Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Paris
Designation:  
Born: 1827
Died: Before June 1874
Bio Notes: John Paris was born at 53 West Cumberland Street, Edinburgh in 1827, the son of Thomas Paris, builder and grocer who also had premises at no 59, and his wife Margaret Higgins. She died some time before 1832 when Thomas Paris married Jane Alexander, a native of West Linton.

By the time of the 1851 census John Paris was described as 'architect and draughtsman' and was still based in Cumberland Street, now living at no 59 with his widowed stepmother; she was the trading as a grocer and spirit dealer only. The designation as both architect and draughtsman appears to indicate that he was primarily employed as a draughtsman but was allowed to have a small private practice. It is not known where Paris was originally articled but he was in Bryce's office in 1857 when the task of drawing out Sir David Davidson's sketch scheme for Woodcroft in Clinton Road, Morningside, was delegated to him and to James Campbell Walker: but in the same year Paris undertook the remodelling of his Chambers Institute in Peebles in his name only. He was still in Bryce's office at the time of his work on Mossgreen Church (1866).

Paris married Mary Rankin Luke in 1862. He does not appear in the 'Architect's Engineer's and Building Trades' Directory' of 1868 at which date he was perhaps still an employee but by 1870 he had his own office at 99 George Street with separate house address at 24 Cumberland Street. He died sometime before June 1874 when his will was registered and was survived by his wife and son John who soon afterwards moved to 11 Clarence Street. His son did not pursue a career in architecture, being described in the 1861 census as an apprentice stationer(?), perhaps with Duncan MacAra: the Paris and MacAra families may have been associated in business, the latter similarly trading as grocers and builders with a yard in Cumberland Street Lane which may originally have been that of Thomas Paris.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 553, West Cumberland Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/business1827  
Item 2 of 559, West Cumberland Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate/business1851  
Item 3 of 525, Cumberland Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1867 *  
Item 4 of 524, Cumberland Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1870  
Item 5 of 599, George Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1870  

* earliest date known from documented sources.


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 41857Chambers InstitutePeebles PeeblesshireScotlandRemodelling as reading room, library and museum, and addition of public meeting room to rear
Item 2 of 41857Woodcroft  EdinburghScotlandAs draughtsman to Bryce.
Item 3 of 41860Bank of ScotlandPeebles PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 4 of 41865Mossgreen ChurchDalgety FifeScotlandGallery added as assistant to Bryce

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Scotlands People Website Wills & Testaments  Edinburgh Sheriff Court Wills SC70/4/151 and Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventories SC70/1/169

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Information from Neil Brown