Basic Biographical Details

Name: William Beattie & Sons
Designation:  
Born: Before 1837
Died:  
Bio Notes: William Beattie & Sons were timber merchants, sawmillers, and building contractors who acted as architects for their own developments. This business was founded by William Beattie, born c.1783, who was based in Bread Street from the 1820s. He married Helen Hamilton and died on 11 August 1837, having taken his sons into partnership some years earlier. Of these William was the timber merchant and sawmiller, George (born 1810) the architect and Adam (born about 1821) the builder. In about 1843 a house was taken at 5 Lothian Road which became George's house and drawing office and by 1847, further premises had been acquired at 15 Fountainbridge which became the firm's main address from 1864. The partnership also took a lease of Binnie (Binny) Quarry, with an office at 3 Port Hopetoun at the terminus of the Union Canal. In 1850 William moved house to 122 Lauriston Place and from the mid 1850s the Beatties were collaborating with the Peddie family on the development of Chalmers Street, followed by the developments of their own in Lauriston Park and Glen Street.

In or about 1862 there was a schism in the partnership, George Beattie withdrawing to set up his own business in Grove Street, Adam thereafter taking over the architectural side of the business when building to their own designs. The lease of Binny Quarry and the office at Port Hopetoun were given up by 1868, but a city centre office at 4 Frederick Street had been opened by 1869. The firm was responsible for numerous major contracts including Fowke's Museum of Science and Art and Bryce's Fettes College, Royal Infirmary and Bank of Scotland reconstruction.

William Beattie married Christina Purves and died sometime late 1868, his will being recorded on 6 January 1869; Adam Beattie married Margaret Hay and died on 28 February 1880. William's son, also William married to Annie Dey, died on 16 April 1883 and William Halden Beattie who married Anne Hodghson. The business continued to flourish in the hands of their other sons but so far as is known they did not thereafter build to their own designs.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 18ScotlandBusiness   
Item 2 of 1823, Bread Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1820s1863 
Item 3 of 1817, Bread Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1839 Home of William Beattie II (or junior)
Item 4 of 1811, Bread Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1842 Home of William Beattie II (or junior)
Item 5 of 185, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate18431861Home of George
Item 6 of 1815, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness18471876 
Item 7 of 18122, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate18501863William Beattie's home
Item 8 of 183, Port Hopetoun, West Lothian, ScotlandBusinessc. 18501868 
Item 9 of 18Binnie (or Binnie Quarry), West Lothian, ScotlandBusinessc. 18501868 
Item 10 of 18Lauriston Villa, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate18621866Adam Beattie's home
Item 11 of 181, Lauriston Gardens, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate18641867William Beattie's home
Item 12 of 183B, Chalmers Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate18671868Adam Beattie's home
Item 13 of 183, Chalmers Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1869 Adam Beattie's home
Item 14 of 184, Ferederick Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1869After 1880 
Item 15 of 1833, Chalmers Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate18721874Adam Beattie's home
Item 16 of 1813, Grosvenor Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1876 Adam Beattie's home
Item 17 of 1829, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1876After 1880 
Item 18 of 1815, Grosvenoir Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate18771880Adam Beattie's home

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 1William Beattie juniorBefore 1837   

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 2Adam BeattieBefore 1851 Partner 
Item 2 of 2George BeattieBefore 1851Late 1850sPartner 

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 61851Workmen's Houses  EdinburghScotland 
Item 2 of 61851Workmen's Houses  EdinburghScotland 
Item 3 of 61857New Streets opposite Lauriston Park  EdinburghScotland 
Item 4 of 61872Melrose UP ChurchMelrose RoxburghshireScotlandEnlarged church and redesigned tower
Item 5 of 6After 1876Caledonian Insurance Company  EdinburghScotlandReconstruction - as builders for MacGibbon & Ross
Item 6 of 61903Grosvenor Buffet, West End Wine Vaults  EdinburghScotlandRemodelling- as contractors

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Post Office Directories