Basic Biographical Details

Name: Robert Baldie
Designation:  
Born: c. 1824
Died: 2 February 1890
Bio Notes: Robert Baldie was born at Stirling in 1824, the son of Henry Baldie, joiner and his wife Catherine Carmichael. He commenced independent practice c.1865 but did not have an office until 1868 whe he appears in directories at 29 Bath Street Glasgow. Despite his extremely extensive practice little is known about Baldie as his death did not attract notice in major journals. He obtained the post of Clerk of Works on the Marquess of Breadalbane's Taymouth Castle estate c.1850, enabling him to marry Ann Lennox Fraser at Govan in 1851.

His main business was church work in a somewhat routine early Geometrical manner. His largest work was the office block at Carron Ironworks, Falkirk, 1876, only two tall storeys high but of immense length. Baldie had six daughters but only one son, Henry, known as Harry. He was a draughtsman in the practice in 1881 and signed drawings of Dunblane Cathedral in the Glasgow Architectural Association Sketchbook of 1885-6. By the time of Baldie senior's death at 37 Burnbank Gardens (some sources say he died in Bridge of Allan - we know he spent time there later in his life as he was president of the Bowling Club and is recorded in Census records in Bridge of Allan in 1871 and 1881) on 2 February 1890 from chronic bronchitis, Baldie was in partnership with William Tennant. Tennant later entered into partnership with Frederick V Burke. Baldie's death was reported by his nephew-in-law of 11 Irvine Place, Stirling.

Baldie designed a scheme for sewage treatment in Glasgow. Details of this are to be found in "Hints on Sanitary Reform: with a plan for the disposal of the sewage…and the purification of the River Clyde" by James Gray MD and Robert Baldie IA Glasgow: Cairns, 1870.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 863, Renfield Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1862 *  
Item 2 of 863, Renfield Street, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1862 *1873May also have been business address at the beginning
Item 3 of 829, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1865 *After 1868May have returned here in the 1880s?
Item 4 of 8Mine House, Well Road, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, ScotlandPrivate1871  
Item 5 of 883, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1871 *After 1877(?)Conflict of information - is it 83 or 85 Bath Street?
Item 6 of 8Ashton, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, ScotlandPrivate1874 or 1875After 1881For some years?
Item 7 of 837, Burnbank Gardens, ScotlandPrivate18881890 
Item 8 of 883, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness18881890As Baldie & Tennant

* earliest date known from documented sources.

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 1Baldie & TennantBefore 18791890Partner 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2George Cade Smith  Apprentice 
Item 2 of 2William Gilmour Wilson18721877Apprentice 

