© All rights reserved. Building News 15 August 1890 © All rights reserved. Edinburgh Architectural Association 1907 Exhibition Catalogue  

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Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Carrick
Designation: Architect
Born: 6 May 1819
Died: 2 May 1890
Bio Notes: John Carrick was born on the banks of the Carron at Larbert in Stirlingshire on 6 May 1819, the son of William Carrick and his wife Marion Dunn. He was brought up in Denny until his family moved to Glasgow in 1823. In 1831 he entered the office of John Bryce at the age of twelve, presumably initially as an office boy. On completion of his apprenticeship he worked for a time as assistant to John Herbertson, and then for a short period in England. In 1839 at the age of twenty he went into partnership with James Brown as Brown & Carrick. Of this firm's work Carrick is only credited with property for Orr & Sons at the west corner of Union Street and Gordon Street. In 1844 he obtained the appointment of Superintendent of Streets, replacing a Mr Hume who had resigned. The office was then lodged in the Jail in Saltmarket, and the staff consisted of John Carrick and one clerk. Later in the same year he suceeded Herbertson as Prison Architect.

Carrick married Jane Stewart (born c.1819) and they had at least five children: William (born c.1846), Jane (born c.1847), Samuel (born c.1849), John (year of birth unknown) and Ellen, (born in Dundonald 1857).

In 1854 Carrick's duties grew to full-time level when he succeeded John Strang as Superintendent of Public Works and the partnership was dissolved that year. In 1855 Brown inherited the estate of Currie, Gorebridge, Midlothian and had to give more time to its management of this, and only maintaining a small private practice from Currie House. Sometime before 1853 Charles O'Neill had been recruited to assist with the architectural work of the office, but in about 1861 Carrick's responsibilities were again increased when he was called upon to draft the Glasgow Police Act of 1862. In that same year, 1862, Carrick's duties were consolidated under the title of City Architect although he still had few staff. In 1863 O'Neill resigned to emigrate to New Zealand and was replaced by Thomas Gildard who had closed his practice following the death of his brother-in-law and partner R H M Macfarlane in the previous year.

Thereafter Carrick largely drafted the Glasgow Improvement Act of 1866 which brought the City Improvement Trust into being. With the proposals for slum clearance and the rationalisation of the street pattern of the older areas of the city as a grid in view he visited Paris in that year accompanied by Provost Blackie, Bailie Raeburn and Dr Gairdner, the City's Medical Office of Health. This visit was immediately followed by major street improvements in Ingram Street, High Street and Gallowgate and the building of model lodging houses and a couple of experimental model tenements in Drygate. As Campbell Douglas observed 'the brains labour must have been excessive,' as late in 1872 Carrick's salary was still only £350. Gildard's reminiscences give a vivid picture of Carrick's impatience with the slowness of the progress of the Trust, and particularly after the failure of the City of Glasgow Bank in 1878, the very low take-up of the feus in his new streets. Nevertheless his staff grew with the arrival of Frank Burnet in 1871, David Valentine Wyllie in 1878 and - sometime before 1879 - David McBean who was entrusted with finding a solution to inter-departmental rivalries in the outline plans for the City Chambers competition of 1880-1881.

In addition to his house in the City Carrick had a house at Prestwick where he spent the weekends, and where Gildard occasionally was a guest. Carrick himself was very generous but impatient and hot-tempered. Right up to his death he is said to have done almost all the actual designing himself, though much of his later work was probably Gildard's under his supervision. They clung faithfully to the Italian Renaissance they had learned in their early days, Carrick's last executed work, the Maitland Street Police Office an exceptionally distinguished work, being far more in the style of 1850 than 1890. Its later date was only apparent in smaller details. Occasionally Carrick used a Scots Jacobean style as in the Clyde Street Model Lodging House, a work of surprising distinction for such a purpose.

John Carrick was admitted FRIBA on 4 December 1876, his proposers being Charles Barry, John Honeyman and John Macvicar Anderson. He died at his home at 9 Park Quadrant on 2 May 1890 after three weeks of influenza, leaving moveable estate of £60,72 9s 9d. There is a portrait of him by Sir Daniel McNee in Kelvingrove Gallery.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect:
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 9144, Queen street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness18441845Address of Brown & Carrick
Item 2 of 9121, North Montrose Street, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1851 *  
Item 3 of 99, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1851 * Address of Brown & Carrick
Item 4 of 95, Park Quadrant, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1862  
Item 5 of 91/4/11, South Albion Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1862 *c. 1870Municipal Offices. Street numbers vary
Item 6 of 974, Hutcheson Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness18741888Office of Public Works
Item 7 of 9140, Bath Street, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1876 *  
Item 8 of 9Glasgow Municipal Buildings, George Square, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness18881890 
Item 9 of 96, Park Quadrant, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1888 *1890 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 4John Bryce II (or John Bryce (junior))1831c. 1836Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4John Herbertsonc. 1836Before 1839Assistant 
Item 3 of 4Brown & Carrick1839c. 1854Partner 
Item 4 of 4Glasgow Office of Public Works Architectural Department (later Glasgow Corporation City Engineer's Department)18541890Chief ArchitectCity Architect , Master of Works, and Superintendent of Streets

