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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

James Hamilton & Son
Architectural practice
Year Only
1877
Year Only
1907
James Hamilton was born c.1826 the son of John Hamilton, manager of St Rollox Chemical Works and his wife Jane McKay. By his own account in the 'Architects, Engineers and Building Trades Directory' of 1868, he was articled to Alexander Kirkland with whom he remained several years as an assistant, setting up on his own account in 1857. While at Kirkland's he designed in his own name several monuments in the Glasgow Necropolis including the boldly theatrical one to J H Alexander. Thomas Gildard (ms p.20) is careful to emphasise that he was not related in any way to David Hamilton or his son James. From what the late Professor William James Smith learned when with the Hamiltons in the early twentieth century, Hamilton was largely responsible for the design of Kirkland's Venetian Tillie & Henderson Building, 37-51 Miller Street, and Eagle Buildings on Bothwell Street. Tillie & Henderson was a Londonderry company and it was in Ireland that Hamilton made his name by winning the elevations competition for the Ulster Bank in 1857 with elevations related to Tillie & Henderson's; he also designed several branches for that bank. Hamilton also established himself as an expert in the design of baths buildings, his Directory entry recording essays on heating, ventilation and acoustics. In 1861 Kirkland took Hamilton into partnership (his previous partnership with James Russell having ended in 1856) with an office in West Nile Street, but Kirkland abruptly withdrew at the end of 1861, leaving for London to recommence practice as a civil engineer only on 19 February 1862. Their apprentice Thomas Ross (1839-1930), later of MacGibbon and Ross then left for the office of Charles Wilson. James Hamilton continued the Glasgow practice alone with the assistance of James Sellars from 1864-67. To manage the Belfast office he entered into a partnership with Frank Stirrat who had supervised the building of the Ulster Bank, an arrangement that lasted from 1863 until 1866.

James Hamilton's son John H, born in 1851, was educated at Glasgow High School and Glasgow School of Art and completed his articles with his father 1867-1873. Thereafter he gained five years experience in unspecified offices, and at some stage travelled on the continent. He was taken into formal partnership as James Hamilton & Son in 1877. However father and son disagreed c. 1884 and John practised independently until a few months before his father died in 1894 when a reconciliation took place and the partnership was reformed. The name James Hamilton & Son was then used from this date until 1907 when it was dropped in preparation for John's son Arthur Donaldson Hamilton being taken into partnership, the firm becoming John Hamilton & Son in 1910. Arthur was born on 25 January 1882 and articled to his father 1899 to 1905, attending Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College. In 1905 he was placed with John Archibald Campbell for experience, returning to his father's practice as an assistant before being taken into partnership. Much of the work of the practice was valuation, notably for the Glasgow City and District Railway and the Caledonian Railway, and arbitration, notably for the Glasgow Corporation Sewage Scheme.

All three generations of Hamiltons were closely associated with Rothesay, where they had weekend houses. They built many villas there and in the surrounding area.

'Biography authored by the Dictionary of Scottish Architects Compilation Team.'

Addresses

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

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
132 West Regent Street Glasgow ScotlandBusinessIn year 1882In year 1883
212 St Vincent Street Glasgow ScotlandBusinessIn year 1904

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
James HamiltonPartnerIn year 1877c. 1884
John H HamiltonPartnerIn year 1877c. 1884Resumed partnership in 1893
James Hoey CraigieApprenticeIn year 1885In year 1890Under James Hamilton
James HamiltonPartnerc. 1893In year 1894
John H HamiltonPartnerc. 1893In year 1907
Arthur Donald HamiltonApprentice1899/08/01In year 1905
Hugh Aitken Hutchison WalkerApprentice1907/061912/06

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
MoorhouseA?After 1868Before 1890BarrheadRenfrewshireScotlandUnclear whether by John Hamilton alone or in partnership
Duncan HallsAIn year 1877In year 1879RothesayButeButeScotland
Corner tenement with shop, Russell Street and Mill StreetAIn year 1877RothesayButeButeScotlandHS suggestion
Baths, Leslie StreetAIn year 1884PollokshieldsGlasgowScotlandWon competition and secured job
St Rollox UP ChurchAIn year 1893St RolloxGlasgowScotland
Shawlands AcademyAIn year 1893ShawlandsGlasgowScotland
Drill Hall, Rumford StreetAIn year 1894BridgetonGlasgowScotland
Gorbals Grain MillsBIn year 1895GorbalsGlasgowScotlandSecond section
Shawlands AcademyBIn year 1896ShawlandsGlasgowScotlandExtension
Battlefield East ChurchAIn year 1898BattlefieldGlasgowScotlandHall
School and janitor's houseAIn year 1898PollokshawsGlasgowScotland
Church hall and vestry, Moss RoadAIn year 1898GlasgowScotland
Shawlands Free Church HallAIn year 1898Shawlands CrossGlasgowScotland
New Cathcart Free Church and HallAIn year 1898In year 1899CathcartGlasgowScotlandHall only; commission for main church lost to J B Wilson
Shawlands AcademyCAfter 1899Before 1905ShawlandsGlasgowScotlandAdditions

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architectural practice:

Period ref

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIBA Journal1935/11/09v43p38 - obituary of John Hamilton

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architectural practice:

Arc ref

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuildingItem NameNotes
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive materialProfessor David M Walker personal archiveInformation from personal recollections of the late Professor William James Smith
Gildard's 'Some Old Glasgow Architects' supplementary manuscriptMitchell Library