Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Hamilton & Son | Designation: | | Born: | 1877 | Died: | 1907 | Bio Notes: | 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. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | ![Item 1 of 2](images/table_item.gif) | 132, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1882 | 1883 | | ![Item 2 of 2](images/table_item.gif) | 212, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1904 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | ![Item 1 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | After 1868(?) | Moorhouse | Barrhead | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Unclear whether by John Hamilton alone or in partnership | ![Item 2 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1877 | Corner tenement with shop, Russell Street and Mill Street | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | HS suggestion | ![Item 3 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1877 | Duncan Halls | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | | ![Item 4 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1884 | Baths, Leslie Street | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | Won competition and secured job | ![Item 5 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1893 | Shawlands Academy | Shawlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 6 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1893(?) | St Rollox UP Church | St Rollox | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 7 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1894 | Drill Hall, Rumford Street | Bridgeton | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 8 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1895 | Gorbals Grain Mills | Gorbals | | Glasgow | Scotland | Second section | ![Item 9 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1896 | Shawlands Academy | Shawlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension | ![Item 10 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1898 | Battlefield East Church | Battlefield | | Glasgow | Scotland | Hall | ![Item 11 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1898 | Church hall and vestry, Moss Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 12 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1898 | New Cathcart Free Church and Hall | Cathcart | | Glasgow | Scotland | Hall only; commission for main church lost to J B Wilson | ![Item 13 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1898 | School and janitor's house | Pollokshaws | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 14 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1898 | Shawlands Free Church Hall | Shawlands Cross | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 15 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | After 1899 | Salvation Army Halls and business premises | Anderston | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 16 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | After 1899 | Shawlands Academy | Shawlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | Additions | ![Item 17 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1900 | House for Thomas Pollock | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 18 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1900 | Store and Stables, Martyr Street | Townhead | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 19 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1902 | Premises for Allsopp & Sons | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Design exhibited | ![Item 20 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1902 | Tenements in Helenvale Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | James dead by then but firm name retained | ![Item 21 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1903 | Church, Springburn Road and Fountainhall Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 22 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1903 | Copper Works, Woodville Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | West block of the offices | ![Item 23 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1903 | Dental Hospital | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Conversion from house into hospital? | ![Item 24 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1903 | Hayfield Public School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | James Hamilton dead by then but firm name retained | ![Item 25 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1903 | Salvation Army Hall | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 26 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1904 | Salvation Army Citadel | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | | ![Item 27 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | c. 1904 | Swanstonhill | | Bute | Bute | Scotland | Additions at various dates to hydropathic, incorporating house by J T Rochead. Perhaps submitted competition design for reconstruction? | ![Item 28 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1905 | Hayfield School, accommodation for special instruction | Gorbals | | Glasgow | Scotland | Block added to orginal Hayfield School | ![Item 29 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1905 | Salvation Army Hall | Ayr | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | ![Item 30 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | 1906 | Salvation Army Hall | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | Enlargement of Junior Hall | ![Item 31 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | Before 1906(?) | Mansion house for James Osborne | Thorntonhall | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Unclear whether by John Hamilton alone or in partnership | ![Item 32 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | Before 1906(?) | Mansion House for Robert Mowat Esq | Longcroft | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Unclear whether by John Hamilton alone or in partnership | ![Item 33 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | Before 1906(?) | Residence of J L Menzies Esq | Mansewood | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions - unclear whether by John Hamilton alone or in partnership | ![Item 34 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | Before 1906(?) | School for Special Instruction | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Unclear whether by John Hamilton alone or in partnership | ![Item 35 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | Before 1906 | Sir John Stirling Maxwell School | Pollokshaws | | Glasgow | Scotland | | ![Item 36 of 36](images/table_item.gif) | Before 1907(?) | Tenements (?) at Shawlands Junction | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Date unknown; unclear whether by John Hamilton alone or in partnership |
ReferencesPeriodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | ![Item 1 of 1](images/table_item.gif) | RIBA Journal | 9 November 1935 | v43 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p38 - obituary of John Hamilton |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | ![Item 1 of 2](images/table_item.gif) | Mitchell Library | Gildard's 'Some Old Glasgow Architects' supplementary manuscript | | | ![Item 2 of 2](images/table_item.gif) | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Information from personal recollections of the late Professor William James Smith |
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