Basic Biographical Details

Name: Gilbert Francis Molyneux Ogilvy
Designation:  
Born: 9 April 1868
Died: 17 June 1953
Bio Notes: Gilbert Francis Molyneux Ogilvy was born on 9 April 1868, the fourth son of Sir Reginald Ogilvy, 10th Baronet of Inverquharity and Baldovan and his wife the Hon Olivia Kinnaird, daughter of the 9th Baron Kinnaird. He was educated at Glenalmond and at University College, Oxford, before being articled to Hippolyte Jean Blanc in Edinburgh: his nomination paper does not give dates, but the connection presumably came through All Souls Church at Invergowrie, built in 1890-93 for Lady Frances Kinnaird.

In or about 1898 Ogilvy entered into partnership with Percy Benjamin French Freeman (born 1859). Freeman had been articled to Robert Henry Burden in London from 1879 until 1883. Thereafter he obtained an appointment as clerk to George Gilbert Scott, Junior, and together with Temple Moore coped with Scott's mental breakdown in 1883-84. When Scott's practice closed he became assistant to Bodley & Garner, setting up his own practice at 3 Staple Inn, London c.1885. The arrangements there were highly unusual as a large part of his business was acting as office manager for Temple Moore. As Giles Gilbert Scott later wrote, 'Moore did not have an office in the ordinary sense as he always worked in his private office at his own home in Well Walk, Hampstead. I did not therefore work under his immediate supervision, but in an office in Staple Inn under the rule of Mr P B Freeman, who was associated with five other architects, all carrying on their own practices.'

Ogilvy's practice consisted principally of estate work and private houses. The estates on which he worked comprised Baldovan, which his elder brother, Sir Herbert Kinnaird Ogilvy 12th Bt WS of the Dundee legal firm of Shiell & Small inherited from their nephew in 1914; the Guthrie estate of Craigie, Angus (now Dundee( for which Sir Herbert was factor; Winton, East Lothian which was owned by his aunt Mrs Nisbet Hamilton Ogilvy; Landguard, Isle of Wight; Sudbury, Derbyshire; Langford, Oxfordshire; Greystoke Castle, Cumberland; Hatherop Castle, Gloucestershire; and the Duchy of Lancaster.

Freeman and Ogilvy were both admitted LRIBA in 1911, Freeman on 27 February and Ogilvy on 20 July. Freeman's proposers were Temple Moore, William Newton Dunn and William Bonner Hopkins, also from Bodley's office; Ogilvy's were Henry Martineau Fletcher, Godfrey Pinkerton and William Dunn, all of London. By that date, some time after 1904, the firm had moved to 6 Gray's Inn Square.

In 1912 Ogilvy married Marjory Katharine Clive, the daughter of Meysey Clive of Whitfield, Herefordshire. He was then living at 17 Kent Terrace, Regent's Park; after his marriage he moved to The Glade House, Burgh Heath, Surrey, but in the early years of the First World War the London practice closed, and Ogilvy returned to Dundee in 1919 to develop the Baldovan estate, setting up practice within his brother Herbert's office at 5 Bank Street. In 1920 he inherited Winton from his aunt but he continued his Dundee practice, merging it in 1925 with that of Nelson T Stewart of the joiners and builders John Stewart & Sons of 16 Forfar Road, a firm which specialised in shop and office fitting and had provided a design and build service since about 1911. This partnership took the name of Ogilvy & Stewart. Both Ogilvy's son, Sir David Ogilvy, and Henry Pearce Robbie observed of this practice that Stewart did not have much design sense but was a sound practical man from his experience in his father's business, and that Ogilvy's interest in the firm was at times ephemeral: he tended to undertake only commissions in which he had a personal interest, leaving the rest to Stewart whose drawings he sometimes tidied up. Meanwhile, the practice of Freeman & Ogilvy returned to business after the war and was still active in the mid-1920s; it is not clear whether Ogilvy retained an interest in it or whether it was only the practice title itself that was continued.

