Basic Biographical Details Name: | Hay & Henderson | Designation: | | Born: | 1877 | Died: | 1905 | 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 Ellishall 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. In 1871 he secured the important commission for the restoration of St Giles from William Chambers.
In December 1875 Hay invited George Henderson, the son of his former employer, to join him in partnership. Henderson had been born on 3 October 1846, and had been educated at the Royal High School in Edinburgh from 1858 to 1861 and then trained with his father until his death in June 1862, completing his apprenticeship with David Cousin who took over at least one of his father's commissions. He had left to emigrate to Australia, arriving in May 1867 and joining the office of his former fellow assistant in his father's office, Alexander Davidson in Rokewood, Victoria. At first he had acted as an unpaid associate to Davidson, though before long both Henderson and Davidson had been able to send money home to assist their respective families, a number of large commissions coming their way in late 1868 and in early 1869 when the practice moved to Geelong in Victoria. A partnership had been formalised in late 1869, with Davidson receiving 2/3 of the profit and the younger partner 1/3. In early 1870 the partners had won the important commission for Geelong College in Newtown and in line with stylistic developments in Britain had used for the first time 'constructional polychromy'. A venture in the field of speculative building in Geelong had however not been a success and a series of unfortunate episodes of losing jobs to other architects and disputes with contractors (relating to a clause written by the practice in their terms of agreement about their right to be the sole judge of quality without arbitration) had caused them financial difficulties. Moreover in the early 1870s there had been a short depression in the wool industry and some sources of work temporarily dried up. Their first partnership had ended in December 1873 and although a new one had been formalised in July 1874 with Davidson receiving 5/9 of the profits, by this time Henderson, who had lived with Davidson and his wife since his arrival in Australia, found this arrangement a strain. Moreover he was becoming disillusioned with the work. He accepted Hay's offer and his partnership with Davidson was terminated on less than friendly terms in April 1876, Henderson sailing home later that year. The new partnership with Hay officially began in the following year.
Hay died at Rabbit Hall, Hamilton Street, Joppa, on 30 May 1888, after eight months of illness. Henderson continued the practice after Hay's death. He married Mary Elizabeth Leith Malcolm in 1897. They had two daughters, Elizabeth Stella and Amy Louise Huntly.
Henderson died on 24 March 1905 at 25 Hermitage Gardens. His office was then at 12 Queen Street. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 17, Hill Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1877 | | | | 2, Hill Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1884 | 1887 | | | 12, Queen Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1888 | c. 1899 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 | | 1870s | School | West Linton | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | | | 1870s | West Linton School and Episcopal Church | West Linton | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Adapted for use as church alone. | | After 1877 | Philorth House | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Fireplace | | 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 | | 1884 | Woodlands; also lodge, coachhouse, Rose Cottage and entrance gateway | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Recasting of main house | | 1885 | Government House | Hamilton? | Bermuda | Bermuda | West Indies | | | 1885 | Holy Trinity Cathedral | Hamilton | Bermuda | Bermuda | West Indies | Eastern half of the church. | | 1885 | St Baldred's Villa | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | Date unknown | | 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 | | 1888 | Douglas Castle | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Chapel | | 1889 | Craiglockhart Church | Craiglockhart | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Church and tower | | 1889 | Dalhousie Memorial Arch | Edzell | | Angus | Scotland | | | 1889 | Free Library | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Addition | | 1889 | Old St Paul's Episcopal Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | South end of nave - also altar and reredos in chancel at unspecified date | | 1889 | St Peter's Church Hall | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | | | 1890 | Bowland House | Whitehill | | Midlothian | Scotland | Additions to rear | | 1890 | Holy Trinity Episcopal Church | Lamington | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Alterations | | 1892 | Corstorphine Parish Church | Corstorphine | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Proposed restoration - not executed until c.1903 | | 1892 | St Mark's Episcopal Church | Portobello | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations | | 1892 | St Mary's Church | Haddington | | East Lothian | Scotland | Restoration of nave; scheme for choir, transepts and tower; pulpit, font and west gallery | | 1892 | Trinity College Glenalmond | Glenalmond | | Perthshire | Scotland | Rebuilding after fire of block between chapel and hall, new wing and laboratories | | 1893 | Arbroath Parish Church | Arbroath | | Angus | Scotland | Competition design for rebuilding - placed second | | 1893 | Dalserf House | Dalserf | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Additions - porch, billiard room etc | | 1893 | Holy Trinity Cathedral | Hamilton | Bermuda | Bermuda | West Indies | Nave | | 1893 | Old St Paul's Episcopal Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Triptytch | | 1894 | Colliston Castle | | | Angus | Scotland | Additions | | 1894 | Dalserf Church | Dalserf | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Alterations | | 1894 | Masonic Temple | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Design exhibited for new hall or chapter room? | | After 1894 | Printing Works, Causewayside | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1896 | Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and Rectory, Kilbride Hill | Dunoon | | Argyll | Scotland | Enlargement | | 1896 | St Baldred's Episcopal Church | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | Tower | | 1896 | Woodlands; also lodge, coachhouse, Rose Cottage and entrance gateway | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | Lodge and stable offices | | 1898 | Holy Cross Epicsopal Church | Davidson's Mains | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1898 | St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Furnishing of Lady Chapel (Morning Chapel) | | 1898 | St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Montgomery Memorial | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1898 | The Hirsel | Coldstream | | Berwickshire | Scotland | Chapel and other additions | | 1899 or 1900 | Holy Trinity Episcopal Church | Melrose | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | Chancel and transepts added | | 1900 | Dalry House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Addition of chapel and classrooms (to north east) | | 1900 | The Hirsel | Coldstream | | Berwickshire | Scotland | Stables - drawings indicate Hay & Henderson but other sources say Watherston & Sons - perhaps the latter were the contractors? | | c. 1900 | Duart Lodge | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1901 | Holy Cross Parsonage | Davidson's Mains | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1901 | St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Montgomery Memorial | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Organ console | | c. 1901 | Memorial Pulpit to Rev J A Legh (?) Campbell | Crieff | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | Before 1902 | St James the Less Episcopal Church School and Hall | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1903 | Coates Hall | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations and additions, including residence | | 1903 | Corstorphine Parish Church | Corstorphine | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Restoration | | 1903 | Easter Coates House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations - recasting of north wing | | 1903 | Parsonage | Moffat | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1904 | Old St Paul's Episcopal Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Seabury aisle | | 1905 | Holy Trinity Cathedral | Hamilton | Bermuda | Bermuda | West Indies | Tower |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Bailey, Rebecca M | 1996 | Scottish architects' papers: a source book | | Edinburgh: The Rutland Press | p212 | | Willingham, Allan | 1983 | Two Scots in Victoria: the architecture of Davidson and Henderson | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | Hay and Henderson Collection | | |
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