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 7Charles Gordon O'Neillc. 18531863AssistantIn City Architect's Department, South Albion Street
Item 2 of 7John O'Neillc. 1863   
Item 3 of 7Thomas Gildard1863 or 18641890(?)In Glasgow Office of Public Works/City Architect's Department
Item 4 of 7Alexander Beith McDonald18701890AssistantWorking under Carrick in Glasgow Office of Public Works/City Architect's Department
Item 5 of 7Frank Burnet18711876Apprentice 
Item 6 of 7David Valentine Wyllie18781887AssistantIn Glasgow Office of Public Works/City Architect's Department
Item 7 of 7David McBean (or David MacBean)Before 18791890AssistantIn Office of Public Works; latterly worked as office manager

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3John Macvicar Anderson4 December 1876for Fellowship
Item 2 of 3Charles Barry (junior)4 December 1876for Fellowship
Item 3 of 3John Honeyman4 December 1876for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This architect proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1David Thomson17 December 1877for Fellowship

Buildings and Designs

This architect 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 881840Property at Eglinton and William StreetsHutchesontown GlasgowScotland 
Item 2 of 881844Corn Exchange  GlasgowScotlandOriginal building
Item 3 of 881845Wee KirkHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 4 of 881846Polmont Free ChurchPolmont StirlingshireScotland 
Item 5 of 881849Cathedral Street  GlasgowScotlandRoad widening- as Superintendent of Streets
Item 6 of 881850Bell Street Police Office and Old Fire Station  GlasgowScotlandAs Superintendent of Streets and Prison Architect
Item 7 of 881850Orr and Sons  GlasgowScotland 
Item 8 of 881852City Halls and BazaarCandleriggs GlasgowScotlandAs supervisor with Bell & Miller - as Superintendent of Streets etc
Item 9 of 881854Glasgow Sailors' HomeBroomielaw GlasgowScotland 
Item 10 of 881855Tron Steeple  GlasgowScotlandOverhaul of steeple and ground floor arches, pierced for pavement
Item 11 of 881857Queen's Park  GlasgowScotlandModified Paxton's plans - as City Architect
Item 12 of 881857Victoria Road  GlasgowScotlandExtension of Eglinton Street to Queen's Park as Victoria Road. As City Architect
Item 13 of 881858Western Police OfficeCranstonhill GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 14 of 88c. 1860College Street Fire Station  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 15 of 88c. 1860Cranston Street Fire Station  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 16 of 88c. 1860Soho Street Fire Station  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 17 of 881866Abattoir, south side  GlasgowScotlandProbably Carrick responsible as City Architect but see reference to Clarke & Bell in APSD in relation to abbatoirs generally
Item 18 of 881866Cattle Market  GlasgowScotlandEntrance
Item 19 of 881866Ingram Street Extension  GlasgowScotlandWith John Nichol
Item 20 of 881868Duke Street prison  GlasgowScotlandAdditions
Item 21 of 881868Kelvingrove Park, timber bridge  GlasgowScotlandTimber Bridge painted to look like masonry - as City Architect
Item 22 of 881868Layout of Greenhead Street  GlasgowScotland 
Item 23 of 881868Tobago Street Police Office  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 24 of 88c. 1868(?)Cleansing Department Building  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 25 of 881869Drygate Model Lodging House  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 26 of 881869Female Model Lodging House  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 27 of 88187065-71 Drygate  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 28 of 881870Bell Street Continuation and layout of Watson Street  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 29 of 881870Belvidere Hospital  GlasgowScotlandOriginal building and initial extensions - as City Architect
Item 30 of 881870Bridgeton Cross and James Street improvement  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 31 of 881870East Russell Street Model Lodging  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 32 of 881870Gallowgate improvement  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 33 of 881870Kelvinhaugh Street  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 34 of 881870Oatlands Feuing Plan  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 35 of 881870Overnewton feuing plan  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 36 of 88c. 1870South Wellington Street Police Office  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 37 of 88c. 1870St George's Road Fire Station  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 38 of 88c. 1870Warwick Street Fire Station  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 39 of 881871Kent Street Model Lodging House  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 40 of 881872Drygate Model Lodging House  GlasgowScotlandExtensions - as City Architect
Item 41 of 881872Feuing of London Street, Charlotte Street, Gallowgate  GlasgowScotland 
Item 42 of 881872Gorbals Cross  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 43 of 881872Molendinar closed in  GlasgowScotland' Molendinar closed in' in hand
Item 44 of 881872Municipal Offices SpringburnSpringburn GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 45 of 881872North Corner, Ingram Street and High Street  GlasgowScotlandAlterations - as City Architect
Item 46 of 881872Springburn Police OfficeSpringburn GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 47 of 88After 1872Camperdown Street Police Office  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 48 of 881873Saltmarket New MarketSaltmarket GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 49 of 881874Greendyke Street Model Lodging House  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 50 of 881874Kelvingrove House  GlasgowScotlandMuseum extension
