Basic Biographical Details

Name: Auldjo Jamieson & Arnott
Designation:  
Born: 1910 or 1911
Died: 1936
Bio Notes: Ernest Arthur Oliphant Auldjo Jamieson was born on 3 December 1880, the son of George Auldjo Jamieson, a very wealthy and influential chartered accountant and Susan Oliphant. He was educated at Glenalmond College and at Cambridge University where he graduated BA in 1903. Information on which office he first entered thereafter is lacking but he was clearly well off as he married Mary Leslie Lassetter early in 1904, his son George Lindsay Auldjo Jamieson, who was also to become an architect, being born 3 February 1905. From 1905 he was living at 32 Murrayfield Road. He was working in the office of Sydney Mitchell & Wilson c.1906, and in 1909 or 1910 he opened his own practice at 1 Melville Street. Later in 1910 or early in 1911 he merged his practice with that of Sydney Mitchell at 13 Young Street, took over Mitchell's practice on his retirement in that year and invited James Alexander Arnott to become a partner.

Arnott was nine years older, born in 1871, the son of George Arnott, builder and Ann Soutar Mackintosh. In 1886 he was articled to John Russell Walker but transferred in 1888 to the office of Kinnear & Peddie: according to Ebenezer James MacRae he 'never ceased to acknowledge the influence of Peddie in his training'. He remained with Peddie as an assistant until 1898 when he transferred to Dunn & Findlay, then under pressure with the commisiion for the Scotsman buildings on North Bridge; later he was to have a hand in their Wesleyan Halls at Tollcross, but in 1904 he moved to the office of Hippolyte Jean Blanc. During those years he attended the University of Edinburgh, the classes at the Edinburgh school of design in the Royal Institution, Heriot-Watt College and the School of [Applied?] Art, and travelled in France and Germany. The outcome of his studies in France was the folio volume on the Petit Trianon which he had surveyed and drawn with John Wilson who had become a close friend while in Peddie's office, published in 1907. In the following year he established his own practice at 21 York Place, sharing it with a former colleague at Dunn & Findlay's, James Inch Morrison, with a partnership in view. Although the obituaries of neither Arnott nor Morrison mention a formal partnership at this time, between 1907 and 1910, they did win the competition for the Charlotte Street Baptist Chapel together in 1908. If indeed some kind of formal partnership did exist, for Arnott the attraction of taking over Sydney Mitchell's practice when Ernest Arthur Auldjo Jamieson invited him to join him in partnership in 1910 or 1911 was too great for the Arnott/Morrison alliance to last. Surprisingly, given his background, Arnott did not take the qualifying exam but was admitted LRIBA in 1910, his proposers being Blanc, Dunn and Watson. In later years, according to Macrae, 'Norway was to cast a spell over him'.

Jamieson was commissioned in the First World War as Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915, and was progressively promoted Flight-lieutenant 1916, Flight Commander 1917 and Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army Flying Corps. He was mentioned twice in dispatches. He returned to Jamieson and Arnott's office after the war and was admitted FRIBA in 1925. He retired in 1936 because of ill health, dying on 10 April 1937 at the age of fifty-six. The firm then divided. Jamieson's son George Lindsay Auldjo Jamieson then sought a partnership with William James Walker Todd, David John Chisholm then becoming a partner in Dick Peddie & Walker Todd's in the same year. Arnott continued his half of the practice alone for a few years, but in Macrae's words 'gradually combined efforts with James Inch Morrison', the practice becoming Arnott & Inch Morrison, as planned more than thirty years earlier.

James Inch Morrison was six years younger than Arnott, born in 1878. He was articled to the obscure W H Greig of Edinburgh in 1893 and attended Heriot-Watt College. At the end of his apprenticeship he joined first Dunn & Findlay and then Cooper & Taylor as an assistant for some years before moving to Inverness as chief assistant to William Laidlaw Carruthers. At some point before setting up his own practice in 1907 at 21 York Place he travelled in France, Belgium and Holland. He was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911.

