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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

Ellis & Wilson
Architectural practice
Year Only
1869
Year Only
1906
Alexander Ellis (b. Aberdeen, 1830) was articled to John and William Smith 1846-51 and set up independent practice in 1857 at his mother's home at 19 Hadden Street, Aberdeen. In 1859 he took on his first apprentice, Robert Gordon Wilson, and moved into his nephew Alexander Diack's office at 4 Belmont Street, from which they moved to no 13 about 1869, the Ellises and the Diacks then sharing a large house at no 17.

In 1869 Wilson was taken into partnership. Wilson had been born at New Pitsligo in 1844, the son of a local master builder John Wilson and Eliza Gordon. Perhaps because of his family's United Presbyterian connections, Wilson secured a place in the office of Alexander Thomson c. 1866, at the end of his apprenticeship with Ellis. However, he returned to Ellis's office in 1869, when he was taken into partnership.

In 1876 the Belmont Street house became too small to accommodate the Ellis and Diack families and Ellis and Wilson developed 54-71 Springbank Terrace - Ellis took no 66; Wilson, who had married 23 December 1875, no 60; and the Diacks no 70. Ellis did not marry until 6 August 1878, his bride being Helen Anne Murray, daughter of Dr Murray, surgeon, Glenlivet, whose elder daughter Mathilda had married the Aberdeen builder John Morgan seven years earlier in June 1871. Morgan was a man of exceptionally wide artistic interests whom Ellis had known since at least 1863 when he and his uncle Adam Mitchell were contractors for Corse House. It was probably following his marriage that Ellis built for their own occupation The Firs at Torphins, a large weekend house. Like Morgan's own bungalow, Woodcote, The Firs was largely timber framed on a brick plinth and influenced by what Morgan had seen on his visit to Toronto and Montreal.

In the mid-1880s the practice moved to the newly built Victoria buildings on Bridge Street. Ellis had to retire in 1896 suffering from insomnia, melancholia and indigestion, and the remaining twenty years of his life were divided between his two houses and the Royal Asylum where he died 3 May 1917.

Wilson continued the practice and in 1906 took into partnership his son, also Robert Gordon Wilson (who had served his apprenticeship there in 1893-8), and John Wilson Walker, the firm's name changing to Wilsons and Walker (see separate entry).

Addresses

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

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
4 Belmont Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessc. 1859
13 Springbank Terrace Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessc. 1869
Victoria Buildings Bridge Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessMid 1880s
181a Union Street Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessBefore 1893After 1898

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
John Patrick McCann
John LyonApprentice
Alexander EllisPartnerIn year 1869In year 1896
Robert Gordon Wilson (senior)PartnerIn year 1869In year 1906
George SutherlandApprenticeAfter 1878c. 1883
James GreigApprenticec. 1883c. 1892
Alexander Ellis DiackApprentice1886/081891/06
Bridgeford MacDougall PirieApprenticec. 1890
Robert Gordon Wilson (junior)Apprentice1893/08/151898/08/15Became partner in 1906
John Wilson WalkerApprenticeIn year 1896c. 1900Became partner c.1906
Robert Gordon Wilson (junior)AssistantIn year 1901In year 1905

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
Muchalls Episcopal ChurchBIn year 1870MuchallsKincardineshireScotlandWest gable belfry and porch added
Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church and presbyteryAIn year 1870BanffBanffshireScotland
Banff UP ManseAIn year 1871BanffBanffshireScotland
St Joseph's RC ChurchAIn year 1872In year 1874DundeeScotland
Teacher's House, New PitsligoAIn year 1873New PitsligoAberdeenshireScotland
New Pitsligo SchoolBArchitectural practiceIn year 1873New PitsligoAberdeenshireScotlandTeacher\'s house
Craigiebuckler ChurchA1873/11AberdeenScotland
Fraserburgh UP ChurchAIn year 1874FraserburghAberdeenshireScotland
Strichen SchoolhouseAIn year 1874StrichenAberdeenshireScotland
New Pitsligo SchoolAIn year 1875New PitsligoAberdeenshireScotland
Banff Free ChurchCArchitectural practiceIn year 1875In year 1877BanffBanffshireScotlandTransepts enlarged and accommodation increased. (Buildings of Scotland)
54-71 Springbank TerraceAIn year 1876In year 1881AberdeenScotland
St Joseph's RC PresbyteryAIn year 1876In year 1877DundeeScotland
Rosehearty UP ManseAIn year 1876RoseheartyAberdeenshireScotland
RC Church of St Mary of the AssumptionBIn year 1877AberdeenScotlandCompletion of tower and spire

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architectural practice:

Bib ref

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Morgan, JohnMemoirs1899Aberdeen
Leith, ConnieAlexander Ellis: a fine Victorian architect1999Aberdeen: privately published

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architectural practice:

Period ref

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Aberdeen Daily Free Press1917/05/04*Obituary of Ellis
Aberdeen Press and Journal Weekend Review1917/05/04*Obituary of Ellis
Aberdeen Press and Journal Weekend Review1931/07/29*Onituary of Wilson
Aberdeen Press and Journal Weekend Review1939/12/14*Obituary of Wilson Junior

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architectural practice:

Arc ref

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuildingItem NameNotes
Collection of plans, manuscripts etcRobert Gordon's University ArchivePhotograph of 32-38 Union Street and several books which belonged toEllis & Wilson.