Basic Biographical Details

Name: George Nicholas Beattie
Designation:  
Born: 1869
Died: 20 September 1932
Bio Notes: George Nicholas Beattie was born in 1869, the son of the architect and civil engineer of Port Adelaide and educated at Whinham College, Adelaide, Australia. He came to Britain and was articled to George Dale Oliver who practised in Carlisle in 1887 and remained as junior assistant until 1892. On 1 June 1893 he married Isabella Liddell Hutton. About this time he was assistant to John Rust, City Architect of Aberdeen for one year and then to James Miller for seven years. During his time with Miller he carried on a small private practice from his flat at 152 Parliamentary Road, first appearing in the Directories in 1896.

He commenced independent practice in 1900 at 121 St Vincent Street, Glasgow and his business consisted mainly of tenements but also included commercial buildings, villas in Milngavie, Bearsden and Bishopton (the last being mentioned in 'Who's Who in Architecture 1914') and numerous additions to licensed premises. In 1902 or early in 1903 he formed a partnership with John Gibb Morton who was the son of the goods manager of the Caledonian Railway: nothing is yet known of his training. The partnership was dissolved in 1909, perhaps because of the impact of the increment in the Finance Act of that year. The St Vincent Street office was closed, Beattie taking chambers at 109 Hope Street and Morton at 74 Bath Street, with William James Smith as apprentice. Morton's practice did not prosper and he escaped his mounting debt two years later by emigrating to Canada, where he seems to have pursued a reasonably successful career.

Beattie was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, his proposers being George Dale Oliver, Henry Edward Clifford and George Bell. Beattie practised from home, 689 Great Western Road, from 1915. He died of nephritis on 20 September 1932 at his home and and was buried at Hillfoot Cemetery.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 85, Wilton Drive, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1893 *  
Item 2 of 8152, Parliamentary Road, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate/business1896  
Item 3 of 8121, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1900  
Item 4 of 8Strathalbyn, Jordanhill, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate19011908 
Item 5 of 8101, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness19041905 
Item 6 of 8109, Hope Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1911 *  
Item 7 of 8196, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1914 *  
Item 8 of 8689, Great Western Road, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate19151932After 1915 was home & office

* earliest date known from documented sources.


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 5George Dale Oliver1887c. 1891Apprentice 
Item 2 of 5George Dale Oliverc. 18911892Junior Assistant 
Item 3 of 5John Rust18921893Assistant 
Item 4 of 5James Miller18931900Assistant 
Item 5 of 5G N Beattie & Mortonc. 19041909Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3George Bell II20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3Henry Edward Clifford20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 3George Dale Oliver20 July 1911for Licentiateship

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 30 Dawson Building  GlasgowScotlandReconstruction - date unknown
Item 2 of 30 Drumcoille  PerthshireScotlandDate unknown
Item 3 of 301900Stables for J M Dawson  GlasgowScotland 
Item 4 of 30After 190015 tenements, Burnham TerraceScotstoun GlasgowScotland 
Item 5 of 30After 1900Argyle MansionsDunoon ArgyllScotland 
Item 6 of 30After 1900Cottages, BardowieBaldernock (near) StirlingshireScotland 
Item 7 of 30After 1900PremisesDunoon ArgyllScotland 
Item 8 of 30After 1900Tenement(s)Springburn GlasgowScotland 
Item 9 of 30After 1900Tenement(s), Cumbernauld Road  GlasgowScotland 
Item 10 of 30After 1900Tenement(s), Parliamentary Road  GlasgowScotland 
Item 11 of 30After 1900Tenements (?) in Havard Street  GlasgowScotlandJohn Morton perhaps also involved if before 1909
Item 12 of 30After 1900Tenements, Rothesay PlaceClydebank DunbartonshireScotlandJohn Morton may be involved if before 1914
Item 13 of 30After 1900VillaBishopton RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 14 of 30After 1900VillasJordanhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 15 of 30After 1900Villas in Southbrae AvenueJordanhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 16 of 301903Tenements, Balgrayhill Road  GlasgowScotland 
Item 17 of 301904Glass warehouse for William Cotterill/Cotterell, 118-120 Howard Street  GlasgowScotland 
Item 18 of 301904St Paul's Parish Church  GlasgowScotlandSecond premiated competition design
Item 19 of 30c. 1904Hamilton Parish Council ChambersHamilton LanarkshireScotlandCompetition design
Item 20 of 30c. 1904House for Herr OswaldMilngavie DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 21 of 301905NordheimBearsden GlasgowScotland 
Item 22 of 301908Airport ClubPrestwick AyrshireScotland 
Item 23 of 301908Masonic TempleHamilton LanarkshireScotlandCompetition design
Item 24 of 301908St Cuthbert Golf PavilionPrestwick AyrshireScotland 
Item 25 of 30Mid 1900sBellshill Municipal BuildingsBellshill LanarkshireScotlandDate unknown
Item 26 of 301911Tenement(s)Clydebank DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 27 of 301914Maryhill Picture HouseMaryhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 28 of 301919OverdaleDunblane PerthshireScotland 
Item 29 of 301921The AcreMaryhill GlasgowScotland 
Item 30 of 30Before 1932Business premises, East Howard Street  GlasgowScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Post Office Directories     
Item 2 of 3Who's Who in Architecture1914    
Item 3 of 3Who's Who in Architecture1926    

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Builder12 November 1932  Obituary
Item 2 of 2RIBA Journal12 November 1932 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsObituary p27

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Additional information from Iain Paterson
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v16 no1116