Basic Biographical Details

Name: J N Scott & A Lorne Campbell (or Scott & Campbell)
Designation:  
Born: 1898
Died: After 1915
Bio Notes: John Nichol Scott was born in 1863 and educated at George Watson's College and Moray House College. He was articled to Archibald Macpherson in 1878 and remained as an assistant until 1883 when he joined Rowand Anderson's office. During that period he attended Edinburgh College of Art. In 1884 he moved to Glasgow as assistant to William Gardner Rowan but returned in the following year as a senior assistant to Hippolyte Jean Blanc.

In 1896 Scott entered into an informal partnership with James Anderson Williamson, an assistant in the office of the City Architect, Robert Morham, for the purpose of entering the North Bridge competition for which Alfred Waterhouse was assessor. They obtained the first premium of £250 beating Gibson & Russell and Lanchester Stewart & Rickards into second and third places; Williamson preferred to stay with Morham in the expectation of succeeding him as City Architect, but Scott commenced independent practice at 44 Queen Street in the expectation that he would be commissioned for at least some of the buildings. In the event none came his way.

In 1898 Scott entered into partnership with a younger assistant of Morham's, Alexander Lorne Campbell, who had similarly been in independent practice for two years at 21 St Andrew Square. Born in 1871, Campbell had been articled to Peter Lyle Barclay Henderson in 1886 for four years and remained with him as draughtsman until 1891 when he joined Morham's staff. During that period he attended classes at Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh University and Heriot-Watt College.

In 1899 the newly formed partnership of J N Scott & A Lorne Campbell (commonly referred to simply as Scott & Campbell) had a major success when Walter Wood Robertson awarded them first place in the competition for Midlothian County Buildings, but as in the North Bridge competition the practice derived little benefit from it, the Convener on the County Sir James Gibson Craig giving the commission to James Macintyre Henry whose design had been placed fourth. In the following year, 1900, the practice had a further success in the competition for St Stephens UF Church, Comely Bank which at last launched the practice into actual building. Both partners were admitted FRIBA on 4 March 1907, their proposers being Blanc, Alexander Hunter Crawford and Harold Ogle Tarbolton. Scott was then living at 22 Brougham Place and Campbell at 7 Inverleith Terrace.

Although Campbell had never worked for Rowand Anderson he became closely associated with him in professional matters during the First World War. When Anderson was awarded the Royal Gold Medal in 1916 and was too ill to travel to London to receive it personally it was Campbell who read out the address and the Lord Provost, Sir Robert Inches, who received the medal on his behalf; and it was again Campbell who acted for Anderson when on 6 October they approached John Watson and William Brown Whitie of the Glasgow Institute of Architects for their agreement to the formation of a national institute, the formal meeting taking place on the 19th. When Anderson died in 1921, Campbell was one of the executors and designed the memorial cottage to Lady Anderson who had died some five months earlier.

The practice moved to 60 Castle Street before 1914. After Scott died in 1920, Campbell entered into partnership with John Begg, an old colleague of Scott's in Blanc's office who had been consulting architect to the Government of India and was about to become head of the school of architecture at Edinburgh College of Art.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 244, Queen Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1898After 1907 
Item 2 of 260, Castle Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1914After 1915 

Employment and Training

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 9John Myrtle Smith18971900Apprentice 
Item 2 of 9Alexander Lorne Campbell18981920Partner 
Item 3 of 9John Nichol Scott18981920Partner 
Item 4 of 9Thomas SinclairAfter 1899(?)Before 1905(?)AssistantProbably assisted in this office
Item 5 of 9James Brodie19041905Draughtsman 
Item 6 of 9William Davidsonc. 1906c. 1907Draughtsman 
Item 7 of 9Arthur PrideauxApril 19071911Apprentice 
Item 8 of 9Arthur Prideaux19111913Assistant 
Item 9 of 9(Sir) Matthew Montgomerie Ochterlony1915January 1916Assistant 

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 24After 1898Bristo EU Church  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 2 of 24After 1898(?)Hawick Burgh CasketHawick RoxburghshireScotlandDate uncertain - may have been done by J N Scott before formation of partnership with Lorne Campbell
Item 3 of 24After 1898(?)Pilrig Free ChurchPilrig EdinburghScotlandAlterations (date uncertain - may have been done by J N Scott before formation of partnership with Lorne Campbell)
Item 4 of 24After 1898Scottish County and Mercantile Insurance Company Head Office  EdinburghScotland 
Item 5 of 24After 1898Wesleyan Methodist HallsStockbridge EdinburghScotlandReconstruction
Item 6 of 241899Midlothian County Council Buildings  EdinburghScotlandCompetition design - awarded first premium but not the commssion
Item 7 of 241900Police BuildingsKirkcaldy FifeScotlandPlaced first in competition but job given to Williamson & Inglis
Item 8 of 241900St Stephen's UF ChurchComely Bank EdinburghScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 9 of 241901Anstruther Easter new public schoolAnstruther Easter FifeScotlandCompetition design - not successful
Item 10 of 241901Carnegie Free LibraryHawick RoxburghshireScotlandAwarded commission following competition
Item 11 of 241902Baberton Golf ClubhouseJuniper Green EdinburghScotlandExtension, alterations and additions
Item 12 of 241902Four cottagesWest Linton PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 13 of 241903Carnegie Public LibraryMotherwell LanarkshireScotlandCompetition design - placed third
Item 14 of 241903Leith PoorhouseLeith EdinburghScotlandPlaced first by the assessor but failed to obtain commission
Item 15 of 241903New North Free Church  EdinburghScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 16 of 241903South African War MemorialHawick RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 17 of 241904Grange HouseLinlithgow West LothianScotland 
Item 18 of 241904McDonald Road UF Church  EdinburghScotland 
Item 19 of 241905St Andrews UF ChurchBo'ness / Borrowstouness West LothianScotland 
Item 20 of 241907Birmingham Council House extension and Art Galleries  BirminghamEnglandCompetition design for extension - not successful
Item 21 of 241907Dowell's Auctioneers  EdinburghScotlandNew building, retaining elements of previous structure internally
Item 22 of 241907London County Hall  LondonEnglandCompetition design
Item 23 of 241909Kingsknowe Golf Clubhouse  EdinburghScotlandDesign exhibited
Item 24 of 241912Three-storey tenements arranged around open space   Scotland 

References

Currently, there are no references for this . The information has been derived from: the British Architectural Library / RIBA Directory of British Architects 1834-1914; Post Office Directories; and/or any sources listed under this individual's works.