Basic Biographical Details Name: | Hamilton-Paterson & Paterson | Designation: | | Born: | c. 1905 | Died: | After 1911 | Bio Notes: | Robert Hamilton Paterson (his surnames were not originally hyphenated) was born in Edinburgh in 1843, the son of Thomas Paterson, architect to the Duke of Hamilton's estate, and was educated at Hamilton Academy. He was articled to James Turner of Hamilton, a branch office of the Dublin firm, followed by experience in an unspecified office in Edinburgh and with Cubitt & Co in London. He commenced practice in Edinburgh in 1870 and from his earliest years made a special study of the architectural and engineering requirements of brewers, maltsters and warehousemen. For some twenty-five years he held the position of architect and surveyor to the Police Commissioners of the County of Lanark. In 1898 Hamilton-Paterson took into partnership Thomas Duncan Rhind (born 1871), with whom he is said to have studied; this partnership was short-lived, being dissolved about 1905.
Almost immediately Hamilton-Paterson took into partnership his much younger cousin, Thomas Tolmie Paterson. Thomas Tolmie, frequently mis-described in the press as a nephew of Hamilton-Paterson's, had been born on 30 December 1864 in Edinburgh, the son of the architect John Paterson and his wife Margaret Tolmie. He had been educated at George Watson's College. His father had died in July 1877, and he had been articled on 1 April 1880 to Sir Robert Rowand Anderson. During his time in Anderson's office he had formed what was described in his RIAS Quarterly obituary as an informal 'associateship' with Robert Stodart Lorimer, perhaps on competitions. Paterson had remained with Anderson until the end of 1894, commencing independent practice in Edinburgh on 1 January 1895 at 5 York Place and moving later to 10a George Street with a house at 124 Braid Road. He had had what was described as 'a successful term of about ten years' and had been admitted FRIBA on 2 December 1907, his proposers being Hippolyte Jean Blanc, Archibald Macpherson and Alexander Hunter Crawford. Thereafter Paterson's practice had declined somewhat, and probably as a result of the Finance Act of 1909 which introduced a tax on development he had emigrated to Calgary, Canada where he was recorded as having an office at 575 Maclean Block, 8th Avenue. He had returned to Edinburgh soon afterwards, his Canadian practice having proved unsuccessful.
In the words of Thomas Tolmie Paterson's obituarist, 'happy results did not ensue [from the formation of the partnership]… The ill health of the principal [Robert Hamilton-Paterson] was closely followed by bad times in the Building Trade affecting the architectural profession.' Robert Hamilton-Paterson died in 1911 at the age of sixty-seven years. Thomas Tolmie Paterson continued the practice thereafter but by 1923 he had no office and was practising from his house at 227 Dalkeith Road. He died on 27 December 1933, having resigned from both the RIBA and RIAS a year or two previously, and was buried at Grange Cemetery. His wife Mary Ann Ramsay survived him, dying on 22 May 1950. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | York Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | | | |
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 | | c. 1910 | Castle Brewery | Craigmillar/Duddingston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Large maltings |
ReferencesCurrently, 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. |