After only three years, in 1928 the practice of Ogilvy & Stewart was merged with that of James Findlay and David Smith. Gilbert Ogilvy then withdrew, observing that the recession was so severe it was wrong to deprive other architects of a living by continuing a practice he could afford to do without.

Ogilvy lived mainly at Winton thereafter. He died at Aviemore on 17 June 1953. He was survived by his son Sir David who inherited the baronetcy from his uncle, another son and three daughters.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 53 Staple Inn, London, EnglandBusinessc. 1898After 1904 
Item 2 of 517, Kent Terrace, Regent's Park, London, EnglandPrivate1911 *  
Item 3 of 56, Gray's Inn Square, London, EnglandBusinessBefore 1911c. 1915 
Item 4 of 5The Glade House, Burgh Heath, Surrey, EnglandPrivatec. 1912c. 1915 
Item 5 of 55, Bank Street, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness1919After 1920 

* 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 3Hippolyte Jean Blancc. 1890(?)Before 1898Apprentice 
Item 2 of 3Freeman & Ogilvyc. 1898c. 1915Partner 
Item 3 of 3Ogilvy & Stewart19251928Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3William Dunn20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3Henry Martineau Fletcher20 July 1911for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 3Godfrey Pinkerton20 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 25After 1898House(s)Welwyn HertfordshireEngland 
Item 2 of 25After 1898HousesKingswood  England 
Item 3 of 25After 1898Landguard ManorShanklinIsle of WightHampshireEnglandAdditions
Item 4 of 25After 1898Langford Manor  GloucestershireEnglandAlterations
Item 5 of 25After 1898Sudbury HallSudbury DerbyshireEnglandRepairs and minor alterations
Item 6 of 25After 1898The Deanery, MallingLewes SussexEnglandAdditions
Item 7 of 251901St Luke's Episcopal Church and RectoryStrathmartine DundeeScotland 
Item 8 of 251902Church of St ThomasWarlies/Upshire EssexEngland 
Item 9 of 251904Pair of houses   England 
Item 10 of 251904Vicarage  EssexEngland 
Item 11 of 2519081 and 2 Croft TerraceErrol PerthshireScotlandHS - 'probably Ogilvy & Freeman'
Item 12 of 25Before 1908The WyckStannergate DundeeScotland 
Item 13 of 251909Donnington HallLedbury HerefordshireEnglandExtensive additions and alterations
Item 14 of 251909Stirling House  DundeeScotlandConversion from Craigie Stables to house
Item 15 of 25c. 1911Gardener's House, 62 Old Craigie Road  DundeeScotland 
Item 16 of 25c. 1911Semi-detached cottages, East Haddon Road  DundeeScotland 
Item 17 of 251912All Souls Episcopal ChurchInvergowrie Perthshire/AngusScotlandChoir stalls, side screens and organ case
Item 18 of 251913Chapel at Girls' SchoolBognor SussexEnglandProposed - design exhibited
Item 19 of 251919St Anne's Episcopal ChurchDunbar East LothianScotlandSt Andrews Chapel
Item 20 of 25c. 1920Newton PlaceBlairgowrie PerthshireScotlandEast doorpiece and screen wall
Item 21 of 251925Balavoulin  DundeeScotlandAdditions
Item 22 of 251926(?)All Saints ChurchGobowen ShropshireEnglandUnclear whether he was still working with Freeman at this time, having moved to Dundee and set up another partnership
Item 23 of 251928CauldhameDunblane PerthshireScotlandAlterations
Item 24 of 251928Dundee Garden City Association Kingsway Site  DundeeScotlandHouses - in collaboration with William Curtis Green
Item 25 of 251928Winton HousePencaitland East LothianScotlandAlterations to North Lodge (linking two towers) and laundry

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Scottish Biographies1938  E J Thurston (pub.) 
Item 2 of 2Who's Who in Architecture1914    

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 Personal information from Sir David Ogilvy, Mr Peattie of Shiell & Small and Henry Pearce Robbie
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v19 no1492