David Robertson ARSA FRIBA (1834-1925) was a Scottish architect and artist. He was three times President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association. He was strongly linked to the United Presbyterian Church in Scotland and designed many new churches for them.

Life

He was born in 1834 at 12 Gilmore Place 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 ...

’s West End, the son of D J Robertson, an accountant normally resident at 27 Clyde Street. His father became City Chamberlain around 1840. Young David was articled to the local architect

David Cousin David Cousin (19 May 1809 – 14 August 1878) was a Scottish architect, landscape architect and planner, closely associated with early cemetery design and many prominent buildings in Edinburgh. From 1841 to 1872 he operated as Edinburgh’s C ...

in 1850. In 1852 he entered the Trustees Academy on Picardy Place to train as a draughtsman. After further training in Liverpool he returned to Edinburgh to assist John Lessels before setting up his own practice in 1865 at 16 Picardy Place. In 1875, he moved to the larger and more prestigious address of 12 Queen Street. As an artist he began exhibiting at the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

in 1878 and served as President of the Edinburgh Arts Club. In the 1880s he was living with his family at 19 Morningside Place in southern Edinburgh. Although some records wrongly state that he is buried in

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...

he is buried with his wife and mother-in-law in

Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh Morningside Cemetery is a cemetery in south Edinburgh. It was established in 1878 by the Metropolitan Cemetery Company, originally just outwith the then city boundary, the nearest suburb then being Morningside. It extends to just over 13 ac ...

. The grave lies to the west and has been toppled.

Family

He was married to Jessie Beith (d.1897).

Works

*Internal remodelling of Palmerston Place UP Church, Edinburgh (1873) *Inchdrewer House (299 Colinton Road), Edinburgh (1876) later remodelled by Robert Lorimer *Caerlee House, Innerleithen (1878) *Gillespie Memorial Hall and remodelling of church interior, Kippen (1878) *UP Church, Morningside, Edinburgh (1879) *54 St Albans Road,

Grange, Edinburgh The Grange (originally St Giles' Grange) is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, just south of the city centre, with Morningside and Greenhill to the west, Newington to the east, The Meadows park and Marchmont to the north, and Blackford Hill ...

(1880) *Danevale Park, a substantial mansion near

Crossmichael Crossmichael ( gd, Crois Mhìcheil) is a small village on the east side of Loch Ken in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire, about north of Castle Douglas in Scotland. Crossmichael is also the name of the civil parish in Kirkcudbright ...

(1882) *Alterations to Arthur Street UP Church (off

Leith Walk Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the main road connecting the centre of the city to Leith. Forming most of the A900 road, it slopes downwards from Picardy Place at the south-western end of the street to the ...

in Edinburgh (1883) demolished *Alterations to Greenside Parish Church, Calton Hill in Edinburgh (1885) *Little Church in the Field, Gorgie/Dalry, Edinburgh (1887) *John Ker Memorial Church,

Polwarth, Edinburgh Polwarth is a mainly residential area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is bounded by Bruntsfield and Merchiston to the east and south, Gorgie and Dalry to the north, Fountainbridge to the north and east, and Craiglockhart to the west. The Union Can ...

(1892) demolished 1984 *Tenement and shops at 1 to 12 London Road, at head of Easter Road in Edinburgh (1893) *Gorgie UP Church Hall (1896) *Artist's Studios at Hospitalfield, Arbroath (1902) *Edgar Hall, Chesser Avenue, Edinburgh (1911) (as Robertson was now 77 years old this was probably a free work done as a favour to the church)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, David 1834 births 1925 deaths Scottish architects Architects from Edinburgh Artists from Edinburgh