Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Hamilton | Designation: | | Born: | c. 1826 | Died: | 26 June 1894 | 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 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 and Henderson Building, 37-51 Miller Street, and Eagle Buildings on Bothwell Street. Tillie and Henderson was a Londonderry company and it was in Ireland that Hamilton made his name by winning the competition for the Ulster Bank in 1857 with elevations related to Tillie and 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 & 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, 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 thereafter practised independently at 212 St Vincent Street until the last months of his father's life when a reconciliation took place and the partnership was reformed. James's office drawings were moved to John's office which was then at 112 Bath Street, but in the mid-1890s the office moved back to 212 St Vincent Street.
James Hamilton died at Neil's Cottage, Millport, Great Cumbrae on 26 June 1894. He left moveable estate of only £383 17s 2d, but probably had significant heritable property. His wife Catherine Mackay had predeceased him, dying on 3 December 1890. The name James Hamilton & Son was retained until 1910 when John's son Arthur Donaldson Hamilton was, taken into partnership, the firm becoming John Hamilton and Son in that year.
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 in 1910. He did a good deal of work for the Salvation Army in a heavy-handed art nouveau manner. 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. John Hamilton was admitted FRIBA on 11 June 1906, his proposers being Horatio Kelson Bromhead and John Keppie; Arthur was admitted LRIBA on 24 June 1912.
Arthur was killed in the First World War (c.1917). John spent the First World War as architect to the Munition Works Board and thereafter practised alone at 112 Bath Street with the assistance of Professor W J Smith. He died on 22 March 1935, the practice being taken over by John G Hamilton.
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 | | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Business | | | | | 9, Woodlands, Albert Road, Langside, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | | 1894 | | | 98, West Nile Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1860 | After 1862 | | | 113, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1865 * | | | | 111, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1868 | After 1871 | Conflict of information: DMW has 1868-1877 for this address. | | 113, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1873 | After 1877 | Conflict of information: DMW has 1865 for this address. | | 132, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1879 | After 1890 | | | Hartfield House, Rothesay, Bute, Bute, Scotland | Private/business(?) | 1888 | | Both 22 Carment Drive and Hartfield House, Rothesay are listed as residences in 1888 Directory | | 22, Carment Drive, Shawlands, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1888 | | Both 22 Carment Drive and Hartfield House, Rothesay are listed as residences in 1888 Directory | | Neil's Cottage, Millport, Little Cumbrae, Bute, Scotland | Private | 1894 * | | | | 112, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1894 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | James Sellars | 1864 | 1867 | Assistant | | | John H Hamilton | 1867 | 1873 | Apprentice | |
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 | | 1851 | Glasgow Necropolis, John Henry Alexander Monument | Dennistoun | | Glasgow | Scotland | Designed while in Kirkland's office | | 1854 | Eagle Buildings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | As assistant to Kirkland & Russell | | 1854 | Tillie and Henderson Building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1857 | Glasgow Necropolis, David Robertson (bookseller) Monument | Dennistoun | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1857 | Ulster Bank | | | Belfast | Northern Ireland | Won in competition | | 1861 | Allan Water Hydropathic | Bridge of Allan | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | 1862 | Ulster Bank | Sligo | | County Sligo | Eire | | | 1863 | Ulster Bank | Trim | | County Meath | Eire | | | 1864 | Newton Place UP Church | Partick | | Glasgow | Scotland | Was given the job? | | 1864 | St Mary's Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | c. 1865 | Barnageeha | | | Belfast | Northern Ireland | Attributed (Thomsonesque manner related to Bridge of Allan Hydropathic) | | c. 1865 | Dunoon Hydropathic | Dunoon | | Argyll | Scotland | | | 1866 | Parsonage for Glencraig Church | Craigavad | | Dow | Northern Ireland | | | 1866 | Shops and premises, High Street and Church Lane | | | Belfast | Northern Ireland | | | 1866 | Warehouse, Wellington Place | | | Belfast | Northern Ireland | Conversion of dwelling house into warehouse | | Before 1868 | Glasgow Hydropathic and Turkish Bath | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | Before 1868 | Glenburn Hydropathic | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | Extensive French-roofed additions, forming virtually a new building incorporating David and James Hamilton's hydropathic of 1843 | | Before 1868 | Taymouth Castle | Taymouth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Baths within castle | | Before 1868 | Unidentified Warehouse in Glasgow | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1869 | Bedford Street Warehouse | | | Belfast | Northern Ireland | | | c. 1869 | Coffee House, Trongate and Hutcheson Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | c. 1870(?) | 109 Forrest Street | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Attribution by Peden | | c. 1870 | Warehouse, Watson Street and Gallowgate | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1871 | Fort William Mansion | | | Belfast | Northern Ireland | | | 1874 | Grand Hotel | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Competition design | | c. 1875 | Glasgow Necropolis, Aikens of Dalmoak Mausoleum | Dennistoun | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1876 | Duncan Halls | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | Won competition to secure job | | 1877 | Corner tenement with shop, Russell Street and Mill Street | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | HS suggestion | | 1877 | Free Church and manse | Whiting Bay | Arran | Bute | Scotland | Church and probably manse | | 1884 | Baths, Leslie Street | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | Won competition and secured job; James Hamilton is credited with this at the time of the opening as reported in the Glasgow Herald, 21 March 1885. | | 1892 | St Rollox UP Church | St Rollox | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1893 | Shawlands Academy | Shawlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1894 | Drill Hall, Rumford Street | Bridgeton | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1894 | Free Presbyterian Church | Lamlash | Arran | Bute | Scotland | 'Buildings of Scotland' attribution |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Architects Engineers and Building Trades Directory | 1868 | Architect's, Engineer's and Building Trades' Directory | | London, Wyman | 1868 | | Johnston, W T | 2003 | Artists of Scotland | | Officina Publications CDROM | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA Journal | 9 November 1935 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | Obituary of John Hamilton (son) |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Mitchell Library | Gildard's 'Some Old Glasgow Architects' supplementary manuscript | | | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Information from personal recollections of the late Professor W J Smith; additional research by Iain Paterson |
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