Morrison died on 25 September 1944. Arnott became a widower in 1939 and worked right up to his death at 7 Mansionhouse Road on 2 September 1950, assisted by J D (Ian) Carnegie who continued the practice.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 113, Young Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1910 or 1911After 1930 

Employment and Training

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 16Thomas ('Tom') Bertram1910 or 1911c. 1914Apprentice 
Item 2 of 16James Alexander Arnott1910 or 19111936Partner 
Item 3 of 16Ernest Arthur Oliphant Auldjo Jamieson1910 or 19111936Partner 
Item 4 of 16Thomas ('Tom') Bertramc. 19181927Assistant 
Item 5 of 16Alexander Shepherd Brodie19201923Assistant 
Item 6 of 16George Lindsay Auldjo JamiesonAfter 19231930Apprentice 
Item 7 of 16James Ritchie19251929Assistant 
Item 8 of 16David Alexander Murray1926c. 1930Apprentice 
Item 9 of 16Robert Charles Hutchison (sometimes misspelt Robert Charles Hutchinson)19281929Draughtsman 
Item 10 of 16John Denoon Carnegie19281930Apprentice 
Item 11 of 16John Denoon Carnegie19301936Assistant 
Item 12 of 16Alexander Shepherd BrodieMay 1930 Chief Draughtsman 
Item 13 of 16David McGibbonJune 1930December 1931Assistant Architect 
Item 14 of 16David Alexander Murrayc. 19301936Assistant 
Item 15 of 16Isobel Hogg Kerr Beattie1931 *   
Item 16 of 16George Lindsay Auldjo JamiesonNovember 19351936Assistant 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

