Basic Biographical Details Name: | John H Hamilton | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 1851 | Died: | 22 March 1935 | Bio Notes: | John H Hamilton was born in Glasgow in 1851, the son of architect James Hamilton and Catherine McKay. He was educated at Glasgow High School and Glasgow School of Art and served his articles with his father from 1867 to 1872, remaining as a draughtsman until he was taken into partnership in 1877; during his time as draughtsman he spent approximately a year travelling on the continent and in England and Ireland. On his commencement as a partner the firm name became James Hamilton & Son.
In the same year, 1877, John's first wife Agnes died at the age of about twenty-four on 6 September at 2 Hampden Terrace, Mount Florida. He later married Clara Louisa Markham, with whom he had had three children by the time of the 1891 census: Mary M (born c.1879), Arthur Donaldson (born c.1882) and Edith C A (born c.1884).
The father and son disagreed and the partnership was broken in 1884 at which point John practised on his own at 212 St Vincent Street. The rift was healed some months before James's death in 1894 when James's office archive was taken to John's office which had moved to 112 Bath Street in the early 1890s. The name James Hamilton & Son was then used from this date until 1907 when it was dropped in preparation for John's son Arthur Donaldson Hamilton being taken into partnership, the firm becoming John Hamilton & Son in 1910. Much of the work of the practice was valuation, notably for the Glasgow City and District Railway and the Caledonian Railway, and arbitration, particularly in respect of the Glasgow Corporation Sewage Scheme. John H Hamilton was admitted FRIBA on 11 June 1906, his proposers being Horatio Kelson Bromhead, John Keppie and C J MacLean; 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, latterly at 112 Bath Street, with the assistance of Professor W J Smith. He died at 162 Crofton Avenue, Glasgow on 22 March 1935, the practice being taken over by his son John G Hamilton; it is not clear whether he was a product of Hamilton's first marriage or a late child of his second.
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 architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 16, Burnbank Terrace, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1877 * | | |  | 212, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1884 | c. 1890 | |  | 10, Wendover Crescent, Mount Florida, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1888 | After 1910 | |  | 112, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | c. 1890 | c. 1904 | |  | 212, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | c. 1904 | After 1924 | |  | Hartfield, Mansewood/Pollokshaws, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1906 | After 1919 | |  | 112, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1929 * | | |  | 162, Crofton Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1935 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or Pupils
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | Horatio Kelson Bromhead | 11 June 1906 | for Fellowship |  | John Keppie | 11 June 1906 | for Fellowship |  | C J MacLean | 11 June 1906 | for Fellowship |
RIBA Proposals
Buildings and DesignsThis architect 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 |  | After 1868 | Moorhouse | Barrhead | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1868 | Glenburn Hydropathic | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | As assistant to James Hamilton - Extensive baronial additions, forming virtually a new building incorporating David and James Hamilton's hydropathic of 1843 |  | c. 1874 | New Parish Church | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | Rebuilding in French gothic |  | 1877 | Corner tenement with shop, Russell Street and Mill Street | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | HS suggestion |  | After 1877 | Clydesdale Bank | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | |  | 1884 | Baths, Leslie Street | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | Won competition and secured job; completed by James Hamilton after split in partnership. |  | 1884 | Mount Florida UP Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1884 | Town Improvement Scheme | Rothesay | Bute | Bute | Scotland | |  | 1890 | Gorbals Grain Mills | Gorbals | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1891 | Free Presbyterian Church | Lamlash | Arran | Bute | Scotland | |  | 1892 | D Cockburn and Sons Engineering Works | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Front building |  | 1892 | Photographic Studio for James Lafayette (James Stack Lauder) | | | Manchester | England | |  | 1892 | St Rollox UP Church | St Rollox | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1893 | Shawlands Academy | Shawlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1894 | Drill Hall, Rumford Street | Bridgeton | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1895 | Gorbals Grain Mills | Gorbals | | Glasgow | Scotland | Second section |  | 1896 | Shawlands Academy | Shawlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension |  | 1898 | Battlefield East Church | Battlefield | | Glasgow | Scotland | Hall |  | 1898 | Church hall and vestry, Moss Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1898 | New Cathcart Free Church and Hall | Cathcart | | Glasgow | Scotland | Hall only; commission for main church lost to J B Wilson |  | 1898 | School and janitor's house | Pollokshaws | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1898 | Shawlands Free Church Hall | Shawlands Cross | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1899 | Salvation Army Halls and business premises | Anderston | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1899 | Shawlands Academy | Shawlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | Additions |  | 1900 | House for Thomas Pollock | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1900 | Store and Stables, Martyr Street | Townhead | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1902 | Premises for Allsopp & Sons | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Design exhibited |  | 1902 | Tenements in Helenvale Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1903 | Church, Springburn Road and Fountainhall Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1903 | Copper Works, Woodville Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | West block of the offices |  | 1903 | Dental Hospital | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Conversion from house into hospital? |  | 1903 | Hayfield Public School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1903 | Salvation Army Hall | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1904 | Salvation Army Citadel | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | |  | c. 1904 | Swanstonhill | | Bute | Bute | Scotland | Additions at various dates to hydropathic, incorporating house by J T Rochead. Perhaps submitted competition design for reconstruction? |  | 1905 | Hayfield School, accommodation for special instruction | Gorbals | | Glasgow | Scotland | Block added to earlier main school |  | 1905 | Salvation Army Hall | Ayr | | Ayrshire | Scotland | 'Buildings of Scotland' gives Arthur Hamilton as architect but he was still an apprentice with John Archibald Campbell at this date. |  | 1906 | Salvation Army Hall | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | Enlargement of Junior Hall |  | Before 1906 | Mansion house for James Osborne | Thorntonhall | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1906 | Mansion House for Robert Mowat Esq | Longcroft | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1906 | Residence of J L Menzies Esq | Mansewood | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions |  | Before 1906 | Salvation Army Halls and business premises | Coatbridge | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1906 | School for Special Instruction | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1906 | Sir John Stirling Maxwell School | Pollokshaws | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1907 | Mechanics Institute | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Gutted and enlarged as insurance offices. Top storey added. (see 'Buildings of Scotland'). Arthur Donald Hamilton responsible, as assistant |  | 1907 | Salvation Army Hall | Parkhead | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1909 | Salvation Army Halls, Broomlands | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1909 | Salvation Army Halls, Cotton Street | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1910 | Offices and Shop for Gorbals Grain Mills | Gorbals | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1910 | Salvation Army Hall | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1910 | Salvation Army Women's Hostel | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1912 | Workmen's dwellings | | | | Scotland | |  | c. 1920 | Marlborough House | Shawlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1935 | Tenements (?) at Shawlands Junction | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Post Office Directories | | | | | |  | RIBA | 1930 | The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | RIBA Journal | 9 November 1935 | v43 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | Obituary, p38 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | 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 |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | F v15 p17 no 1104 (microfilm reel 12) |
Images © All rights reserved. © Glasgow Institute of Architects |