Basic Biographical Details

Name: Orphoot, Whiting & Bryce
Designation:  
Born: Mid 1922
Died: 1932
Bio Notes: Burnett Napier Henderson Orphoot ('Phootie') was born at 'The Priory' in Eastgate, Peebles in 1880. He was the son of Thomas Henderson Orphoot, Sheriff Substitute of Lothian and Peebles and his wife Edith Carmichael Smythe Burnett, and the grandson of James Burnett of Barns. Educated at Rugby and the University of Edinburgh, he was articled to Dick Peddie & Washington Browne from 1900 to 1903, during which period he attended the Edinburgh School of Applied Art. On completing his apprenticeship he spent six months as assistant to Robert Rowand Anderson before leaving for Paris, where he found a place in the atelier of Gustave Umbdenstock and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After six months he undertook a study tour of France and England before returning to Umbdenstock's office for a further twenty-one months. He then moved back to Britain and joined the office of Mewes & Davis in London, moving after a year and a half to that of Collcutt & Hamp.

Orphoot returned to Edinburgh and commenced independent practice at 25 Queensferry Street in 1910, and had an office in London at 16 Great James Street, Bedford Row by 1911. He was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July that year, his proposers being Thomas Edward Collcutt, Stanley Hamp and Charles Henry Gage. He was commissioned in the Royal Engineers in the First World War, and while on active service he married in 1915 Marjorie Harriet White, daughter of the Reverend J B White, Instow House, North Devon, where he already had connections, having designed the Clovelly Hotel before the War.

The Queensferry Street office was re-opened after the War, but in 1922 the practice moved to 21 Alva Street and that summer he formed the partnership of Orphoot & Whiting; in the following year it became Orphoot Whiting & Bryce. Of his two partners Frank Edward Whiting was born in 1883 and articled to the London architect Alfred Conder c.1901, thereafter becoming assistant to Detmar Blow and Henry Walter Sarel. By 1914 he was in practice at 30 Bedford Row, quite close to Orphoot's in Great James Street, prior to war service. Whiting was rarely in the Edinburgh office and was based mainly at 21 High Street, Bideford where he held the office of Warden of the Long Bridge. His second partner, William Theodore Percival Bryce, was born on 30 January 1892 and trained with Burnet, Son & Dick and at the Glasgow School of Art and Royal Technical College, later joining Mewes & Davis for a brief spell, before taking charge of an office in Paris for Orphoot and Whiting in summer 1922, and joining them in partnership later that year.

Orphoot was elected FRIBA on 28 March 1927, his proposers being Oswald P Milne, Arthur Joseph Davis and Charles Henry Gage. He was a member of the Council of the Edinburgh Architectural Association from c.1930. His practice consisted mainly of large suburban houses and country house work. His clientele was not extensive but tended to be extremely well-off.

Bryce left the practice in 1932 and went into partnership with his wife, Helen Mary Bryce. He was replaced as third partner in 1933 by Ian Gordon Lindsay, who had had his own practice at 5 Castle Street since 1931. George Hay joined the practice as assistant three years later.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 221, Alva Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness19221932 
Item 2 of 25, Bedford Row, London, EnglandBusiness1926 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

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 5Helen Mary BryceJune 1922February 1924  
Item 2 of 5Burnett Napier Henderson OrphootMid 19221932Partner 
Item 3 of 5Frank Edward WhitingMid 19221932Partner 
Item 4 of 5William Theodore Percival BryceMid 19221932Partner 
Item 5 of 5Margaret Johnston JamesJuly 1930(?)July 1931(?)Apprentice(?)The location of her office training is unknown but her proposers for RIBA membership suggest this firm.