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 53 Bakehouse Close and Reids CloseHigh Street EdinburghScotlandRestoration - date unknown
Item 2 of 53 Country Houses   ScotlandDates and locations unknown
Item 3 of 53 George Heriot's Hospital  EdinburghScotlandRestoration of NW stair tower - date unknown
Item 4 of 53After 19106 Oswald Road  EdinburghScotlandInstructed Scott Morton & Co on interior work
Item 5 of 53After 1911CraighouseCraiglockhart EdinburghScotlandTook over from Sydney Mitchell & Wilson after 1911 (but may have been responsible for work before this)
Item 6 of 531914Greenfield HouseAlloa ClackmannanshireScotlandAlterations (still trading as Sydney Mitchell & Wilson)
Item 7 of 53c. 1914Sanatorium and Farm Colony for Tuberculosis, HairmyresEast Kilbride LanarkshireScotlandCottages near road/and/or near farm, also male & female pavilions, children's pavilion, observation block, administration block, farm buildings, laundry and power house, gate lodge and doctor's residence
Item 8 of 531915Rosebery House  MidlothianScotlandAdditions
Item 9 of 53c. 1919Grey HouseMurrayfield EdinburghScotlandAlterations and additions (possibly including alterations to house, additions to garage, and garden buildings) - thought to be responsible
Item 10 of 53c. 1919Housing for Midlothian County CouncilStow MidlothianScotland 
Item 11 of 53c. 1919Newbyth, stables and officesNewbyth East LothianScotlandAlterations
Item 12 of 53c. 19202 Randolph Cliff  EdinburghScotlandInternal alterations
Item 13 of 53c. 1920Housing for Midlothian County CouncilInveresk MidlothianScotland 
Item 14 of 53c. 1920Housing for Midlothian County CouncilRoslin/Rosslyn MidlothianScotland 
Item 15 of 53c. 1920Royal Hospital for Sick Children  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 16 of 53c. 1921Cargilfield School  EdinburghScotlandMemorial hall and alterations. Also cricket pavilion (1929)
Item 17 of 53c. 1921Housing for Midlothian County CouncilGorebridge MidlothianScotland 
Item 18 of 531922Cardross House and stables  PerthshireScotland 
Item 19 of 531922Milton Lodge and stablesNorth Berwick East LothianScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 20 of 531922Royal Naval Airship StationEast Fortune East LothianScotlandAlterations to convert Airship Station to hospital
Item 21 of 531922Southfield HouseLiberton EdinburghScotlandChildren's pavilion and other alterations
Item 22 of 531923Allanton House  LanarkshireScotlandAlterations
Item 23 of 531923Cargilfield School, Library and chapel block  EdinburghScotland 
Item 24 of 53c. 1923Arntomy House  PerthshireScotlandAlterations
Item 25 of 53c. 1923Edinburgh Royal Lunatic Asylum  EdinburghScotlandAlterations - verandahs, kitchen etc
Item 26 of 53c. 1923House in Barnton Avenue West  EdinburghScotland 
Item 27 of 53c. 1923Large Public Building    Scheme - not executed?
Item 28 of 53Before 1924Craigleith House  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 29 of 53c. 1924Royal Victoria Hospital, dispensary  EdinburghScotland 
Item 30 of 531925Astley Ainslie Hospital  EdinburghScotlandNew ward blocks
Item 31 of 531925Astley Ainslie Hospital, Nurses' Home  EdinburghScotland 
Item 32 of 53After 1925Lochgilphead District Asylum for the InsaneLochgilphead ArgyllScotlandNew blocks added
Item 33 of 53c. 1925Busby Glen Park, gates and gatepiers and gates to lodge houseBusby LanarkshireScotlandAlthough Lorimer produced design, commission went to Jamieson & Arnott, practising under the name of Sydney Mitchell & Wilson
Item 34 of 53c. 1926Vogrie HouseBorthwick MidlothianScotlandConversion to nurses' home
Item 35 of 531928George Watson's College  EdinburghScotlandCompetition design - not selected, but awarded 100-guinea premium
Item 36 of 531928Pittencrieff Park, Louise Carnegie Memorial Gates and railings, paths, walls etcDunfermline FifeScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 37 of 531928Scottish Life Assurance Co  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 38 of 53c. 1928Astley Ainslie Hospital  EdinburghScotlandFurther alterations and additions, including scientific block (1929)
Item 39 of 53c. 1928Engineer's houseNorth Berwick East LothianScotland 
Item 40 of 53c. 1930Rosebank Cemetery, Memorial tablet for Sir Arthur Mitchell  EdinburghScotland 
Item 41 of 53c. 1930Sanatorium and Farm Colony for Tuberculosis, HairmyresEast Kilbride LanarkshireScotlandFurther work
Item 42 of 53c. 1930Warriston Cemetery, Memorial to Sydney MitchellWarriston EdinburghScotland 
Item 43 of 53c. 1931Gullane Free Church and church hallGullane East LothianScotlandAlterations?
Item 44 of 531932Astley Ainslie Hospital, Lodges in Canaan Lane  EdinburghScotland 
Item 45 of 531932Astley Ainslie Hospital, Lodges in Grange Loan  EdinburghScotland 
Item 46 of 531932United Free Church Offices  EdinburghScotlandExtensions - eastern addition; balancing western addition planned but not built; enlargement required as a result of the Union of 1929
Item 47 of 531933Cramond Free Church  EdinburghScotlandAlterations to hall
Item 48 of 531933Davidson's Mains Parish Church HallDavidson's Mains EdinburghScotland 
Item 49 of 531933Grey HouseMurrayfield EdinburghScotlandFurther alterations and additions (possibly including alterations to house, additions to garage, and garden buildings) - thought to be responsible
Item 50 of 531933LennoxloveLennoxlove East LothianScotlandAlterations
Item 51 of 531933Lennoxlove garden gateway  East LothianScotland 
Item 52 of 531934Morningside Asylum, Jordanburn Lecture Hall, West House  EdinburghScotland 
Item 53 of 53c. 1934Royal Naval Airship StationEast Fortune East LothianScotlandSuperintendent's house and nurses' home

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3RIAS Quarterly195138 (Spring)Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS)Obituary of Arnott by E J Macrae
Item 2 of 3RIBA JournalJanuary 1951 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsObituary of Arnott by E J MacRae - p121
Item 3 of 3Scotsman26 September 1944   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Letter from John D Weir to DMW 25 February 1989