Entrance to Archer's Hall, Edinburgh, by A F Balfour Paul

Arthur Forman Balfour Paul (7 August 1875 – 3 June 1938) (affectionately known as "Baffy" Paul) was a Scottish architect operating largely in the early 20th century.

Life

He was born in

Edinburgh 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 ...

on 7 August 1875, the son of Sir James Balfour Paul,

Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...

, an important role in aristocratic Scotland, and his wife. He was a second cousin to

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

. He was educated at

Edinburgh Academy The Edinburgh Academy is an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in the city's New Town, Edinburgh, New Town, is now part of the Se ...

from 1885 to 1892, then articled (apprenticed) to Sir Robert Rowand Anderson until 1896. He then studied at the School of Applied Art, the forerunner of

Edinburgh College of Art Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is one of eleven schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Tracing its history back to 1760, it provides higher education in art and design, architecture, histor ...

under

Frank Worthington Simon Frank Lewis Worthington Simon (31 March 1862 – 19 May 1933) was a British architect working in the Arts and Crafts style. In Scotland, he was sufficiently noteworthy as to be commissioned by Queen Victoria to remodel Balmoral Castle In la ...

and

Stewart Henbest Capper Stewart Henbest Capper (15 December 1859 – 8 January 1925) was a prominent architect in the Arts and Crafts style closely associated with Sir Patrick Geddes with much of his work sadly mislabelled as Geddes’. Due to ill-health he did n ...

. In 1895 he travelled in Belgium and the Netherlands and in 1897 made a three-month tour of England. In 1898 he obtained a position in John Belcher’s office in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and studied further at the LCC School of Art. During this period he joined the

London Scottish Regiment The London Scottish was a reserve infantry regiment then a company of the British Army. In its final incarnation it was A (The London Scottish) Company, the London Regiment until, on 1 April 2022, soldiers in the company transferred to foo ...

as a

piper Piper may refer to: People * Piper (given name) * Piper (surname) Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics * Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe * Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe Television * Piper Chapman, lea ...

. In 1903 he returned to

to be

Robert Rowand Anderson Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, (5 April 1834 – 1 June 1921) was a Scottish Victorian architect. Anderson trained in the office of George Gilbert Scott in London before setting up his own practice in Edinburgh in 1860. During the 1860s his ...

’s partner. In 1905 he married Jane Prichard Montgomerie-Fleming. Partly due to this military background, he joined as an officer during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, serving as a major in the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

. He distinguished himself, being award both the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

and

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

with Gold Star. In 1919 he returned to

, becoming sole partner due to Anderson's retirement on grounds of ill-health. In 1931

Basil Spence Sir Basil Urwin Spence, (13 August 1907 – 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Moderni ...

and William Kininmonth were employed by him, sharing a role as a draughtsman in his office, receiving only one salary between them, but in 1934 both were elevated to partner status, creating Kininmonth, Spence and Paul.Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Balfour Paul Paul died at his home, Peffermill House in Edinburgh, on 3 June 1938.

Works under Anderson & Paul

*Science block,

Dollar Academy Dollar Academy, founded in 1818 by John McNabb, is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in Scotland. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, at the foot of the Ochil Hills. Overview As of 20 ...

(1910) *Sanatorium,

Fettes College Fettes College () is a co-educational independent boarding and day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, with over two-thirds of its pupils in residence on campus. The school was originally a boarding school for boys only and became co-ed in 1983. In ...

(1911) *Dining Hall,

(1911) *St George's School for Girls, Upper Coltbridge Terrace, Edinburgh (1912) *McNeill House, 7 Kinellan Road, Edinburgh (1913)

Works as Sole Partner

*Feuing of the Braid Estate in Edinburgh *Feuing of the Fettes Trust lands (

Comely Bank Comely Bank (; gd, Bruach Cheanalta, IPA: �pɾuəxˈçɛnəɫ̪t̪ʰə is an area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It lies southwest of Royal Botanic Garden and is situated between Stockbridge and Craigleith. It is bound on its norther ...

etc.) in Edinburgh *Chemistry Building,

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, King's Buildings (1919) *

Loanhead Loanhead is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, in a commuter belt to the south of Edinburgh, and close to Roslin, Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith. The town was built on coal and oil shale mining, and the paper industries. History Loanhead was a tiny vil ...

War Memorial (1920) *

Scottish Rugby Union The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU; gd, Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba) is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Styled as Scottish Rugby, it is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league s ...

War Memorial, Murrayfield, Edinburgh (1920) *Internal modernisation of

Cakemuir Castle Cakemuir Castle is an historic house situated southeast of Pathhead, in the Lammermuir Hills, Midlothian, Scotland. The name may be connected with the provision of shelter and hospitality to pilgrims on their way to Melrose Abbey. The castle remai ...

(1926) *22 Kinnear Road, edinburgh (1928) *Kimmerghame House,

(2 Carrington Road) (1928) *Church of Scotland, Chalmers Street,

(1934, now demolished)

References

*Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Balfour Paul

External links

*http://www.anatpro.com/index_files/Arthur_Forman_Balfour_Paul.htm *http://www.scottish-places.info/people/famousfirst2341.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Arthur Forman Balfour 1875 births 1938 deaths People educated at Edinburgh Academy 20th-century Scottish architects Scottish knights Architects from Edinburgh Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art Military personnel from Edinburgh London Scottish soldiers British Army personnel of World War I Royal Engineers officers