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 431919Peebles War MemorialPeebles PeeblesshireScotlandWon competition and secured job
Item 2 of 43After 192220 Queen Street  EdinburghScotlandAlterations: Bryce responsible
Item 3 of 43After 192221 Glencairn Crescent  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 4 of 43After 192247 Midlothian Street  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 5 of 43After 19227 Gloucester Place  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 6 of 43After 1922Birkwood HouseLesmahagow LanarkshireScotlandAlterations and/or additions - Bryce responsible
Item 7 of 43After 1922Birnie House  PerthshireScotland 
Item 8 of 43After 1922Chrystal Memorial, Glasgow University  GlasgowScotlandBryce responsible
Item 9 of 43After 1922Clovelly CourtClovelly DevonEngland 
Item 10 of 43After 1922Coltbridge HallMurrayfield EdinburghScotlandAlterations: Bryce responsible
Item 11 of 43After 1922Cowhilloch Farm   ScotlandBryce responsible
Item 12 of 43After 1922Cringletie HouseEddleston PeeblesshireScotlandAlterations - Bryce responsible
Item 13 of 43After 1922Dean Nursing Home  EdinburghScotlandAlterations: Bryce responsible
Item 14 of 43After 1922Farmfield  MidlothianScotlandBryce responsible
Item 15 of 43After 1922Finavon Castle  AngusScotlandAlterations and/or additions
Item 16 of 43After 1922Garage and works for Moir & Baxter Ltd  EdinburghScotlandBryce responsible
Item 17 of 43After 1922Garrows House  PerthshireScotland 
Item 18 of 43After 1922Greyfield  PeeblesshireScotlandBryce responsible
Item 19 of 43After 1922House, Saltcoats RoadGullane East LothianScotlandBryce responsible
Item 20 of 43After 1922KilnochDavidson's Mains EdinburghScotlandBryce responsible
Item 21 of 43After 1922Leithfield House  KincardineshireScotlandBryce responsible - though this job is mentioned in Orphoot's obituary
Item 22 of 43After 1922Lethendry  EdinburghScotland 
Item 23 of 43After 1922LongroofAmersham BuckinghamshireEnglandBryce responsible
Item 24 of 43After 1922Nursing home  EdinburghScotlandBryce responsible
Item 25 of 43After 1922(?)Princess Theatre  EdinburghScotlandProbably done by Orphoot before partnership was formed
Item 26 of 43After 1922Romanno WaterworksRomanno PeeblesshireScotlandBryce responsible
Item 27 of 43After 1922St Conan's Church of ScotlandLoch Awe ArgyllScotlandContinued scheme after Campbell's death - Bryce responsible
Item 28 of 43After 1922(?)Tapley ParkInstow DevonEnglandAlterations/additions - probably involved, but may have been done by Orphoot alone before partnership was formed
Item 29 of 43After 1922Trearne HouseBeith AyrshireScotlandAlterations
Item 30 of 43After 1922Wharf HouseMontrose AngusScotlandAlterations
Item 31 of 43After 1922(?)Work for Lloyds Bank  London?EnglandPossibly done by Orphoot before partnership was formed
Item 32 of 43c. 1922Scottish Garden City Housing Association SchemeBonnyrigg MidlothianScotland 
Item 33 of 43c. 1922Scottish Veterans Garden City, Earl Haig GardensTrinity EdinburghScotland2nd phase
Item 34 of 43c. 1922Scottish Veterans Garden City, Earl Haig GardensTrinity EdinburghScotland2nd phase
Item 35 of 431924Dutch HouseBudleigh Salterton DevonEngland 
Item 36 of 431925Haystoun HousePeebles (near) PeeblesshireScotlandRestoration
Item 37 of 431926House in Devon  DevonEngland 
Item 38 of 431926LongstoneHelensburgh DunbartonshireScotlandRestoration and alterations after fire - Bryce responsible
Item 39 of 431928Cuill  EdinburghScotland 
Item 40 of 431928GreybieldPeebles PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 41 of 431928Well House  EdinburghScotland 
Item 42 of 431930Holy Trinity Episcopal ChurchHaddington East LothianScotlandNew chancel
Item 43 of 431932Bruce Hill  EdinburghScotland 

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.