Item 51 of 881874St Andrew's Parish Church  GlasgowScotlandSupervised the repairs - as City Architect
Item 52 of 881875Abattoirs and Meat Market  GlasgowScotlandMain market halls and Graham Square facades - as City Architect
Item 53 of 881875Hyndland feuing plan  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 54 of 881875Old Clothes Market  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 55 of 88c. 1875Dalmarnock Road Police Station  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 56 of 88c. 1875St Rollox Fire StationSt Rollox GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 57 of 88c. 1875St Rollox Police StationSt Rollox GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 58 of 881876Dog and Bird Market  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 59 of 881876Greenhead Public WashhouseGreenhead GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 60 of 881877Anderston Model Lodging  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 61 of 881877Calton Model Lodging  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 62 of 881877Hyde Park Street Model Lodging House  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 63 of 881877North Woodside Model Lodging House  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 64 of 881877Portugal Street Model Lodging House  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 65 of 881877Queen's Dock, Hydraulic Pumping Station  GlasgowScotland'Buildings of Scotland' attribution - as City Architect
Item 66 of 881877Yate Street Police Office  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 67 of 881878High Street Workers' Dwellings  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 68 of 881879Cathedral Square Gardens  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 69 of 881879Saltmarket Model Lodging House  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 70 of 881880Girder Bridge, West End Park  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 71 of 881880North Woodside Public Baths and washhouse  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 72 of 881882City Halls and BazaarCandleriggs GlasgowScotlandNew Candleriggs Frontage. As City Architect
Item 73 of 881882Townhead Public Washhouse  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 74 of 881883Cranstonhill Public BathsCranstonhill GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 75 of 881884Alexandra Public ParkDennistoun GlasgowScotlandPlan for feuing edges of park - as City Architect
Item 76 of 881884Marine Police Office  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 77 of 881884Model Workmen's Dwellings, Moncur Street  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 78 of 881884South Side BathsGorbals GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 79 of 881886Foreign Animals WharvesPointhouse and Shieldhall GlasgowScotlandWith John White
Item 80 of 881887City Improvement Trust tenements, Saltmarket and Steel Street  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 81 of 881887Tenements, SaltmarketSaltmarket GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 82 of 88c. 1887Tenements, Robb's Close  GlasgowScotlandWith MacBean?. As City Architect
Item 83 of 881889City Improvement Trust Buildings, High Street and Bell Street  GlasgowScotlandOriginal building -with A B McDonald, as City Engineer
Item 84 of 881889City Improvement Trust tenements and shops, Trongate  GlasgowScotlandPerhaps did original scheme on which A B McDonald (as City Surveyor) based work
Item 85 of 881889Fish Market  GlasgowScotlandEast halls - as City Architect
Item 86 of 881889Tenements for workers at the Kelvinhaugh Refuse Disposal Works  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect
Item 87 of 881890(?)McLennan Arch  GlasgowScotlandReconstruction of centre piece of Robert and James Adam's Assembly Rooms - as City Architect
Item 88 of 881890Northern Police Office  GlasgowScotlandAs City Architect

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architect:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Reid, Peter Glasgow : the making of the city   
Item 2 of 2Withey, K Matthew2003The Glasgow Improvement Trust: an analysis of its genesis, impact and legacy and an inventory of its buildings PhD thesis 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architect:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Builder10 May 1890   
Item 2 of 6Builder31 May 1890   
Item 3 of 6Building News15 August 1890  p 234
Item 4 of 6Inland Architect and News RecordJune 1890  p 66
Item 5 of 6Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers1890CI pp292-295
Item 6 of 6RIBA Transactions1890  Article by Campbell Douglas

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architect:
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 4Courtesy of Frances DryburghAdditional information via website from Frances Dryburgh  
Item 2 of 4Mitchell LibraryGildard's manuscript reminiscences of John Carrick  
Item 3 of 4Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Research by Iain Paterson
Item 4 of 4RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers F v5 p53, microfiche 88/G3

Images

© All rights reserved. Building News 15 August 1890 

© All rights reserved. Building News 15 August 1890

© All rights reserved. Edinburgh Architectural Association 1907 Exhibition Catalogue  

© All rights reserved. Edinburgh Architectural Association 1907 Exhibition Catalogue