Basic Biographical Details Name: | Walter Crum Watson | Designation: | | Born: | 1870 | Died: | 6 February 1934 | Bio Notes: | Walter Crum Watson was born in 1870, the son of Rev Charles Watson DD and his second wife Mary Crum, presumably of the Thornliebank family of that name. His father was minister of St John's Free Church at Largs: the family lived not in the manse but in the substantial mansion of Northfield and Lord Kelvin was not only a near neighbour but his father and mother's brother-in-law through his marriage to Mary Crum's sister. Walter was educated at Harrow from 1884 to 1889 and at New College Oxford where he graduated BA in 1893. In the latter year he commenced a three-year apprenticeship to Alfred Waterhouse, who was then working in partnership with his son Paul, and remained with him for a further year as assistant, working mainly on Prudential branches. In 1897 he moved to the office of Sir Aston Webb where he remained until 1899 working on the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. Much of 1899 and 1900 was spent in travel, two periods of six months and three months in Italy and shorter periods in France, Spain and Portugal.
In 1900 Watson commenced practice in Edinburgh, for a time sharing an office with George Mackie Watson at 50 Queen Street. He continued to travel, writing articles for the RIBA Journal on Portuguese architecture and on particular churches in Galicia, Castil and Leon, and publishing a book, 'Portuguese Architecture', in 1908. His practice was never large but his clients tended to be well-off and probably came to him through family or school connections.
Watson's father died in 1908 and his mother soon afterwards, Northfield being sold in 1909. In 1911 Watson built a house of the same name at Balerno where he had four living-in servants, a chauffeur and a head gardener.
Watson was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, proposed by James Bow Dunn and the Edinburgh Architectural Association. He served in the Red Cross during the First World War, and although he did not need to do so financially he resumed practice in 1919, specialising in country house alterations and formal gardens. He closed his practice in 1928 at the age of fifty-eight and died unmarried at Northfield on 6 February 1934. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Northfield/550, Lanark Road West, Balerno, Midlothian, Scotland | Private | 1911 | After 1930 | | | 50, Queen Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1911 | c. 1914 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | James Bow Dunn | 20 July 1911 | for Licentiateship - as president of the Edinburgh Architectural Association |
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 | | 1895(?) | Prudential Assurance Building | | | Dundee | Scotland | Probably involved, as apprentice/assistant to Alfred Waterhouse | | 1895(?) | Prudential Assurance Company Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Probably involved, as apprentice/assistant to Alfred Waterhouse | | 1897 | South Kensington Museum | South Kensington | | London | England | As assistant to Sir Aston Webb | | 1899 | Royal Naval College | Dartmouth | | Devon | England | As assistant to Sir Aston Webb | | After 1900 | All Saints Church | Moddershall | | Staffordshire | England | | | After 1900 | Belleview | Haddington | | East Lothian | Scotland | Alterations | | After 1900 | Carfin | Carluke | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Alterations | | After 1900 | Elmbank | Largs | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Alterations | | After 1900 | Greystane | Murrayfield | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | After 1900 | Idlerocks | Stow | | Staffordshire | England | Alterations | | c. 1900 | Stonebyres House | Lesmahagow | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Alterations | | 1911 | Northfield | Balerno | | Midlothian | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Post Office Directories | | | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Information also from Dr Kenneth D Stephen, the owner of Northfield in 1998 | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L v21 no1661 |
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