Basic Biographical Details

Name: George Coutts
Designation:  
Born: c. 1851
Died: 2 May 1924
Bio Notes: George Coutts was born about 1851, the son of James Coutts, master builder, and his wife Janet Burnett. His father had been foreman to Daniel Macandrew prior to the latter’s emigration to New Zealand in or about 1850, and had taken over the Macandrew workshops at 22-24 John Street which was to remain the location of both house and workshops for the whole of the firm’s business. The elder Coutts died there in 1860.

George Coutts continued his father’s business as master builder, primarily as a joiner, but resumed the Macandrew provision of architectural services. He was in a totally different league from most architect builders: although presumably initially articled to his father, it is probable that he also undertook an architectural apprenticeship with a leading Aberdeen practice, perhaps William Smith’s as his earlier houses in Aberdeen’s west end from 1880 onwards have Smith-type Jacobean gables. Some of these houses were for his own firm but most were for clients.

In 1899-1900 Coutts designed two much larger buildings, a block of business chambers and flats in a Northern European Renaissance manner at 10-16 Crown Street and the tall and immensely long sanatorium at Nordrach-on-Dee at Banchory, an innovative design predominantly of timber so that it could easily be burnt down when it had served its purpose.

Between 1905 and 1910 Coutts designed and built a number of large and expensive villas in Queen’s Road and Rubislaw Den North which were outstanding if rather late examples of Richard Norman Shaw’s ‘Old English’ half-timbered genre. By that date he had amassed an extremely good architectural library.

He died of arterio-sclerosis and gangrene of the right leg aged seventy three on 2 May 1924 at 22-24 John Street, Aberdeen. He was buried at St Peter's Cemetery. He was not married. He was the brother of William Burnett Coutts. No further details of him are yet known.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 122-24, John Street, Aberdeen, ScotlandBusiness   

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 1James Coutts  Apprentice 

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 551880Three houses, Cotton Road  AberdeenScotlandPlans passed
Item 2 of 551883Four houses, Fountainhall Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 3 of 551883House, Carden Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 4 of 55188438 Carden Place  AberdeenScotlandPlans passed
Item 5 of 551884Dwelling house, Fountainhall Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 6 of 551884House, Carden Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 7 of 551884House, Fountainhall Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 8 of 551884Lilybank Soap Company  AberdeenScotland 
Item 9 of 551884Villas, Fountainhall Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 10 of 551885Four houses, Firhall Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 11 of 551885Two houses, Hamilton Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 12 of 551885Union Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 13 of 551885Warehouse John Street and Jopps Lane  AberdeenScotland 
Item 14 of 551885Dwelling house, Salisbury Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 15 of 551886Aberdeen Ice Company Premises  AberdeenScotland 
Item 16 of 551886Dwelling house, Hamilton Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 17 of 551886Villa, Great Western Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 18 of 551888Houses, Salisbury Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 19 of 551888Two houses, King Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 20 of 551889Two houses with shops, Holburn Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 21 of 551889Two houses, Charles Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 22 of 551890House, Elmbank Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 23 of 551890House, Spring Gardens  AberdeenScotland 
Item 24 of 55c. 1890Semi-detached villas, Fountainhall Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 25 of 551891Premises, George Street and Ebeneezer Place  AberdeenScotland 
Item 26 of 551892Two houses, Holburn Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 27 of 551894Double villa, King's Gate  AberdeenScotland 
Item 28 of 551895House, Rubislaw Den South  AberdeenScotland 
Item 29 of 551896House, Beechgrove Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 30 of 551896Stonehaven Free ChurchStonehaven KincardineshireScotlandAlterations and additions including tower
Item 31 of 551897Double villa, King's Gate  AberdeenScotland 
Item 32 of 551897Stonehaven Golf ClubhouseStonehaven KincardineshireScotlandFirst phase
Item 33 of 551897Two houses, Beechgrove Terrace  AberdeenScotland 
Item 34 of 551898Aberdeen Ice Company Premises  AberdeenScotlandFurther work
Item 35 of 551898John Knox Free Church  AberdeenScotland 
Item 36 of 551898Two houses, Clifton Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 37 of 551898West Free Church  AberdeenScotlandTwo part Gothic organ case
Item 38 of 551899House, Forest Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 39 of 551899Premises, Crown Street and Langstane Road, including Star and Garter pub  AberdeenScotland 
Item 40 of 551900Nordrach-on-Dee HospitalBanchory Aberdeenshire/KincardineshireScotland 
Item 41 of 551901Business premises  AberdeenScotland 
Item 42 of 551901Commercial and tenement block, Crown Street  AberdeenScotland 
Item 43 of 551901ViewmountStonehaven KincardineshireScotlandEnlargement
Item 44 of 551902Villa, Queen's Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 45 of 551903Granary, Skene StreetMacduff BanffshireScotland 
Item 46 of 551903Northern Agricultural Company WarehouseMacduff BanffshireScotland 
Item 47 of 551905Premises (house?), Rubislaw Den North  AberdeenScotland 
Item 48 of 551905Villa, Queen's Road  AberdeenScotlandBuilt speculatively
Item 49 of 551905Villa, Rubislaw Den North  AberdeenScotland 
Item 50 of 551906House (built on spec)  AberdeenScotland 
Item 51 of 551906Villa, Queen's Road  AberdeenScotland 
Item 52 of 551907Northern Agriculture & Lime Co Ltd premsies  AberdeenScotlandNew build or addition - sources vary
Item 53 of 551908Villa, Rubislaw Den North  AberdeenScotland 
Item 54 of 551909Tudor LodgeStonehaven KincardineshireScotlandConflict of information. Stonehaven Journal gives Coutts as architect. Kelly information from owner in 1970s.
Item 55 of 551910Villa, Queen's Road  AberdeenScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Scotlands People Website Wills & Testaments  Statutory deaths register 168/01 0379

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Aberdeen Press and Journal3 May 1924   
Item 2 of 4Aberdeen Press and Journal5 May 1924   
Item 3 of 4Aberdeen Press and Journal6 May 1924   
Item 4 of 4Scotsman11 October 1924