Sir Andrew Thomas Taylor,
JP,
RCA
The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
,
FSA,
FRIBA
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
(13 October 1850 – 5 December 1937) was a British architect and councillor. He was born in
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, and practised architecture in Scotland and London before emigrating to
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, in 1883, where he designed many of the buildings of
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
. He retired from architecture in 1904 and returned to London, where he served on
London County Council
London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...
from 1908 to 1926. He was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
for his political services in 1926.
Biography
Taylor was the son of James Taylor, a publisher, and Agnes Drummond, the sister of
Sir George Drummond, of Montreal. In 1864 he began his architectural training as an
articled
Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
apprentice to
Pilkington
Pilkington is a Japanese-owned glass-manufacturing company which is based in Lathom, Lancashire, United Kingdom. In the UK it includes several legal entities and is a subsidiary of Japanese company NSG Group.
Prior to its acquisition by NSG i ...
& Bell in Edinburgh, staying for five years. He worked for a year as architect in the
Duke of Roxburghe
The Duke of Roxburghe () is a title in the peerage of Scotland created in 1707 along with the titles ''Marquess of Bowmont and Cessford'', ''Earl of Kelso'' and ''Viscount Broxmouth''. John Ker, 5th Earl of Roxburghe became the first holder ...
's estate office, and then moved to Aberdeen where he worked in the office of
William Smith.
Architectural practice in London
He left Scotland for London in 1872, taking a position at the office of
Joseph Clarke, and studying at the
Royal Academy Schools
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...
and
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
. His essay on London's 16th-century architecture won a
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
(RIBA) silver medal in 1874. In 1877 he travelled to Italy and France. He joined the RIBA in 1878. An essay on the work of
Sir Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...
gained him a second RIBA medal in 1881. He subsequently published a book on the subject: ''The Towers and Steeples designed by Sir Christopher Wren, a descriptive, historical and critical essay''.
[
In 1879 he established his own architectural practice in London, with a design for a Memorial Hall and Schools at ]Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
being his first commission (completed 1881, since demolished). Together with Henry Hall, another of Pilkington's former pupils, Taylor entered the competition to design Glasgow City Chambers
The City Chambers or Municipal Buildings in Glasgow, Scotland, has functioned as the headquarters of Glasgow City Council since 1996, and of preceding forms of municipal government in the city since 1889. It is located on the eastern side of the ...
, being placed second. In 1882 Taylor established a partnership with George William Hamilton Gordon.[
]
Montreal
In 1883, Taylor and Gordon opened an office in Montreal, where Taylor's uncle George Drummond
George Drummond (1688–1766) was accountant-general of excise in Scotland and a local politician, elected Lord Provost of Edinburgh a number of times between 1725 and 1764.
Life
Drummond was born at Newton Castle in Blairgowrie, Perthshire ...
was an influential figure. Taylor moved to Canada, while Gordon stayed in London. However, the partnership was dissolved in 1888.[ In Canada, Taylor worked with the architect R.W.G. Bousfield.][
Taylor was responsible for buildings on the campus of ]McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
including the School of Architecture's Macdonald-Harrington Building (1896), Macdonald Physics Building (1893), the Redpath Library
Opened in 1893, Redpath Hall was McGill University's first dedicated library building. It is situated at 3461, rue McTavish (3461, McTavish Street). Through numerous renovations, the library was extended to the south with the addition of the Re ...
(1893), the Macdonald Engineering Building (1907), and the Memorial Arch for King George V (1901). He designed the Montreal Diocesan Theological College
Montreal Diocesan Theological College (known as Montreal Dio) is a theological seminary of the Anglican Church of Canada. It offers the Master of Divinity, Diploma in Ministry, Bachelor of Theology, and Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) to candida ...
building on University Street near Milton Street (1895–96), which is also now part of McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
.
When Ravenscrag, now the Allan Memorial Institute
The Allan Memorial Institute (AMI; french: Institut Allan Memorial), also known colloquially as "The Allan", is a former psychiatric hospital and research institute located at 1025 Pine Avenue West in Montreal, Quebec.
It is situated on the sl ...
, was still the residence of Sir Hugh Allan
Sir Hugh Allan (September 29, 1810 – December 9, 1882) was a Scottish-Canadian shipping magnate, financier and capitalist. By the time of his death, the Allan Shipping Line had become the largest privately owned shipping empire in the wor ...
, Taylor extended the east wing (1889), and enlarged the stables (1898). Taylor performed alterations and restoration on the Christ Church Cathedral from 1890–91, and installed a memorial window for Mrs. A.C. Hooper, 1902–03.[ He designed the Mount Royal Crematory (1901), the first ]crematory
A crematorium or crematory is a venue for the cremation of the dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a crematorium can also b ...
in Canada, on the eastern side of the Mount Royal Cemetery
Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Temple Emanu-El Cemetery, a Reform Judaism burial ground, is within the Mount Royal grounds. Th ...
. In 1885, he designed and built Francis Redpath's house in Montreal, which from 1986 was under threat of demolition from the Sochaczevski family until final demolition in 2014 (refer to the relevant paragraph within the Golden Square Mile / ''Mille carré doré''
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = List of neighbourhoods in Montreal, Neighbourhood
, image_skyline = Ravenscrag.jpg
, image_alt =
, image_caption = ''Rave ...
). He was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880.
History 1880 to 1890
The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor General ...
.
Taylor was the architect responsible for the buildings and renovation of several buildings for the Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company.
