChurchAIn year 1845GarmouthMorayshireScotland
House at west end of ForresAIn year 1845ForresMorayshireScotland
Bogside FarmhouseAIn year 1845EdenAberdeenshireScotland
Linganbo FarmhouseAIn year 1845EdenAberdeenshireScotland
Villa, BishopmillAIn year 1845ElginMorayshireScotland
Cullen PrisonAIn year 1845CullenBanffshireScotland

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 Press
Beaton, ElizabethWilliam Robertson 1786-1841, Architect in Elgin1984

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architectural practice:

Period ref

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Builder1897/03/13*Obituary of Alexander Reid
Elgin Courant1841/06/22*