Skip to Main Content

Practices

Basic Biographic Details

Walker & Duncan
Architectural practice
Year Only
1891
Year Only
1957
The practice of Walker & Duncan was the result of the merger in 1891 of two rural firms specialising in agricultural business.

The Walker element was George James Walker, born in 1835 or 1836, the son of Robert Walker, farmer and his wife Margaret Gordon. Nothing is known of his training or early career. He was a distant relative of David Walker who was in partnership with the Aberdeen architect, civil engineer and garden designer James Forbes Beattie in the 1820s and 1830s. George James Walker formed a second Walker & Beattie partnership in 1877, the year of the death of James Forbes Beattie, with the latter's son James Alexander Beattie who had been born around 1846. It is probable that the new firm of Walker & Beattie inherited the practice of James Forbes Beattie. In about 1888 or 1889 (not 1913 as Muriel Barnett writes), the Walker & Beattie partnership was dissolved.

The Duncan element of Walker & Duncan was Thomas Duncan, born about 1856, the son of John Duncan, law stationer and his wife Mary Hunter. Nothing is yet known of his early years, though he would appear to have been trained as both architect and civil engineer. He took over the practice of land surveyor and engineer Andrew Jamieson Ironside following the latter's death on 27 November 1887.

The purpose of the Walker & Duncan merger in 1891 was perhaps the better to compete with Jenkins & Marr, another firm specialising in agricultural business which was also formed from the merger of two separate rural practices.

Thomas Duncan died on 18 March 1892 at the early age of 36. The cause of his death was recorded as tuberculosis of the prostate and bladder. He was survived by his wife, Mary Ann Moir.

Walker continued the practice under the existing title Walker & Duncan thereafter. Duncan’s place in the partnership was filled by William Dalton Ironside, son of Andrew Jamieson Ironside and his wife Tamar Proud, who may have been involved in his father’s practice before the latter’s death. The practice title did not change.

In around 1913, James Crane Cruickshank was taken into partnership, the practice still retaining the title of Walker & Duncan. Cruickshank had been born on 3 July 1882 and articled to Walker & Duncan in 1898, remaining as assistant until 1906. He had then spent a year carrying out drainage constructional work with London contractors S Pearson & Son before returning to Walker & Duncan as Principal Assistant, having charge of about fifteen assistants and pupils and three Inspectors of Works.

Walker - who was the seventh-generation owner of Portlethen farm and was a fine breeder and judge of Aberdeen-Angus cattle and a crack shot, representing Scotland on more than one occasion - died aged 68 on 20 February 1914, coincidentally the same day as his former partner James Alexander Beattie. William Dalton Ironside senior died aged 49 from phthsis on 12 June 1915, survived by his wife, Emma Yates. Cruickshank relinquished his position in the practice prior to joining the Army in 1917 to serve in Aberdeen and Kincardine, continuing his career after the war as a District Surveyor in the Department of Agriculture for Scotland.

The firm continued under the same name despite the changes in its members. George James Walker’s son Colonel Robert W Walker in charge from at least the 1930s onwards. He ran the Walker & Duncan firm from 3 Golden Square, Aberdeen until 1947. He was a Fellow of the Aberdeen Society of Architects, but does not appear to have joined the RIBA.

The practice closed in 1957.


'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
3 Golden Square Aberdeen ScotlandBusinessBefore 18941940s
Aberdeen ScotlandBusiness

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
George James WalkerPartnerIn year 1891In year 1914
Thomas DuncanPartnerIn year 1891In year 1892
William Dalton IronsidePartnerIn year 1892In year 1915
James Crane CruickshankApprenticeIn year 18981902 or 1903
James Crane CruickshankAssistant1902 or 1903In year 1906
James Crane CruickshankPrincipal AssistantIn year 1907c. 1913
James Crane CruickshankPartnerc. 1913In year 1917
James HunterApprentice1928/08In year 1933
James HunterAssistantIn year 1933In year 1939
William Farquharson SmithAssistantIn year 1936In year 1940
(Colonel) Robert W Walker PartnerBefore 193In year 1947

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
Northern Agriculture & Lime Co Ltd premsiesAAberdeenScotlandDate not recorded in NMRS Architects File
Newtonhill VillageANewtonhillKincardineshireScotlandUnspecified work - date unknown
Hillside CottagesAKincardineshireScotlandDate unknown
Fetteresso Estate, farm buildingsAKincardineshireScotlandDate unknown
Crathes CastleBCrathesAberdeenshire/KincardineshireScotlandGarden layout - date unknown
Tullos Home FarmAAberdeenshireScotlandProposed improvement - date unknown
Five houses, Hartington RoadAAberdeenScotlandDate unknown
Mains of CraibstoneAIn year 1869CraibstoneAberdeenshireScotlandSteading
Newemill FarmIn year 1875TillyfourAberdeenshireScotland
9 Queen's RoadAIn year 1878AberdeenScotlandHS attribution
Two dwelling houses, St Swithin StreetAc. 1884AberdeenScotland
Stocket Farm SouthAIn year 1889AberdeenshireScotlandAlterations to house and steading
Union Grove Baptist ChurchAIn year 1891AberdeenScotland
Charlestown estate, various steading and farm buildingsAIn year 1891In year 1903CammachmoreKincardineshireScotland
Cammachmore HotelAIn year 1891CammachmoreKincardineshireScotland

References