The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...
:
* The Bank of Montreal in Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (formerly Waterloo County, Ontario, Waterloo County). Waterloo is situated about west-southwest of Toronto. Due to the c ...
, formerly known as the Molson's Bank
The Molson Bank (sometimes labeled Molsons Bank) was a Canadians, Canadian bank founded in Montreal, Quebec, by brothers William Molson, William (1793–1875) and John Molson, Jr. (1787–1860), the sons of brewery magnate John Molson.
History
...
, (1914)
* The Bank of Montreal in Point St. Charles Branch, Wellington Street at Magdalen Street, Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
(1901)
* The Bank of Montreal in West End, Ste. Catherine Street West at Mansfield Street, Montreal (1889)
* The Bank of Montreal in Notre Dame Street West Seigneurs Street, Montreal (1894)
* The Bank of Montreal, St. Catherine Street West at Papineau Street, Montreal (1904)
* The Bank of Montreal, Perth, Ontario
Perth is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Tay River, southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.
History
The town was established as a military settlement in 1816, shortly after the War of 1812. The settlement ...
(1884)
* The Bank of Montreal, Stephen Avenue at Scarth Street, Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
, Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
(1888)
* The Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company.
The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...
, Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a former city and urban community on the east coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Sydney was founded in 1785 by the British, was incorporated as a city in 1904, and dissolv ...
(1901)
* Manager's residence for the Bank of Montreal, Grande Allee, Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
(1904)
Political career
Taylor retired from architecture in 1904, returning to London, England. He pursued a political career as a Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
municipal councillor. He was elected to London County Council
London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...
on 24 October 1908, representing Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...
, and served until 1926. From 1911 to 1937 he also served as Chair of the Architectural Education Committee and Chair of the Slade Committee at University College London. In 1926 he was knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
for his political work.[
He died on the 5th December 1937 and is buried on the east side of ]Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...
.
Legacy
Under his will, the Sir Andrew Taylor Prize in Fine Art and the Sir Andrew Taylor Prize in Architecture were founded at University College London.
Works
Image:Frederick Redpath house.jpg, Frederick Redpath House in the Golden Square Mile / ''Mille carré doré''
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = List of neighbourhoods in Montreal, Neighbourhood
, image_skyline = Ravenscrag.jpg
, image_alt =
, image_caption = ''Rave ...
was designed and built in 1885. After a 28-year battle, it was demolished in 2014 in favour of a condominium block by the Sochacevski family.
Image:Redpath Library in 1935.gif, Redpath Library
Opened in 1893, Redpath Hall was McGill University's first dedicated library building. It is situated at 3461, rue McTavish (3461, McTavish Street). Through numerous renovations, the library was extended to the south with the addition of the Re ...
Building, (1893) Romanesque style, McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
Image:McGill University Building3.jpg, The Macdonald-Harrington Building (1896), Renaissance Revival
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...
style, McGill University
File:MacdonaldCollege1906.gif, Macdonald Physics Building (1893); Macdonald Engineering Building (1907), Assembly Hall (1906) Strathcona Medical Building (1907), at Macdonald Campus
The Macdonald Campus of McGill University (commonly referred to as the ‘Mac Campus’ or simply ’Mac’) houses McGill's Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES), which includes the Institute of Parasitology, the School of Huma ...
, McGill University
File:Mac-old.jpg, Administration Building, Macdonald Campus, McGill University
File:Bank of Montreal Sydney August 2011.jpg, Bank of Montreal Building (1901), Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a former city and urban community on the east coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Sydney was founded in 1785 by the British, was incorporated as a city in 1904, and dissolv ...
; designated by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Cape Breton Regional Municipality (often referred to as simply "CBRM") is the Canadian province of Nova Scotia's second largest municipality and the economic heart of Cape Breton Island. As of 2016 the municipality has a population of 94,285. The ...
as a registered heritage property in 2008
File:Former Bank of Montreal.JPG, Former Bank of Montreal on Somerset Street, a designated heritage property in Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
File:Bank of Montreal Wellington Street Ottawa.jpg, Bank of Montreal, Wellington Street, Ottawa (1930–32)[
File:Christ Church Cathedral day.jpg, Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal (renovations from 1890–91)][
File:BMO Molsons Bank Waterloo.JPG, Molsons Bank Building (BMO Branch), ]Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (formerly Waterloo County, Ontario, Waterloo County). Waterloo is situated about west-southwest of Toronto. Due to the c ...
File:Bank of Montreal 1 db.jpg, The Bank of Montreal on Place d'Armes (1900), designed with the New York firm of McKim, Mead and White
McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm that came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in fin de siècle New York. The firm's founding partners Charles Follen McKim (1847–1909), Wil ...
File:Chateau Ramezay ca 1900-1925.jpg, Sir Andrew Taylor designed alterations to Château Ramezay
The Château Ramezay is a museum and historic building on Notre-Dame Street in Old Montreal, opposite Montreal City Hall in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Built in 1705 as the residence of then-governor of Montreal, Claude de Ramezay, the Châtea ...
, Montreal, in 1895 [
]
See also
* List of members of London County Council 1889–1919
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Andrew Thomas
1850 births
1937 deaths
Burials at Highgate Cemetery
19th-century Scottish architects
Anglophone Quebec people
Architects from Edinburgh
Canadian architects
McGill University people
People from Montreal
Canadian people of Scottish descent
Members of London County Council
Knights Bachelor
Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects
People associated with University College London
Politicians from Edinburgh
Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts