Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Hay | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 17 May 1818 | Died: | 30 May 1888 | Bio Notes: | William Hay was born at Dykeside, Peterhead on 17 May 1818, the son of William Hay, grain merchant, and his wife Jean Alexander. He was apprenticed as a joiner but broke his leg in a fall when working on Ellishill House, and encouraged by his doctor, studied architecture during his convalescence, his first job being St James Episcopal Church, Cruden Bay, 1842-43. In 1844 he married his first wife Janet Reid (1819-60) and moved to Edinburgh as an assistant with John Henderson in order to gain experience. In 1846 he moved to George Gilbert Scott's in London and was entrusted with the building of St John's Cathedral, Newfoundland for which he travelled extensively in England and Scotland in late 1846 and early 1847 recruiting craftsmen and ordering materials. He sailed in April 1847 with his wife and her brother Thomas, who was his ward, and remained in Newfoundland until the completion of the nave of St John's in 1850. In 1848-49 he was consulted by Bishop Reid on James Cranston of Oxford's designs of 1844 for Holy Trinity Cathedral, Hamilton, Bermuda and made alterations in the course of execution, but no other work is recorded in his years at St Johns.
In 1850-53 he seems to have at least intermittently been based in Peterhead where he built St John's Episcopal Church at Longside and No 22 Broad Street for his mother, but he visited Montreal and Chicago with a view to setting up practice before finally settling on Toronto, probably late in 1853. There he became Vice-President of the Mechanics Institute and Secretary of the Association of Architects Civil Engineers and Provincial Surveyors of Canada, but after his wife died childless in 1860 he abruptly departed in 1861, handing over his very prosperous practice to his assistant Henry Langley. In 1862 he was in Bermuda and in 1863 in Halifax having formed a short-lived partnership with David Stirling.
In 1864, however, he returned to Scotland, married Jemima Huddleston (1838-1905) of Ryde, Isle of Wight, by whom he had one daughter, Fanny, and set up practice in Edinburgh, although much of his business was in Peterhead where he appears to have had a hand in laying out Chapel Street for the Police Commissioners, building the South Free Church, the Caledonian Hotel and the Music Hall. He appears to have returned with some wealth as he built Rabbit Hall on Hamilton Street, Portobello, for his new wife, exhibiting the design at the RSA in 1865. In 1868 he began to establish a significant Borders clientele with the very large Kingsknowes for the millowner Adam Lees Cochrane, and in 1871 the publisher William Chambers gave him the commission for the restoration of St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, leading to much further church work. In December 1875 Hay wrote to George Henderson, the son of his former employer and then in an unhappy partnership with Alexander Davidson in Geelong, suggesting that he might return. The Davidson and Henderson partnership was closed early in 1876 and Henderson sailed for home. Hay took him into partnership in 1877.
Hay’s transatlantic connections paid off when his cathedral at Bermuda was burnt on 27 January 1884. A new cathedral on a much larger scale was commenced and in parallel a new Government House. A trusted assistant Alexander Pratt was sent out to build them, a team of Edinburgh masons being recruited for the carved work. The foundation stone of the new cathedral was laid on 1 May 1886 but in the autumn of 1887 Hay’s health failed and the main responsibility for them fell on Henderson.
Hay died at Rabbit Hall on 30 May 1888. he had then been ill for eight months.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | Dykeside, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | Private | 1818 | Before 1844 | Place of birth |  | Newfoundland, Canada | Business | 1847 | 1850 | |  | Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | Business | 1850 | 1853 | |  | Toronto, Canada | Business | Late 1853 | 1861 | |  | Bermuda, West Indies | Business | 1862 * | | |  | Halifax, Canada | Business | 1863 * | | |  | 7, Hill Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1864 | c. 1869 | |  | 17, Hill Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1869 | c. 1883 | Appears as Hay & Henderson from c.1878) |  | Rabbit Hall, Hamilton Street, Portobello/Joppa, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1873 or 1874 | 30 May 1888 | Home and place of death |  | 2, Hill Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1884 | c. 1887 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
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 |  | | Promenade | Joppa | | Edinburgh | Scotland | No date |  | 1842 | St James Episcopal Church | Cruden Bay | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1847 | St Annes Episcopal Church | Coupar Angus | | Perthshire | Scotland | |  | 1847 | St John the Baptist Cathedral | St John's | | Newfoundland | Canada | Executed nave of St John's Cathedral for Sir G G Scott. |  | 1848 | Holy Trinity Cathedral | Hamilton | Bermuda | Bermuda | West Indies | Executed James Cranston's designs (with modifications) |  | 1850 | Mission Church | St Francis Harbour | | Labrador | Canada | With Rev William Grey |  | c. 1851 | 22 Broad Street | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | c. 1851 | Premises for Kidd | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1852 | St Margaret's Episcopal Church | Meigle | | Perthshire | Scotland | Given in Scottish Ecclesiastical Journal |  | 1853 | St John's Episcopal Church | Longside | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | 'Buildings of Scotland' gives 1847 as date |  | 1853 | Toronto General Hospital | | | Toronto | Canada | |  | 1854 | Christ Church | Brampton | | Ontario | Canada | Scheme drawn up |  | 1854 | RC House of Providence, Toronto | | | Toronto | Canada | |  | 1855 | Gould Street UP Church, Toronto | | | Toronto | Canada | |  | 1855 | St Basil's Church and St Michael's College | | | Toronto | Canada | |  | c. 1855 | Parsonage | Longside | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Possibly by Hay ('Buildings of Scotland') |  | 1856 | St George's Church | Newcastle | | Ontario | Canada | |  | c. 1856 | Old Parliament Buildings | | | Toronto | Canada | Extensions, new legislative chamber |  | c. 1856 | Timber Church for Garrison on Victoria Square | | | Toronto | Canada | |  | c. 1857 | Masonic Hall | | | Toronto | Canada | |  | 1858 | Trinity Church Schools | | | Toronto | Canada | Addition of schools |  | 1858 | Trinity College | | | Toronto | Canada | Proposed addition |  | 1859 | Yorkville Town Hall | Yorkville | | Ontario | Canada | |  | 1860 | Holy Trinity Parsonage, Toronto | | | Toronto | Canada | |  | 1860 | Oaklands | | | Toronto | Canada | |  | c. 1860 | Bank of Montreal | Hamilton | | Ontario | Canada | |  | c. 1860 | Scadding House | | | Toronto | Canada | |  | 1863 | Poorhouse | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Plans prepared and shown to committee |  | 1864 | All Saints Episcopal Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Submitted design in limited competition |  | 1866 | Christ Church Episcopal Church | Kincardine O'Neil | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1866 | New Maud Poorhouse | Maud | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Submitted plans - rejected |  | 1868 | Kingsknowes | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | |  | After 1868 | Rabbit Hall | Portobello | | Edinburgh | Scotland | North west addition - for himself |  | 1869 | Tenement, Brighton Place | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1870s | Development of the New Town | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Development of the New Town - probably responsible |  | 1870s | School | West Linton | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | |  | 1870s | West Linton School and Episcopal Church | West Linton | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Adapted for use as church alone. |  | c. 1870 | Caledonian Hotel | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Attribution by McKean |  | 1871 | St Giles Cathedral | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Restoration of choir (included designs of statuettes on reredos) |  | 1872 | Music Hall | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1874 | Abbotshill | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | |  | 1875 | St John's Episcopal Church | Longside | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | High altar, reredos and piscina |  | 1876 | St James Episcopal Church | Cruden Bay | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Additions |  | 1878 | Free South Church | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1878 | St Giles Cathedral | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Restoration of south transept |  | 1878 | St Paul's Church | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | |  | 1879 | St Mary's Episcopal Church | Hamilton | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Chancel extended |  | 1880 | Christ Episcopal Church Rectory | Duns | | Berwickshire | Scotland | |  | c. 1880 | Volunteer Drill Hall | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1881 | Old St Paul's Episcopal Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Succeeded to commission. |  | 1881 | St Giles Cathedral | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Restoration of nave and north transept |  | 1881 | St Peter's Episcopal Church | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Chancel, south aisle, hall and schools |  | 1882 | St Peter's Episcopal Church | Peebles | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Chancel, organ chamber, vestry and porch |  | 1883 | Old Kirkyard, Memorial to Broun Family | Kirkoswald | | Ayrshire | Scotland | |  | 1883 | St Andrew's Church | Peebles | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Restoration of medieval tower |  | 1883 | St Giles Cathedral | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Vestry, session house, west door, north door, screen in north transept |  | 1884 | Auchgeal | Ravelston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | |  | 1884 | Church of the Holy Spirit | Distington | | Cumberland | England | |  | 1884 | Residence | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | |  | 1884 | St Giles Cathedral | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Royal Pew |  | 1884 | Woodlands House | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Extensive additions |  | 1885 | Government House | Hamilton? | Bermuda | Bermuda | West Indies | |  | 1885 | Holy Trinity Cathedral | Hamilton | Bermuda | Bermuda | West Indies | Eastern half of the church |  | 1885 | St John the Baptist Cathedral | St John's | | Newfoundland | Canada | Reredos |  | 1886 | Edinburgh Municipal Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Unsuccessful competition design |  | 1886 | St Paul's Church | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Addition of spire |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Canadian Biography | 2005 | Dictionary of Canadian Biography | | Toronto, University of Toronto Press | Article by F H Armstrong |  | Magrill, Barry | 2004 | "Development" and Ecclesiology in the Outposts of the British Empire: William Hay's Gothic Solutions for Church Build… | V.2, nos 1-2 | Journal for the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, pp15-26 | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Architect | 7 June 1888 | | | Obituary |  | Peterhead Sentinel | between 1 June 1888 and 8 June 1888 | | | Obituary |  | The Globe | 5 October 1888 | | | Obituary |
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