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 69 Gaelic Church  GlasgowScotlandDate unknown
Item 2 of 69 Hutcheson Bridge   ScotlandNew plan
Item 3 of 691855Inveroran HotelBridge of Orchy ArgyllScotlandAlterations
Item 4 of 691857Aberfeldy Free ChurchAberfeldy PerthshireScotlandAddition
Item 5 of 691862Ardmaddy CastleOban ArgyllScotlandExecuted additions and alterations following James Gillespie Graham's designs
Item 6 of 691863UP ChurchUddingston LanarkshireScotland 
Item 7 of 691865Govan Gaelic ChurchGovan GlasgowScotland 
Item 8 of 691865Highland Mission ChurchGovan GlasgowScotland 
Item 9 of 691866Boston UP ManseCupar FifeScotland 
Item 10 of 691866North UP ChurchLangholm DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 11 of 691866UP ManseLochgelly FifeScotlandProbably Robert Baldie' although church records only record 'Baldie'
Item 12 of 691868Kirkmuirhill UP ChurchKirkmuirhill LanarkshireScotland 
Item 13 of 691869Kirkmuirhill UP ManseKirkmuirhill LanarkshireScotland 
Item 14 of 691869Saltcoats Free ChurchSaltcoats AyrshireScotlandEnlargement
Item 15 of 691870Leven UP ChurchLeven FifeScotland 
Item 16 of 691870ManseNether Robertland AyrshireScotland 
Item 17 of 691870UP ManseMarkinch FifeScotland 
Item 18 of 691870UP ManseKilsyth StirlingshireScotland 
Item 19 of 691871UP Church and hallCoatbridge LanarkshireScotland 
Item 20 of 691872East ChurchKilbarchan Renfrewshire extensive internal reshaping
Item 21 of 691872Fullarton Free ChurchIrvine AyrshireScotland 
Item 22 of 691872UP ChurchGlengarnock AyrshireScotland 
Item 23 of 691872UP ChurchCampsie StirlingshireScotland 
Item 24 of 691872UP Church, CarnoustieCarnoustie AngusScotland 
Item 25 of 691872UP ManseDalbeattie KirkcudbrightshireScotland 
Item 26 of 691873Free St Mary's ChurchGovan GlasgowScotland 
Item 27 of 691873Kinning Park Established ChurchKinning Park GlasgowScotland 
Item 28 of 691873St Mary's Church hall and shops below  GlasgowScotland 
Item 29 of 691874Bellahouston AcademyBellahouston GlasgowScotland 
Item 30 of 691874Carron Ironworks office blockFalkirk StirlingshireScotlandNew frontage
Item 31 of 691874Plantation Established Church  GlasgowScotland 
Item 32 of 691874UP ManseFala MidlothianScotland 
Item 33 of 691875Pollokshields Established ChurchPollokshields GlasgowScotland 
Item 34 of 691875St George's Road UP Church  GlasgowScotland 
Item 35 of 691875UP Church, PlantationPlantation GlasgowScotland 
Item 36 of 691876Bridge of Allan Chapel of EaseBridge of Allan StirlingshireScotlandEnlargement
Item 37 of 691876Crastonhill Free ChurchCrastonhall GlasgowScotland 
Item 38 of 691876Freuchie Parish ChurchFreuchie FifeScotland 
Item 39 of 691876Kelvinside Old Parish ChurchKelvinside GlasgowScotland 
Item 40 of 691877Free Church ManseDreghorn AyrshireScotlandAttribution on the grounds that Baldie designed the Free church (church now moved to Japan)
Item 41 of 691877Perceton Free ChurchDreghorn AyrshireScotland 
Item 42 of 691878Camperdown Street SchoolOakbank GlasgowScotland 
Item 43 of 691878Govanhill UP ChurchGovanhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 44 of 691878Kelvingrove UP ChurchKelvingrove GlasgowScotland 
Item 45 of 691878Selkirk UP ChurchSelkirk SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 46 of 691879Glasgow Maternity Hospital  GlasgowScotland 
Item 47 of 691879Parkhead Congregational ChurchParkhead GlasgowScotland 
Item 48 of 691880Cambusmore HouseCallander PerthshireScotlandReconstruction
Item 49 of 691880Govanhill Established ChurchGovanhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 50 of 691880Kirkcaldy UP ChurchSinclairtown, Kirkcaldy FifeScotland 
Item 51 of 691881Holm UP ChurchKilmarnock AyrshireScotland 
Item 52 of 691882Lochgilphead Parish ChurchLochgilphead ArgyllScotlandPlans provided - too expensive
Item 53 of 691883Beith UF ChurchBeith AyrshireScotlandOriginal church
Item 54 of 691883Callander Parish ChurchCallander PerthshireScotlandExecution supervised by Francis Mackison & Son
Item 55 of 691883UP Church, MossvalePaisley RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 56 of 691883West UP ChurchKinross Kinross-shireScotland 
Item 57 of 691884Carluke Town HallCarluke LanarkshireScotland 
Item 58 of 691884Mauchline UP ChurchMauchline AyrshireScotland 
Item 59 of 691884UP Church, Shamrock Street  GlasgowScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 60 of 691885Free ChurchDarvel AyrshireScotland 
Item 61 of 691885Hartwood AsylumShotts LanarkshireScotlandCompetition design, selected but not successful
Item 62 of 691885Mission Halls Partick  GlasgowScotland 
Item 63 of 691885Townhead School  GlasgowScotland 
Item 64 of 691885UP Church and hallCoatbridge LanarkshireScotlandHall added
Item 65 of 691887Wood store for Wordie & Co  GlasgowScotland 
Item 66 of 69c. 1887Garscube Road School  GlasgowScotlandLarge new block
Item 67 of 691888Trinity UP ChurchSaltcoats AyrshireScotland 
Item 68 of 69c. 1888John Anderson's Royal Polytechnic   GlasgowScotlandReconstruction
Item 69 of 69Before 1890(?)Saltcoats Free ChurchSaltcoats AyrshireScotlandSpire

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2British Architectural Library, RIBA2001Directory of British Architects 1834-1914   
Item 2 of 2Hodgson, Julian1995Robert Baldie: a forgotten Victorian architect Scottish Local History, June 1995, XXXIV, pp20-24 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Glasgow Herald3 February 1890  Death notice
Item 2 of 3Stirling Observer6 February 1890  Check obituary
Item 3 of 3Stirling Observer2 September 1916